EMS
Animal Courses for Trainee Vets in South Africa
If you are looking for
a hands-on veterinary experience and need to fulfil a portion of your Extra Mural
Study (EMS) requirements, Vets Go Wild have the perfect animal care courses for
you, featuring the opportunity to work with vets in South Africa.
Our 16-day
module is aimed at students undertaking veterinary and animal courses at university,
providing training in the care of animals at The Addo Elephant National Park,
The Amakhala Game Reserve and The Shamwari Game Reserve located in the Eastern
Cape in South Africa. Vets will guide you in the treatment of animal species such
as the African elephant, rhinoceros, African buffalo, lion and leopard.
The
objective of the animal courses on the programme is to conduct theoretical and
practical training focusing on the role of veterinary science in the context of
African wildlife conservation & utilisation. This means your animal care training
will combine the disciplines of Veterinary Science, Wildlife Management and Conservation
Field Training.
Our
animal care courses for trainee vets in South Africa operate at the following
wildlife reserves: Amakhala Private Game Reserve
http://www.amakhala.co.za
Amakhala
consists of 6500 hectares (15,600 acres) of wildlife reserve in the Eastern Cape
of South Africa. Vet trainees will enjoy this scenically beautiful area of green,
wide-open plains, lined with acacia-savannah. It is home to wide variety of animals
including elephants and giraffes, which you may get to treat as part of your animal
care training.
Shamwari Game Reserve
http://www.shamwari.com
Shamwari
Game Reserve is located 10 minutes drive from Amakhala in the Eastern Cape of
South Africa. Vets conducting the animal care courses here are part of the success
of this multi-award winning reserve, which has pioneered the return of many endangered
species back into the Eastern Cape. Over the past 15 years, the achievements of
the reserve have earned it global recognition and awards including 'World's Leading
Conservation Company'.
Shamwari is home to five biomes, which allow for
diversity in terms of fauna and flora in its 20,000 hectares (45,000 acres). The
safari "Big Five," African elephant, African buffalo, rhinoceros, lion
and leopard, are some of the animals our courses care for here. Addo
National Elephant Park
A mere 30 minutes drive from Shamwari and Amakhala
is The Addo National Elephant Park. The 120,000 hectare (260,000 acres) conservation
area is famous for its elephants but is fast becoming recognised as one of the
most ecologically diverse national parks in the world. There are over 400 elephants
here which our animal courses may tend to during your two-week experience. Bayworld
Oceanarium
The Vets Go Wild programme also deals with marine animal care,
training students by letting them assist the vets treating South Africa's seals
and dolphins in captivity at the Bayworld Oceanarium, located in Port Elizabeth,
an hour's drive from Amakhala. As part of their course of care for the animals,
veterinary personnel do weekly examinations of their dolphins and seals. This
facility serves as an introduction to the wild marine management taking place
in Algoa Bay, South Africa's largest coastal bay. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan
University
Participants on an animal care course will also benefit from
our association with the Centre for African Conservation Ecology at Nelson Mandela
Metropolitan University.
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MORE
INFORMATION ABOUT OUR ANIMAL COURSES:
Our Vets in South Africa:
Veterinary
Science: Dr Johan Joubert, Dr William Fowlds, Dr Murray Stokoe
Conservation
Biology: Dr Jennifer Gush / John O'Brien / David Peddie
Conservation Management:
David Peddie, Prof Graham Kerley & associated researchers
Field Skills:
Schalk Pretorius & Ulovane Training Facility.
Location
As
well as incorporating Addo, Shamwari and Amakhala, where the animal care courses
operate, The Eastern Cape is justifiably famous for a number of other game reserves.
The great herds of Knysna Forest elephants were almost totally eradicated at the
turn of this century but have recovered miraculously in recent years. Addo National
Park and the Mountain Zebra Park saw almost exactly the same thing happen to the
rare mountain zebra. Shot to the brink of extinction in the 1930s, this rare species
struggled to come back. Today, there are over 200 in the park thanks to conservation
efforts and animal courses similar to ours. Mountain Zebra Park is about 2 and
half hours from Amakhala just outside Cradock in the Little Karoo. |
Accommodation
Trainee
vets in South Africa will stay in our camp, situated in one of the protected areas
that make up Amakhala Game Reserve. The camp is a traditional lodge, which boasts
comfortable rooms, en-suite shower facilities, a private swimming pool, and separate
dining and bar areas.
It is a recently completed animal care training facility
positioned within the surrounding vegetation with good comfortable amenities and
providing a great safari camp atmosphere. Most of the units are thatched. It is
enclosed within 750 acres of varying bush and riverine vegetation outside of the
main "dangerous game area" of Amakhala. This allows for relative freedom
to pursue educational activities around the lodge while being a few minutes from
the main reserve where the animal courses operate.
The lodge consists of
separate units set into the surrounding vegetation:
- Social area -
lounge & bar, balcony looking over the protected area, outdoor barbeque facilities,
fireside area
- Accommodation units sleeping up to six with en-suite
bath or shower, toilet and basin
- Dining and kitchen unit
-
Swimming pool area
- Office and lecture facility for the animal care
training, which backs onto one of the accommodation units
Time
Off
Due to the busy nature of our animal courses free time is minimal.
The evenings are spent at leisure and course participants are welcomed to enjoy
the tranquillity of the Lodge. |
Project
Duration and Rates (2009) 16 days (15 nights, 14 course days).
| 2
weeks | 3
weeks | 4
weeks | 8
weeks | 12
weeks | | £1,999 | | | | |
Course
Start Dates - 2009
Course 1: 18 June - 3 July 2009
Course 2: 9 July
- 24 July 2009
Course 3: 28 July - 12 August 2009
Course 4: 17 August -
1 September 2009
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