Spend six weeks in beautiful South Africa working with big cats, primates, birds of prey, reptiles, and more!
Combine three of our programs to explore South Africa and works with its wildlife. Two weeks of the program is based at Lory Park Animal and Owl Sanctuary in South Africa. Lory Park is one of only six zoos in Africa accredited by the Pan African Association of Zoos and Aquaria, with a focus on education and conservation. Your program will focus on understanding the anatomy, handling, and medical needs in captivity, behavior, and conservation of six main groups of animals at the park: birds of prey, reptiles, big cats, small cats, cubs, and primates. Your work with and coursework about these animals will be supplemented by veterinary labs such as necropsies and lectures from veterinarians and expert guests. In addition, we will spend a weekend on safari in Kruger National Park.
The two weeks with big cats is spent volunteering at Cango Wildlife Ranch, a big cat conservation facility also accredited by the Pan African Association of Zoos and Aquaria. Students will be learning about African wildlife while working with Loop vets right alongside the cats themselves. Though the volunteer facility isn’t a hospital, you will be gaining valuable experience learning and implementing the important work conservationists and zoo vets do.
The final two weeks of your summer semester will be spent at Selati Game Reserve shadowing a wildlife conservation team while living on a Big 5 Game Reserve. Students will learn about African wildlife research and care, go on safari in the world-famous Kruger National Park, and take a wildlife research course taught by Loop vets. Selati is home to wild elephants, rhinos, cheetahs, lions, and other African animal species. This program site does not have captive animals or a vet clinic on site. It offers a field course that is a combination of wildlife veterinary skills and research related to wildlife and conservation.
Who It’s For
This program is designed for university-aged students who are interested in becoming veterinarians or working professionally with animals. Participants must be at least 18 years old. Most are 18 to 25, but we also accept full-time undergraduates over 25.
There are no pre-requisites for this program. You do not need to be in school currently to apply. Individuals of any nationality may apply.
Each group of up to 12 students will have its own veterinarian and on some dates, multiple groups will share site staff.
Highlights
