Wildlife conservation in South Africa Part II

We are excited to share Daniel Feinbloom’s international experience below, funded by Dr. Thomas Mack. 

This two-week experience in South Africa provided an exciting and enlightening window into wildlife, conservation, and exotic medicine. The first few days of the program – spent primarily at Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and Hoedspruit Reptile Center – focused on reptilian, avian, and mammalian medicine, with lectures, necropsies, and handling labs. We then traveled east to Skukuza, Kruger National Park, where we visited and spoke with experts at the park’s Veterinary Wildlife Services and State Veterinarian office, covering topics such as notable diseases found within the park and the spread of diseases between the park and surrounding communities. Next, we spent a few days with a game capture specialist, learning about wildlife pharmacology and game capture techniques. Our time with the specialist included relocating a nyala and a large waterbuck, which comprised darting the individual, locating where they eventually fell, and loading them into a trailer. Our time with the specialist also included a darting lab through which we practiced darting a moving target from a helicopter. Other notable activities during the program included visiting the Johannesburg Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and spending a day with Hoedspruit Animal Outreach (HALO), where we performed essential physical exams and vaccinated dogs for rabies. This program covered many topics and provided meaningful and worthwhile experiences pertaining to wildlife medicine.