WILDLIFE VET COURSE

Two weeks of immersive learning, hands-on veterinary experience and incredible wildlife conservation.

Designed for anyone pursuing or working in the veterinary field, this structured two-week course combines expert-led lectures, practical sessions and hands-on wildlife veterinary and conservation work.

Open to veterinary students, qualified veterinarians, veterinary nurses and technicians, and pre-vet students, the course provides an opportunity to develop your understanding of wildlife medicine while working alongside experienced wildlife professionals.

Available on set departure dates or as a private group experience, with private programmes tailored around your group’s interests and learning objectives.

WILDLIFE VET SHADOWING

Experience the day-to-day reality of wildlife veterinary medicine as it happens.

Wildlife Vet Shadowing is a more flexible and immersive option for veterinary students, veterinary nurses and technicians, and qualified veterinary professionals. Rather than following a set course, you’ll shadow wildlife veterinarians and experience the cases, procedures and conservation work taking place during your stay.

Available year-round (subject to availability) to individuals, this is an ideal option for those looking for a longer or more flexible wildlife veterinary experience.

WILDEVET CURATED MISSION

A specially designed wildlife conservation experience for those without a veterinary background.

Our WildeVet Curated Mission offers a set programme combining wildlife veterinary work with conservation activities, creating an immersive introduction to wildlife conservation without requiring any previous veterinary experience.

Alongside veterinary interventions, activities may include telemetry, game drives, tracking and identifying animal signs, helicopter darting and other conservation experiences.

Available exclusively for private groups, this option is perfect for families, friends and groups of all ages - with no minimum age requirement. The programme provides an accessible way for everyone to experience the world of wildlife veterinary medicine and conservation together.

A two-week immersive introduction to wildlife veterinary medicine, combining expert-led lectures, practical workshops and hands-on conservation work in the field. The programme is designed to give participants a broad understanding of the knowledge, skills and decision-making involved in wildlife veterinary practice.

Throughout the programme, participants may explore chemical immobilisation and anaesthesia, darting techniques, wildlife handling and welfare, field safety, drug calculations, transport and translocation, population management, disease surveillance, rehabilitation, reproductive management and herd health.

Practical learning may also include faecal sampling and laboratory work, ultrasound and pregnancy diagnosis, parasite monitoring, necropsy principles, microchipping and ear-tagging, horn measuring and other routine wildlife management procedures.

The veterinary experience is complemented by wider conservation fieldwork, including wildlife tracking and spoor identification, telemetry, camera trapping, field data collection, habitat assessment, reserve management, biodiversity monitoring, anti-poaching awareness and ecosystem health.

LEARN IN THE FIELD

No two days are necessarily the same. A typical programme combines theoretical and practical learning, with lectures and case discussions alongside veterinary workshops, laboratory sessions, wildlife monitoring and field-based conservation activities.

The timetable remains flexible so the programme can respond to real veterinary cases, emergencies and conservation opportunities as they arise. When a valuable wildlife veterinary opportunity becomes available, the schedule can adapt so participants can make the most of the experience.

The exact activities will vary depending on the needs of the animals, season and conservation work taking place. No particular species, procedure or veterinary operation can be guaranteed.

CONSERVATION EXPERIENCE

Veterinary work is combined with broader conservation activities across the reserve. Participants may experience white rhino monitoring, leopard ecology and ethical habituation, camera trapping, telemetry, wildlife tracking and field data collection, alongside habitat assessment, ecosystem restoration and applied conservation research.

LIFE ON THE RESERVE

The experience also provides plenty of opportunity to explore and enjoy the reserve, with activities such as game drives, walking safaris, wildlife viewing, picnics, stargazing, sunrise and sunset experiences, and traditional South African braais.

Because this is real wildlife work, no two days are the same. The experience remains flexible, allowing participants to make the most of veterinary cases and conservation opportunities as they arise. Specific species, procedures or veterinary operations cannot be guaranteed.

Step into the day-to-day world of wildlife veterinary medicine and experience the work as it unfolds.

Wildlife Vet Shadowing offers a fully immersive experience for veterinary students, veterinary nurses and technicians, and qualified veterinary professionals looking to gain insight into real-world wildlife veterinary practice. Rather than following a fixed course, participants shadow the veterinary team and become involved in the cases, conservation work and field activities taking place during their stay.

With a wildlife rehabilitation centre, small animal clinic and carnivore quarantine facility on site, the experience can span everything from emergency veterinary work and wildlife interventions to rehabilitation and long-term conservation care.

WILDLIFE VETERINARY EXPERIENCE

Depending on the work taking place during the stay, participants may be exposed to wildlife anaesthesia, treatment and translocation, veterinary drug preparation and calculations, wildlife handling and relocation, herd health and population monitoring, nutrition, reproductive management, disease surveillance, quarantine and biosecurity. There may also be opportunities to assist with emergency wildlife cases, anti-poaching veterinary support, wildlife health assessments, capture planning, darting equipment, telemetry, post-capture monitoring and rehabilitation care under appropriate supervision.

LEARNING IN THE FIELD

The shadowing experience may be complemented by lectures, case discussions and practical training covering areas such as chemical immobilisation, wildlife pharmacology and anaesthesiology, wildlife diseases, mass capture, capture-related complications and darting principles. Practical learning is designed to build understanding of the decision-making, preparation and safety considerations involved in wildlife veterinary work.

