Vets4Africa brings veterinary science professionals from around the world to experience Africa in a way uniquely tailored to complement their professional interests. Visitors will interface directly with the experts who work with wildlife, including endangered species, and have developed successful management, game capture and translocation conditions. Tours include interactive visits to specialised breeding centres, rehabilitation sanctuaries, specialised breeding programmes as well as traditional safari activities in some of the most beautiful places in the world. Vets4Africa fosters collaborative opportunities to benefit local veterinary research, rehabilitation and in particular, educational projects advancing the care of domestic animals and livestock within disadvantaged communities. Currently Vets4Africa is focused on South Africa, a country of haunting physical beauty and home to fascinating fauna and flora. This truly Rainbow Nation with it’s vibrant history resonates today in a booming economy promising a glowing future. These factors all combine to ensure that South Africa is a premier international tourist destination which offers the discerning traveler remarkable insights into the diverse realities of a leading developing nation. The South African tourist industry has become particularly acknowledged for the excellent value for money it’s services offer and continues to attract the highest rates of repeat visitors. With a South African heritage and valuable networks, especially in the wildlife field, and a multicultural awareness, gained from over 20 years experience in Europe and the USA, Vets4Africa is uniquely qualified to offer veterinary science practitioners the chance to enjoy an exhilarating adventure whilst exploring their professional field. South Africa leads the world in the effective management of wildlife. Related to this has been the development of chemical capture for the wide diversity of animal species found in South Africa. Allied to this has been the perfection of game capture techniques which result in limited stress periods for animals. This makes South Africa a prime educational destination for government agencies or non governmental organisations focused on wildlife management. Vets4Africa seeks to build increased international awareness and collaboration within the veterinary science community to benefit research, rehabilitation and education. What We Do Vets4Africa tailors it’s tours to each specific groups’ needs and interests. Our specialist guides lead small groups through various institutions, organisations, national parks and private game reserves in South Africa. Our veterinary specific focus is on rehabilitation centres, specialist breeding centres and sanctuaries including The Hoedspruit Research Center for Endangered Species, The Elephant Sanctuary, De Wildt Cheetah & Wildlife Centre, The Khamai Reptile Park, The Faculty of Veterinary Science at the University of Pretoria and The Game Capture School. However these destinations are located close to either the Kruger National Park or the Waterberg where traditional safari activities, such as day/night game drives and walks through the bush, can also be enjoyed. Vets4Africa guides work closely with leaders in their respective fields to ensure that valuable understanding is shared on the chosen subject. Under their combined guidance this creates a unique opportunity for visiting practitioners to intimately experience the current issues facing South African veterinary science professionals and wildlife managers.In addition Vets4Africa recognises that many veterinary science professionals visiting South Africa will also wish to experience the wonders of South Africa that make it such a desirable travel destination. Vets4Africa understands that these tourist opportunities are too numerous to mention, but will gladly advise, arrange and accompany groups wherever they chose to travel. Please see accordingly our Enquiries page.Through our experience and knowledge we provide the very best professionals and facilities so that only qualified guides or veterinary specialists will accompany the group throughout it’s tour. We have also selected a variety of quality accommodations including bush camps, bed & breakfasts, private homes and hotels. Combined, this contributes to building a truly memorable encounter with the real South Africa.Recommendations Experience has taught us that groups numbering not more than 6 people offer the best opportunity for a personalised service with logistical ease. Many visiting veterinary professionals make up their own group often including their relatives which turns this into an exciting blend of learning and family holiday fun.Given the rigours of international travel and the host of tourist opportunities in South Africa we recommend that a visit of not less than 2 full weeks is ideal. However Vets4Africa will be delighted to host groups for the length of time they choose to accommodate their specific needs and interests. South Africa is a large country with almost 2000km separating the wildlife reserves of Kruger National Park and the Waterberg in it’s North West from Cape Town in the South. This reality offers a perfect means to plan a visit arriving in Johannesburg, in the northern half of the country, to experience the veterinary specific activities available here prior to traveling south to enjoy the cosmopolitan lifestyle and Mediterranean climate of the Western Cape. Making this journey can be via land or air and the fabulous Rovos Rail has deservedly earned