Tanya Marotta
This summer, I spent 16 days on the Amakhala game reserve in the Eastern Cape of South Africa participating in the Vets Go Wild program. This was by far the single most exhilarating and awesome thing I have done in my entire life!
The program manager, Dr. William Fowlds, is an incredible veterinarian, conservationist, and mentor. If there is anyone to learn wildlife medicine from, it would be Dr. Fowlds and his team at Ikhala Wildlife Veterinary Services. The program utilized a combination of lectures, observation, and hands-on experience to provide students with an incredible opportunity to not only practice medicine on wildlife, but explore the relationship between animals, people, and the planet that we share. Dr. Fowlds placed heavy emphasis on ecology and how we as humans can live more in harmony with the world around us. We discussed the complicated and intertwined nature of conservation, eco-tourism, poaching, hunting, and corruption.
There was also thorough discussion about pharmacology, anesthesia, and wildlife immobilization methods that were put into practice. By the end of the program, we students were formulating drug dosages for darting and capturing animals using our own plans! Medical experience included physical exams, field anesthesia monitoring, IV blood draws/medications/catheter placements, dental extractions, rhinoceros dehorning and tracker placement, and more. There was a lot of heavy lifting, hours spent driving through the bush in the back of a pick-up truck, a bit of running, and one or two tackles! We worked on a variety of animals including many species of antelope, zebras, giraffes, cheetahs, and rhinos. It was the most insane experience to see and touch these incredible creatures; I still feel emotional thinking about it.
There was plenty of time dedicated to game drives, where we had to chance to observe the hundreds of species that inhabited the game reserve. Other activities included a dolphin/whale watching trip off the coast, a trip to a local orphanage, a rabies vaccine clinic in a local township, and a helicopter darting course! The students consisted of 15 people, ranging from veterinary students to technicians to experienced veterinarians. We stayed in a beautiful lodge and ate 3 delicious meals a day together. The lodge staff members were incredibly warm and welcoming. There was also a small pub, scattered with evidence of all the people who have come before us who were touched by this beautiful place.
Dr. Fowlds, Candice (the incredible RVT who we spent every day with), and our dedicated rangers, Melumzi and Malibongewe, made this experience unforgettable. On our last day, there was a group debrief. I had expected to talk about animals, veterinary medicine, and conservation. Instead, it was an emotional sunrise conversation about life, purpose, happiness, and finding our place in this world. The impact that Dr. Fowlds and the Vets Go Wild program left on me is much deeper than just the medical knowledge and clinical experience. It left me with a renewed sense of self, resolve, and passion. I will be a better veterinarian, and a better person, for having participated in this program this summer.
A sincere thank you to Global Programs for offering me the opportunity to participate in this life-changing course! It is an experience I never would have been able to gain here in the US, or participate in if I did not have the funding. Global experiences create diverse, open-minded individuals, and I am so grateful to have had this chance to influence my career. Thank you!
