Volunteering in South Africa – A Life-Changing Experience

My weeks volunteering in South Africa at the Pre-Vet Wildlife Internship were probably one of the best weeks of my life. I didn’t have any expectations when I left home, that way I wouldn’t be disappointed. But the first week of my stay I got to see a rhino from up close and later on we did a post-mortem on it! A little later I met Abby, a very friendly giraffe.

All he wanted was some love and attention, and of course we gave that to him. From treating rhinos we went to the local villages to treat the dogs living there. At first it was shocking to see the condition of some of the dogs and how the people treated the dogs there.

But it felt really good to help and wash the dogs and to tell the people there how to handle them better. We did some game captures too, so I got to give some injections to wildebeests, impala’s and blesbucks. From wildlife we went to a farm and I witnessed the birth of a calf, and I got to do some pregnancy testing myself. Of course volunteering is hard work, but we had some time off too.

I did a game drive where I saw all kinds of animals, I walked with elephants and cuddled the cheetahs. We had some time to admire the gorgeous South African landscaped and we visited the beaches. Being up close to so many wild animals was a thrilling experience. Moreover, I learned so many new things, which will help me with my studies later on. It was a life changing experience and I can’t wait to do some volunteer work again.