it’s reputation as an ultimate rail experience. This is of course just a suggestion because there are superb tourist options everywhere in the country. Some other realities to help plan your visit are as follows: 1. Weather: Hottest months throughout the country are typically from October to February· Highest rainfall months in the North of the country are from November to March· .: Highest rainfall months in and around Cape Town are from May to September 2. Prime game viewing months are in the South African winter from July to September 3. Prime game capture months are from April to August 4. Worst months for malaria, prevalent only in some parts of South Africa, are from late October to early April. We will gladly supply additional information here but strongly recommend that you consult with your Medical Doctor in this regard at least 6 weeks prior to your arrival in South Africa. Please note that ongoing fieldwork opportunities enables Vets4Africa to offer year round game viewing and capture opportunities. During the hottest months, please note that game capture will only occur in the very early hours of the morning as a means to limit heat exposure to the animals, whose health and safety always remain the primary consideration.As most of Vets4Africa’s tours are tailored specifically, costs will vary accordingly. Visitors will be able to choose from a variety of accommodations, methods of transport and activities all of which can significantly impact the overall cost a tour. Notwithstanding this, Vets4Africa’s prices remain competitive giving everyone the opportunity to experience South Africa within their budgets. Vets4Africa recommends that groups tailor their tours specifically, from options such as those listed below, to suit interests and needs. However Vets4Africa also provides activities covering a number of other special interests and accordingly requests that you please note these preferences with your Enquiries. We will promptly provide an initial itinerary and detailed activity programme when responding to your Enquiries. Elephant Sanctuary The Elephant Sanctuary is located in Magaliesberg which is an hour’s drive north west from Johannesburg. This is in a malaria-free area with indigenous bush home to animal species such as impala, klipspringer, baboons, porcupine, caracal, leopard and over 350 bird species. The sanctuary adopts orphaned elephants, training them for humans to be able to encounter these large mammals on a truly individual basis. This is an ultimate experience and your interaction with these magnificent mammals will deepen your wildlife understanding and change you forever.Whilst delivering veterinary specific activities this centre is particularly family friendly Game Capture School, Bela-Bela The Game Capture School is situated just outside of Bela Bela just over an hour by vehicle north of Pretoria, the capital city of South Africa. The school provides comprehensive hands-on courses in the safe and ethically acceptable methods of the handling, managing and capturing of wild animals under a variety of circumstances and conditions. The School is located on a large private game reserve and vacation resort which offers wonderful family styled holiday activities such as fishing, golf, swimming pools, boating, squash, tennis, water skiing and, of course, not forgetting traditional game drives. Courses offered range from: .: wildlife immobilization, including shooting from a helicopter · the use of tranquillizers in mass capture· .: technical support during chemical capture of wildlife· .: animal rehabilitation and wildlife diseases, including the handling of birds· .: the management of a captive lion population, including the immobilization of lions Whilst delivering veterinary specific activities this centre is particularly family friendly Hoedspruit Centre for Endangered Species The Hoedspruit Centre for Endangered Species is situated just outside Hoedspruit in the Limpopo Province and is one of the leading private research and breeding facilities for endangered species in South Africa. Endangered species include cheetah, the rare king cheetah, African wild dog, black-footed cat, African wild cat, ground hornbill and South Africa’s national bird, the blue crane. A vulture restaurant at the centre attracts the white-backed vulture, hooded vulture, occasionally the lappet-faced vulture and cape griffon as well as the marabou stork and Bateleur eagle.Whilst delivering veterinary specific activities this centre is particularly family friendly Khamai Reptile Park The Khamai Reptile Park is situated in the Limpopo Province in a prime location for reptile related research and conservation work. The area has a high concentration of snakes with the associated high frequency of contact with humans. Research conducted at the park is particularly focused on snake venoms but also includes field studies and husbandry of reptiles from around the world. Khamai has a strong education programme for members of the public but is also the only location from where the officially sanctioned South African Game Rangers Reptile course is conducted. Accordingly it can be expected to enjoy a richly interactive session with the reptiles and their human specialists. Whilst delivering veterinary specific activities this centre is also family friendly Kruger National Park The Kruger National Park is world-renowned and offers a wildlife experience that ranks with the best in Africa. Established in 1898 to protect the wildlife of the South African Lowveld, this park of nearly 2,000,000ha