Katie Harlow

I spent 10 days volunteering with African Conservation Experience (ACE) at the Shimongwe Wildlife Veterinary Experience and it was absolutely amazing!

When we first arrived, the vet introduced us to the area and talked to us about the conservation that they are involved in. We also got to see the sanctuary where they are rescuing and caring for lions that have been in horrible captive conditions.

We then got to do a darting course! First, we practiced on the ground shooting targets, and then when we felt confident enough, we had the chance to go up in a helicopter and shoot a hay bale which was on the back of a truck. I was nervous at first, but I was with a very experienced pilot and they went through all of the safety procedures which reassured me. The vet was also great at explaining everything including how to load the dart gun, how to shoot, and the best position to stand in. It turned into a bit of a fun competition and I ended up winning! The vet treated me to an ice-cream as my prize which was very kind of them.

We then did a trip to the Kruger National Park which was incredible, I have never seen wildlife like that before.

It was great to see these animals from the safari vehicle and some of them got quite close. The weather was perfect and it was so lovely to see all of the beautiful scenery.

The vet went into detail about the history of different species, including some of the birds and the trees. I was very impressed with all of his in-depth knowledge. 

After this trip, the veterinary work really started! The first procedure we witnessed was a lion sterilisation. The vet explained the purpose of the surgery, what they were doing, and all of the equipment and drugs that they were using. If we had any questions we were encouraged to ask them. 

It was a very hands-on experience. I had the responsibility of monitoring one of the anaesthetics for the lions. This involved checking the heart rate, respiration rate and reflexes, and I had to let the vet know if I saw anything abnormal.

It was amazing being so close to the lions. People always say their paws are huge but I can confirm that they are, they are like the size of your head! Even seeing their teeth and the muscles in their body really put into perspective how large and strong these animals are. 

In the evenings, we had the chance to sit by the fire and we sometimes had barbeques (or braais). The volunteer accommodation was right next to the sanctuary, so whilst we were relaxing at night, we could hear the lions roaring right next to us.

We also got involved in some work with three different rhinos and again, it was amazing to see them so close. I like to call them our modern day version of dinosaurs because they are such huge and beautiful creatures! Their skin is so thick which surprised me when I saw the vets putting the needles in. The purpose of the work was to measure their horn sizes, as well as checking their microchips, taking blood and hair samples, and just generally checking their health.

The whole procedure happens quite quickly, so you've got to be on it. This is because you don't want a rhino to be sedated for too long. It was really exciting to be involved.

As well as this, the team also had to dart a buffalo. We took blood from the animal so that it could be tested for any diseases, and again we checked the general health of the buffalo whilst it was sedated. Driving around trying to locate the animal was good fun - everyone was calling out whenever they saw something!

I have a degree in conservation and I am currently studying veterinary science so I definitely got to see both aspects and how they tie together. On the veterinary side, I was able to work with different species and see how the vets would treat them, including the different drugs and procedures they used. I have also learnt a lot about the conservation of different species and it was inspiring to hear about all of the work that they are doing to help the environment and wildlife in South Africa.

I am from the UK so it was great to see a different area of the world that I never knew much about. It’s opened my eyes a lot and I’d definitely love to come back in the future.

With ACE, everything was organised really well. They were there to meet me as soon as I landed in Johannesburg, and I had a great chat with the team and other volunteers heading off on their adventures. They then helped us onto the transfer to the project, and they checked in on me whilst I was there. When we came back, they were waiting for us and helped us find our way around the airport. ACE were incredibly supportive throughout the experience, which is very helpful when it is your first time travelling alone.