Matthew Gregory

During my time with African Conservation Experience (ACE), I took part in three different projects - the first being the Shimongwe Wildlife Veterinary Experience. I am a vet student so I’m very, very interested in wildlife medicine and conservation. I saw this project as an incredible opportunity to expand my knowledge. I was able to learn more about how South African wildlife vets interact with the animals they treat and the pressures that they, and other conservationists, face.

I loved the unpredictability of this project. The day could start at 8:00am (which was the usual) or it could be in the middle of the night, at 3:00am, depending on what the vet is doing. Obviously you don’t have to get up in the middle of the night if you don’t want to, but for me, that was all part of the experience. I didn’t want to miss out on anything. 

You can ask the vet as many questions as you like which means you can gain as much knowledge as possible. I even asked the receptionists and nurses in the clinic questions to further my knowledge as much as I could. I found just being around the practice, interacting with the patients and seeing small animal and wildlife procedures, eye-opening.

The highlight for me in this project was being involved in resolving some human-wildlife conflict between a leopard, her three cubs and a local community. It was so interesting to see how the vet initially responded to the situation, by contacting the village representative. He was trying to gain an understanding of the situation before putting a plan into action. There were talks of euthanasia for the animals, and this would have been the easy alternative, but it was admirable to see the vet push for the best approach, which turned out to be rehoming the leopard and her cubs. It was amazing to be involved in this process. It was also fascinating to witness first hand some of the struggles that conservationists and vets face in South Africa, and how they worked through the situation to ultimately gain the best for the animals and their welfare. 

The second place I visited was the Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre project. Here I was doing a very different type of work that focussed more on the entire rehabilitation process. I wanted to join this project so I could understand more about conservation as a whole. In this project, I learnt about what is happening to these animals and why people are doing what they are doing and also gained an understanding of what the general aim of the centre is. Once I had found out this background information it made it so easy to get up each day and just keep working, because I knew I was making a real difference and really helping something that matters. 

At Moholoholo your days usually start around 6:30am. On your first day, you are assigned a group of animals to look after throughout your whole stay and they are your responsibility. I found this really cool because it gave me that extra drive to make sure that what I was doing was to a really high standard. It also gives you the opportunity to really get to know your animals and form bonds with them. These bonds make the work so much more than just cleaning and feeding them as you learn so much about the individuals and their personalities.

The final place I visited was the Care For Wild Africa Rhino Sanctuary. Again, this was a completely different experience and a different type of conservation. Not only are they looking after a bunch of different animals, alongside caring for the rhinos, but they also have such a strong vision in place. 

Care For Wild are working towards producing a viable breeding population of black and white rhinos which they can then release into their private reserves. They have already made massive progress towards achieving this and its so amazing to feel like you are a part of this goal. The work at the centre involves a lot of food prep, feeding the animals, and cleaning out their enclosures, but it is all so worth it as it is all in aid of Care For Wild achieving their goal. 

From going to the pub to have a few pints in the evening, to having a day trip out in the Kruger National Park and even swimming under a waterfall! Those are just some of the sorts of excursions that I did which were absolutely fantastic. 

Besides the excursions being cool, the other volunteers at the projects with me were amazing. ACE throws you into a room with like-minded individuals who are also passionate about conservation and wildlife. So regardless of whether you are going on a bush walk or going to the pub, you are going to have such a fantastic time socialising with your fellow volunteers.

The main takeaway I have from all of these projects is I feel like they have given me more purpose. Wildlife veterinary work and wildlife conservation have been careers that I have always been interested in, but now having experienced the day-to-day life and work of the vets, the conservationists and the rehabbers, it's really motivated me to be a part of it. 

My perspective of this work, as someone who lives in England, was so different before coming to South Africa. The South Africans face so many unique challenges. I would love to come back and help out again. I want to contribute more to the cause that the conservationists and the vets are championing.

In the current climate there are lots and lots of different companies that target vet students like me, and other people interested in working in conservation, but unfortunately a lot of these companies tend to not have the animal's best interests in the focus. ACE isn’t like this at all. They are so open about the projects that they interact with and the mission behind each of them, you just know that you are joining something genuinely valuable. From all my research I knew that I was going to be working really hard for a fantastic cause. 

After having my initial consultation with the ACE representative, I never had any doubts or insecurities about my experience. The ACE team have been fantastic the whole time. They were there immediately if I ever needed anything and they accommodated me perfectly throughout my experience. I am so grateful for them!