is unrivalled in the diversity of its life forms and is a world leader in advanced environmental management techniques and policies.Evidence of mankind’s existence in this Lowveld environment over many centuries, from bushman rock paintings to majestic archaeological sites like Masorini and Thulamela, is very evident here. These treasures represent the cultures, persons and events that played a role in the history of the park and are conserved along with it’s natural assets.Truly the flagship of the South African National Parks, Kruger National Park is home to an impressive number of species: 336 trees, 49 fish, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles, 507 birds and 147 mammals. A truly family experience Londolozi Private Game Reserve The Londolozi Private Game Reserve is one of the most celebrated private game reserves in the world. Over the years it has evolved into a renowned eco-tourism destination in the heart of the celebrated Sabi Sand Game Reserve in South Africa which shares a boundary with the equally world famous Kruger National Park. Londolozi is synonymous with, and offers unprecedented viewing of, leopards. It’s skilled rangers and trackers have shared and contributed to international research on these elusive cats. Numerous documentaries, some of which took years to complete, have been filmed by National Geographic and the Discovery Animal Channel here. It is almost an accepted norm to view the Big 5 in a single day! With it’s close relationship with Londolozi Vets4Africa is in the unique position of being able to deliver a veterinary specific programme here oholoholo Rehabilitation Centre
The Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre is located near Hoedspruit in the Limpopo province. It nestles on the slopes of the 1,944m high Mariepskop, one of the highest peaks of the Drakensberg range, affording it breathtaking views of towering mountains and vertical cliffs on the one side and the Lowveld savanna rolling towards Kruger National Park on the other. The centre contributes to the conservation of endangered species and the rehabilitation of injured and poisoned wildlife. It also facilitates a number of successful breeding programs. Wherever possible it’s rehabilitated birds and animals are returned to the wild but for those not so fortunate, due to the nature and extent of their injuries, they are used for education purposes becoming in essence the ‘ambassadors’ of their species.The management and staff here are a group of dedicated conservationists thoroughly committed to the preservation of wildlife.Whilst delivering veterinary specific activities this centre is particularly family friendly Sandton SPCA This SPCA facility serves as a municipal pound for the city of Sandton which is fast becoming a new commercial centre just north of Johannesburg. Typically it houses stray animals, normally dogs and cats but also including horses, cattle, donkeys, sheep, pigs, chickens, ducks and geese. A dipping facility to control ticks and fleas is also available. The veterinary clinic located here treats the animals in the pound as well as those brought in from Alexandra and other nearby disadvantaged areas. Much in evidence in these areas is the thrive/survive phenomenon of domesticated animals and livestock in township conditions. There is also a corps of inspectors operating from here, who responding to reports of animal abuse are, for the most part, more focused on educating owners rather than prosecuting them. Vets4Africa has already tailored tours with specific veterinary themes to offer a deeper insight for those with special interests. An example of an Equine Specific tour is detailed below for information sake but please be sure to note your special interests as requested with your Enquiries. What to see and do on the Equine Tour can include;
Game viewing from horseback in the Waterberg Operating out of a farmhouse reminiscent of Out of Africa in a private game reserve in the Waterberg you are offered the opportunity for some of the greatest plains game viewing in the African bush from horseback. This area lies on the inter-continental convergence zone which is home to as many different species of trees as there are in the whole of western Europe There are 30 horses (comprising large thoroughbreds, Arab-boerperd crosses and some fabulous children’s ponies) with MacLelan and English saddlery to choose from. All outback rides are led by two competent guides and the emphasis is on safety at all times. Whilst delivering some veterinary specific activities this is a family friendly activity· Equine Clinic - Faculty Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria The Equine Clinic supports a South Africa’s thriving horse community with especially strong links into our horse racing fraternity. It delivers state of the art facilities including a hydrotherapy pool. Veterinary specific Animals in Distress – Tembisa Coal Yard Project Animals in Distress which operates from the Midrand area, just north of Johannesburg, was founded over 45 years ago. It concentrates entirely on providing veterinary services to animals belonging to those they define as financially disadvantaged people. In addition to it’s kennels it maintains paddocks and stabling facilities for large animals together with a small day clinic. The society runs an ambulance service only for sick or injured horses, cattle, dogs and cats in townships and informal settlements which are brought to the clinic for treatment. Coal is a primary source for heat for cooking and other domestic