As a kid, I was always surrounded by animals and loved watching Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. As much as we love the familiar animals we care for, there is a certain fascination with wild animals, especially exotic ones in far away lands. Imagine an opportunity to escape into a fascinating world and care for species you only see in documentaries.
I had just such an opportunity this summer. At the 2016 AVMA convention I met Prof Wouter van Hoven of Ecolife Expeditions and was honored to be a part of their first ever veterinary course on wildlife management in South Africa. The Veterinary Care of Wildlife in Africa Program offered by Ecolife was a truly amazing journey. As a veterinarian and world traveler, I absolutely loved this unique opportunity to interact with and learn about wildlife from an insider’s perspective. Although this trip is a CE program, I felt more like I was in a living documentary, where every day I learned new and fascinating things about wildlife care.
If you ever wanted to go to Africa, skip the safari and do this trip instead. The experience was so much more than anyone would ever dream of. I came back to the US with a whole new appreciation and enthusiasm for wildlife conservation and committed to highlight some of the amazing people and the work they are doing. This Blog space will be dedicated to that goal. Why here and why now – simple question, simple answer – if not here, where? If not now, when?