CONSERVATION EXPERIENCE

Veterinary work is combined with broader conservation activities across the reserve. Participants may experience white rhino monitoring, leopard ecology and ethical habituation, camera trapping, telemetry, wildlife tracking and field data collection, alongside habitat assessment, ecosystem restoration and applied conservation research.

LIFE ON THE RESERVE

The experience also provides plenty of opportunity to explore and enjoy the reserve, with activities such as game drives, walking safaris, wildlife viewing, fishing and swimming at the dams, picnics, stargazing, sunrise and sunset experiences, and traditional South African braais.

Because this is real wildlife work, no two days are the same. The experience remains flexible, allowing participants to make the most of veterinary cases and conservation opportunities as they arise. Specific species, procedures or veterinary operations cannot be guaranteed.

A curated wildlife conservation experience designed for participants without a veterinary background, combining wildlife veterinary work with hands-on conservation activities. The programme offers an accessible and immersive introduction to wildlife medicine, conservation and life on a working game reserve, with activities selected to create a varied experience for the whole group.

WILDLIFE VETERINARY EXPERIENCE

Participants may have the opportunity to observe and assist with wildlife veterinary procedures, animal health assessments, rehabilitation work, wildlife monitoring and conservation interventions. Depending on the veterinary work taking place, experiences may include wildlife handling, immobilisation, veterinary examinations, treatment, darting operations and other field-based veterinary activities.

CONSERVATION EXPERIENCE

The programme combines veterinary experiences with a broader range of hands-on conservation activities. Participants may take part in telemetry, wildlife tracking and spoor identification, game drives, camera trapping, species monitoring, habitat assessment, biodiversity activities and field data collection.

The group may also have opportunities to learn about wildlife population management, ecosystem health, rewilding, reserve management and anti-poaching efforts, gaining a wider understanding of the conservation work required to protect and restore wildlife populations.

LEARN IN THE FIELD

Designed specifically for those without a veterinary background, the programme focuses on accessible, practical experiences rather than formal veterinary training. Each day is shaped around the conservation work and wildlife opportunities available, allowing participants to experience real cases, real conservation and the realities of working with wildlife.

With a wildlife rehabilitation centre on site, there may also be opportunities to help care for injured, sick or vulnerable animals, while emergency cases and unexpected conservation opportunities can become part of the experience.

LIFE ON THE RESERVE

Time on the reserve is about more than conservation. Participants can enjoy game drives, walking safaris, wildlife viewing, fishing and swimming, picnics, stargazing, sunrise and sunset experiences and traditional South African braais, making this a complete wildlife adventure as well as a conservation experience.

The programme is available exclusively for private groups, including families and groups of all ages. The exact activities will vary according to the animals, season, weather and conservation work taking place, and no specific species, procedure or veterinary operation can be guaranteed.

• Wildlife Vet Course: Experience an authentic African chalet surrounded by nature, with full-board meals provided throughout your programme. Hot water and Western-style bathrooms provide comfort while keeping you immersed in the wildlife and atmosphere of the reserve.

• Wildlife Vet Shadowing: For a more independent stay, settle into a comfortable self-catering cottage with a fully equipped kitchen and supplied ingredients. It provides a relaxed home base for longer stays while you follow the veterinary team and experience the work as it unfolds.

• WildeVet Curated Experience: Enjoy a more exclusive stay in a luxury lodge, complete with a swimming pool and private chef. Designed for private groups, this option combines comfort and relaxation with an immersive wildlife experience.

• All accommodation: Whichever experience you choose, you’ll be surrounded by nature with wildlife at your doorstep. Every accommodation option includes hot water showers and Western-style toilets, combining bush living with the comforts you need.

If “Book Now” is available:

• Click the Book Now button to secure your place on the mission. Select the departure date and the applicable package.

• A deposit is required to confirm your spot - spaces are limited and cannot be held without payment

• The remaining balance is split into three instalments, with final payment due 90 days prior to departure

• If booking within 90 days of departure, full payment is required at the time of booking

• Once your deposit (or full payment) is received, you’ll be sent a detailed information pack covering everything you need to know - including program details, travel guidance, what to expect, and a packing list

If “Book Now” is not available:

• This mission may have specific requirements, offers multiple departure dates, or has alternative mission lengths available

• Click Ask A Question and complete your details to register your interest

• A Wilde Tracks team member will contact you via email

• If you don’t hear from us within 3 business days, please email info@wildetracks.com

• No payment is required to register your interest

• Our team will help guide you through the best options available for you

Some of our trips require a minimum number of participants to run. In the unlikely event the minimum isn’t met, we’ll let you know no later than 60 days before departure. If you haven’t heard from us by then, your trip is good to go. To keep things flexible, we recommend booking your flight after this point or choosing a flexible ticket.

Don’t just take our word for it - hear directly from the travellers who have joined Wilde Tracks missions around the world.

From hands-on conservation work and unforgettable wildlife encounters to meaningful connections with local communities, our guests share what it’s really like to travel with purpose.

⭐ 5.0/5 on Tripadvisor
⭐ 34 five-star reviews
⭐ Travellers’ Choice recognised

Read their stories, see what they experienced and discover why so many of our guests are already planning their next Wilde Tracks adventure.

Read our Tripadvisor reviews → HERE