purposes in South Africa’s townships. The society has struck an innovative arrangement with the Tembisa Coal Yard owners who have made their yards available for a small mobile clinic where fieldworkers can treat township animals. In exchange the society supplies hay and veterinary services for their horses. The fieldworkers perform basic health services, including vaccinations, deworming, dipping etc., and transport more serious cases back to their day clinic. Veterinary specific South African Lipizzaner Centre Visit the second home of the dancing white stallions. The Lipizzaner horses based in Kyalami, north of Johannesburg, are famous throughout the world for their ability to execute a series of classical movements combining tremendous power and exquisite finesse. The South African Lipizzaner Centre is privileged to have 30 performing stallions and is the only other school worldwide to have the seal of approval from the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. Whilst delivering veterinary specific activities this centre is particularly family friendly · Horse Fertility ClinicThis clinic is located in close to the South African Lipizzaner Centre in Kyalami, north of Johannesburg and specialises in embryo implants particularly with Warm Bloods. Here you would meet with the horse fertility veterinarian for an overview of clinic facilities and discussion on rates of embryo implant success. Veterinary specific Skukuza Rest Camp, Kruger National Park Skukuza is the Kruger National Park's largest rest camp and also home to it’s administrative headquarters. It is situated on the southern banks of the Sabie River and is well foliaged with lofty riverine vegetation. Skukuza was the Tsonga name for James Stevenson-Hamilton who was the first warden of the park anditerally translated means he who sweeps clean. This is a reference to the removal of local people to make way for the establishment of the park. The camp situated, in the heart of Big 5 territory, is easily accessed by road and by air. It is capable of accommodating over 500 guests in a variety of accommodations from camp sites and furnished safari tents to luxury riverside bungalows and guesthouses. Bird life and wild game in the area are easily spotted during organised bush walks and game drives whilst wildlife documentaries are shown in an outdoor amphitheatreThere is even a magnificent 9 hole, 18-tee, Par 72 golf course available for golf enthusiasts. A truly family experience This is a veterinary specific activity Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria The original Faculty, founded by Sir Arnold Theiler in 1920, in Onderstepoort, north of Pretoria, was the oldest of it’s kind in Africa. It’s graduates enjoy reciprocity with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in Great Britain together with Massey University in New Zealand. The physical facilities at Onderstepoort were renewed or completely revamped between 1986 and 1996. The new Faculty of Veterinary Science of the University of Pretoria is one of 27 Veterinary faculties in Africa with a campus which compares most favorably with the best in the world.The Faculty has five academic departments, an Equine Research Centre and Wildlife Unit. The Veterinary Academic Hospital provides state of the art facilities for the clinical departments and is the focus of the Faculty practice rendering a service to the immediate community as well as providing a national referral service. A multipurpose research facility caters for the needs of the Faculty and is also available for contract research conducted by outside agencies or companies. Veterinary specific Cape Town, Western Cape Cape Town is fondly referred to locally as The Mother City and is considered one of the world’s gateway cities. Depending on your preferences Vets4Africa will deliver choices to suit your taste and budget. For information sake Cape Town’s Top 5 attractions are:1. Table Mountain and it’s Cable Car. The ride up Table Mountain via it’s cable car is, due to high winds or low cloud cover, occasionally unavailable. However, don’t delay when you do get the opportunity because the weather is always changeable in these southern latitudes and you will never forget the breathtaking view of the Cape from the top of this spectacular mountain. If you feel more energetic than others, a hike to the top is also a wonderful means to get there!2. Robben Island. This was the home of our most illustrious personage, Nelson Mandela, for almost 27 years. Robben Island is a must for those who are historically and politically inclined or who wish to enjoy a ferry ride across the cold Atlantic Ocean offering a wonderful view of the rocky cliffs of Cape Town.
3. Cape Wine routes. Constantia, Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek are the names of just a few of our most spectacular wine regions. Taste to your content and feast your eyes on endless valleys all busting forth with vineyards nestling between some of the oldest mountain ranges in the world.4. Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. Regarded as one of the most comprehensive and glorious botanical gardens in the world. Take a ride in a covered golf cart around the gardens and have an array of impressive trees and plants pointed out to you and explained in terms of ancient medicinal uses.5. Cape Point. Here on the southern tip of Africa, two great oceans, the Indian and the Atlantic meet. An impressive outing including stopping off at any one of the still working fishing harbours for a freshly caught meal of fish.