My STEP project entailed studying abroad in South Africa through Ohio State’s Exotic Animal Behavior and Welfare course for two and a half weeks. While there we gained a better understanding of the cultural differences between the U.S. and South Africa, the problems animals located in this country face and a general understanding of what the daily life of these species looks like. We also had the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the types of careers available for those who want to work with wild animals.
I thought I knew a lot about conservation and what it meant before going on this study abroad. I quickly found out that while I knew a decent amount of information I did not fully understand the forces at play and what working in the field of conservation really looks like.
After studying in South Africa and actually seeing conservation at work in a variety of environments, such as rehabilitation centers, rescues, national parks and farms, I have a greater understanding of all of the factors that play into conservation and how each person, animal, and environment are crucial to animal survival. After seeing these animals in the wild and seeing them interact with each other and the land around them, you yourself gain a better appreciation for the species and their survival. You then are able to understand the importance of each species.
By being able to spend over six days out on game drives both on Timbavati private game reserve and in Kruger National Park I was able to gain a very large understanding of animal behavior and start to understand how each species reacts with members of their own species, between different species and with the environment around them. While in Timbavati we had the opportunity to see elephants who were generally angry and ended up getting very close to our vehicle. We got to observe what those elephants behavior looked like up close and was then able to use what we saw to compare to other elephants we saw later to determine whether those elephant were angry or not. By the end of the trip we were then able to almost immediately tell whether elephant were angry or content by little subtle pieces of their behavior, like the way their ears were flapping or the intensity of their tail flick. When you spend extended periods of time watching these animals in the wild, where they can freely exhibit natural behaviors and have the choice where they want to go and what they want to eat, you begin to realize how important conserving not only the animals, but also the animals native habitat is. Not only did seeing them in the wild have such a large impact, but also the lack of viewing certain species. For example, while in Kruger National Park we only saw two rhino. To see such a lack of a species that used to have a larger presence is concerning and saddening to see. It makes you realize their importance and you are able to visualize the hole that has been created by the decrease in population.
Not only is being able to see animals in the wild important to conservation efforts but also close interactions with these animals. After our very personal interactions with the animals at Moholoholo Rehabilitation Center, a center where they help injured wild animals to be released and also have ambassador animals for closer interaction and to allow people to learn more about the species, and at Jessica the Hippo, a wild hippo who has grown up around people and in general is comfortable in our presence, I understood just how important that type of interaction is to getting people, and especially children, to listen to what you are trying to teach them about that animal. It creates a whole other level of understanding and connection between the person and the animal. By being able to actually feel that the hippo’s skin feels like rubber instead of someone just telling you the information implants the information in your head and is something that you are that less likely to forget as you will always remember the feel of that hippo’s skin in your hands. These close interactions with the animals also allowed me to gain a better understanding of their behaviors. For example, a lot of us were shocked to find out that cheetah purr like cats when you pet them. You wouldn’t be able to make these connections without being very close to the animals, an experience you don’t get to have in the wild. These types of close interaction were crucial to me gaining a better understanding of their behavior. By people being able to create personal connections to animals they feel much more attached to the species and a stronger bond to conservation efforts of that particular species.
While in South Africa we also had the opportunity to visit an elephant sanctuary where they had two male elephants who were generally docile and comfortable around people. Similarly to some of the other places we visited on the trip, this sanctuary allowed for close human-animal interactions. I really enjoyed this experience as it allowed me to feel and visualize some of the behaviors and observations I made about these animals when we had seen them in the wild. An example of this was a few of us had noticed how quietly elephants walked in the wild for such large animals, especially compared to other animals of similar size, such as rhino. At the sanctuary, I was actually able to feel the sponge like heel that the elephant had that makes their steps so quiet and was therefore able to understand the physiology behind that observation. Moments like these really added to the experience and allowed me to understand the animal that much better. They were great learning experiences, and similarly to Moholoholo Rehabilitation Center and Jessica the Hippo, this type of experience could only be had with the type of close contact that we were able to get with the animal.
This information and understanding that I have gained will be useful in my professional goal of becoming a veterinarian by providing me with more insight into wildlife and exotic animal care. While in South Africa we met with veterinarians and care givers who discussed with us their role in helping the animals as well as some of the problems those type of professions are facing. I was able to visualize what my potential role in these animals lives could be, how I would go about getting to that point, the types of experiences necessary and some of the problems I would potentially have to deal with while on the job. This type of information is important as I make decisions in where I want to work, the type of animals I want to work with and many other things.
Overall this study abroad has left me with a greater understanding of exotic animal behavior and the problems that these species face today. I have learned a lot from the people we have met, the animals themselves and from our group discussions. It was amazing to be able to have conversations with others who have similar feelings and passions regarding animals that I do. We were able to bounce ideas off of each other and share our opinions, which allowed for me to be able to pick up on things that I hadn’t even thought of. By being able to interact with the animals in a variety of settings ranging from wild to sanctuary we got to see different approaches to conservation and a variety of different behaviors from the animals in order to get a well rounded understanding of the species themselves and how they interact not only with other animals but with humans as well.
