Wildlife veterinary course

Moya Transkei Outreach Wanna join in a National graphic style of expedition?!

Join a veterinary team into Xhosa land, living amongst the local tribe and treat their animals. The last time the tribe saw a vet was 4 years ago! An unforgettable experience and unique opportunity!

Click the button below if you would like to book your preliminary spot or for more info!

Book me!

More info coming soon! But write down already these dates:

06th July – 19th July 2020.

This is a once-off opportunity, so don’t miss it!!

Wild animal rehabilitation and conservation. Hands-on veterinary work with large carnivores and many more wildlife!

Namibia Vet Safaris Guaranteed wildlife work with large carnivores, pangolins and everything in between!

Click the button below if you would like to book or check availabilities!

Book me!

Namibia Vet Safaris, 12 day program!

This once in a lifetime opportunity will take you on trip around the epic country of Namibia, visiting 3 world class  wildlife rehabilitation centres. Not only will you work hands-on with a big variety of wildlife species, you will also meet the experts in the field of conservation!

Only 5 places left available, so be fast! Vet students only!

It’s running only once per year: 20th July – 31st July 2020.

Click the images below to check out the itinerary of the trip.

Wild animal rehabilitation and conservation. Hands-on veterinary work with large carnivores and many more wildlife!

Trip itinerary - practicals

Wild animal rehabilitation and conservation. Hands-on veterinary work with large carnivores and many more wildlife!
The background of everything you need to know!

Background info brochure!

The background of everything you need to know!

Not your cup of tea? No problem, there are more opportunities!

Click, to go back to projects page!
Wild animal rehabilitation and conservation. Hands-on work with lions and many more wildlife, does it get any better?

Lions & Monkeys! Hands on wildlife work for veterinary nurses and animal lovers in general in South Africa!

Click the button below if you would like to book or check availabilities!

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Lions & Monkeys, 15 days program!

The program takes place, on 2 locations! 7 days in Bloemfontein, the heart of South Africa; and 7 days in Modimolle, a wildlife hotspot in the middle of the bush! 

Click the images below to check out the program info of part 1, Bloemfontein, and part 2, Modimolle!

Wild animal rehabilitation and conservation. Hands-on work with lions and many more wildlife, does it get any better?

Part 1, lions, cheetahs and many more!

Wild animal rehabilitation and conservation. Hands-on work with lions and many more wildlife, does it get any better?
Primate medicine and conservation, the legendary Dr Barnard and oh... elephants! Whaaat?

Part 2, monkey madness and much more!

Primate medicine and conservation, the legendary Dr Barnard and oh… elephants! Whaaat?

Not your cup of tea? No problem, there are more opportunities!

Click, to go back to projects page!
Vets for Wildlife Experience

Vets for Wildlife Experience Hands on vet work in a authentic African setting! This Namibian experience is unlike any other! 

Click the button below if you would like to book or check availabilities!

Book me!

Project info

Click on the image below to download the program info. Find everything you need to know about dates, pricing, etc!

Zoja’s review

Zoja, 3th Bachlor student from Slovenia, is one of our most recent students. Click on the image to check how she liked it! You’ll be surprised!

Not your cup of tea? No problem, there are more opportunities!

Click, to go back to projects page!
how-do-you-move-a-7-ton-elephant

What’s up my friends!

This post today is all about the heaviest land mammal on earth.

Did you know that the biggest translocation of elephants in human history is happening right now as we speak!? 

500 elephants are being moved in Malawi from one national park to another.

But how do you move such a ginormous pachiderm? Let alone 500???

Well watch the awesome video below, and you’ll see! Even Prince Harry is part of it, you know that guy from the UK!

Another video, with the dude from the UK 😉

Awesome videos right!?

I still get the chills thinking about them.

Work like this IS possible for you too!

One of my friends, who graduated one year before me, was part of this translocation of 500 elephants! She’s a bit like you and I, extremely passionate about wildlife, adventurous and a little animal crazy.

In the next blog posts I want to show you a couple ways to get opportunities like this yourself. So definitely keep an eye out for them, so you don’t miss any! Join the newsletter and I’ll notify you when it’s live!

Now if you are interested in the veterinary side of moving a boatload of elephants like this, then read on! 

Watch the video to learn more about the science

Ok cool.

Cooler than the cool side of the pillow!

BUT, yes…

Darting wild elephants is dangerous!

When feeling threatened, elephants can serve nasty blows, trample you or crush even the biggest Land Rovers. Only just recently a Belgian biologist got trampled and died by an elephant in Congo while on a patrol mission in the rainforest…

So caution is always advised when dealing with these otherwise gentle giants, unless you want to be as water level as an Oreo biscuit.

Now the science geeks among us may be wondering what it is that we use to throw down such a big mammal!

Well excellent question. The drug of choice for this is Etorphine.

It’s a drug that is 1500x stronger than morphine.. so you can imagine how strong it is! One teeny-weeny drop can kill a person in 1-2 minutes. So always be careful when you’re handling those darts!

The vets top this up with azaperone and hyaluronidase, to allow a smooth immobilisation. Usually the elephant will go down in about 4-11 minutes.

Here are 3 crucial things for you when joining your first elephant translocation:

  1. Eles can’t breath through their mouths so make sure it is always free. Stick a little branch in the ele’s trunk to keep air flowing and make sure it isn’t under any body part. Breathing should always be >5/minute.
  2. Put the ears over the eyes asap to keep the elephant calm.
  3. Treat dart wound with udder tube or antibiotic spray to prevent abscesses, which eles are quite susceptible to.
  4. Do this, and soar like an eagle with a boss face!
Elephant anesthesia branch trunk

In the video the man talks about tranquilizers to keep the elephants calm on their journey, my best bet is that they used the following three:

  1. Azaperone, works 2-6 hours.
  2. Zuclopentixol, works 3 days.
  3. Perphenazine, works 7 days.

For wake-up vets use a combination of diprenorphine and naltrexone, which takes about 4 minutes before the elephant is up.

Once the antidote is given get to a safe distance pronto! You don’t want an angry drowsey elephant charging at you, plus they tend to grab people with their trunks when they wake up.

Voila! Now you know what to do when someone asks you to dart an elephant 😉

Notes of a vet:

  • Elephants resemble the gut of a horse pretty well. They both are monogastric and have a large colon and caecum. This is why it is ok for elephants to lie on their sides or on their backs when you need to translocate them or perform a surgical procedure. This is similar for the rhino, but in contrast to all ruminants!
  • Here is a rule of thumb in wildlife: hindgut fermenters (elephants, rhinos, horses, etc) may lie on their side or back. Foregut (rumen) fermenters (buffalo, antelope, deer, cattle, etc) should lie sternally, or they can develop rumen function impairment or aspiration pneumonia.

Alright this is what I have for you today my gorgeous friend, hope you like it!

Peace, I am off buying a wheelchair for my grandpa now.

Jonas, out.

Questions, comments, improvements or a pink pigeon? Put them in the comment section below, or shoot me an email! I read and reply to every single one of them!

One killer tip so YOU can travel like a BOSS! You can use it right now!
Have you ever been on a trip that you thought was going to be fantastic, but turned out to be just meh? Or have you ever been on a trip that was great but could have been even amazing?

In this short blog post I’d like to share a killer tip with you that you can use to spice up all your travels!

The tip is easy, all you need is a cellphone and a couple of buddies or some imaginary friends. You can use it on all sorts of travels: short 1- or 2-day business trips, city trips, longer holidays with friends or even on your excavation mission to the North Pole.

Yesterday I was looking at some photos of our backpacking trip in Thailand exactly one year ago. Back then we were using this tip extensively, and I think it might be perfect for you too if you are somewhat adventurous and cool!

Are you cool and adventurous?

I know you are, so read on! 😉

Here’s what you have to do next time:

Compose a list of epic challenges. Try to complete as many of them as you can while on your trip. A picture will serve as proof that you completed the challenge.

Now just inventing these challenges yourself would be dull. Make it more interesting by asking 5 of your buddies to come up with 6 challenges. For every 3 challenges you complete they’ll have to buy you a beer, a glass of wine, or a nice little falcon baby. For every 3 you fail, you’ll have to buy them one.

Show the photos of all your completed challenges to your friends when you are back, and put on your BOSS face!

I first tried it out with a friend of mine, Donald, exactly one year ago when we were backpacking in Thailand. We didn’t really complete any challenges the first couple days because it felt strange at times to “hug a ladyboy” or to “eat a rat”. But once we burst out of our comfort zone, we started rocking and rolling like kings, and had so much fun!

I must admit that it is quite addictive! Once you pass a challenge, you want to pass the next!

Here are a couple examples that some of my friends came up with for my trip to Thailand last year:

thaimania-dope-ass-challenge-list

I still remember “drink hangovertinis on top of the Skybar in Bangkok” vividly. You know that scene from The Hangover II? We had to walk for an hour in our Sunday’s best (only fancy schmancies are allowed in) and dodge rain like ninjas. OK maybe like old and criple ninjas but it was super fun! No Lesly Chow sadly…

 

Here’s what these challenges will do for you:

• Do more awesome stuff, that you normally wouldn’t (like eating a deep fried tarantula).
• Grows your travel skills (how do you ask for a dish recipe in Thai??).
• Opens your eyes to awesome things you haven’t thought of.
• Epic photos for your offspring or the wall of (sh)(f)ame.

Whether it’s 3 or 30 challenges, it’s always an awesome way to spice things up! Bonus points are given to creative creatures. So ask your friends, sisters, brothers or fat cat for some ideas!

So compose a list of challenges before you leave, and get ready for an awesome adventure Bilbo Baggins style!

To help your friends you can hand them some info in case they are as creative as a cactus:

• Google and youtube: type in “cool things to do in [country/place]”.
• Travel blogs for inspiration.
• Is there a movie about your destination? Australia (can you go herding cattle in the Outback?), The Hangover II (can you steal a monkey from a dope gangstah in Bangkok?), or Tarzan (how many lianas can you swing before crashing into a tree?).
• Ask around with friends who have been to your destination before.

That should do it!

Try it out, and let me know what you think! Here’s what it can look like:

 

That’s what I have for you today my gorgeous amigo, I hope you like it. Try it out and let me know what you think.

I am of shaving a fat cat now at the practice!

Cheers, and talk soon.

[The Wildest Challenge] Put a comment in the comment section below if you are going to travel in the near future. Tell me where you are going and what you’ll be doing, and I’ll do my best to come up with 3 epic challenges for you! 😉

Livin’ la vida loca!