Fall 2019 EPDC Extracurricular Grant Awardees - Day 2

The WAZE (Wildlife, Aquatics, Zoo, Exotics) Organization at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine planned the WAZE Symposium: a day full of wet-labs and talks given by incredible speakers! Check out some of the pictures from their symposium below.

South Africa Study Abroad Course: A Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience

Rachel Ellerd, Texas A&M

It was a crisp, chilly June morning when 16 eager veterinary students excitedly unloaded off the bus at Amakhala Game Reserve. We were ready to start our South Africa study abroad course and gain knowledge and skills involved in the immobilization and conservation of wildlife. Guided by Dr. Peter Brothers, the veterinarian leading our course, and Dr. Alice Blue-McClendon, our professor from the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine, we quickly gathered into two game-viewers and headed off on our first safari ride. Within minutes, we were immersed in herds of cape buffalo, wildebeest, zebra and white rhino. While the sun set along the horizon, a full-grown African elephant walked within inches of our game-viewer, and I knew this would be a trip to remember.

The view of the sunrise from our tents at Mattanu Game Reserve

After getting a taste of the adventure that awaited us, we spent our first full day in the classroom learning the basics of African wildlife management. 

A herd of giraffe at Amakhala Game Reserve

Next came physiology and pharmacology. Safety being our instructor’s top priority, we learned the ins and outs of the different tranquilizers, sedatives and antidotes we would be working with in the field as well as how and why specific ones work for different species. 

Texas A&M CVM South Africa study abroad class

Brimming with excitement, we started out the next morning by darting wildebeest. It didn’t take long until all 20 veterinary students were working like a well-oiled machine, each with their own duties to make the process as efficient as possible. Each student was able to practice different skills such as administering vaccines, anti-parasitic medicine, drawing blood and monitoring vital signs. 

One of the rescued leopards at Shamwari Big Cat Rescue

Between classroom and safari work, we were able do some sightseeing. Addo Elephant National Park, the third-largest national park in Africa, is a must-see for any elephant lover. One of my favorite days of our trip was an excursion off the coast of Port Elizabeth. We journeyed to St. Croix island, home to the largest breeding colony of African penguins. On our boat ride there, we encountered a pod of more than 100 bottle-nosed dolphins and a rare southern right whale with her calf.

Southern Right Whale, off the coast of Port Elizabeth

Finally, our last stop in the southern cape consisted of giving back to the African community. We brought donations to Isopho, a facility that assists victims of the AIDS pandemic, most of whom are children. The smiles on the kids’ faces were priceless as they scored against us in games of soccer and when they each got their very own bag filled with hygiene care products and treats.

Rhinos during sunset, Amakhala Game Reserve

The next leg of our journey took place at the Mattanu game reserve in the northern cape of South Africa. It was here that we took on our largest and most dangerous immobilizations—giraffe. Because of their enormous size, it took careful planning, incredible skill, teamwork and a little bit of luck to safely dart, treat and guide them onto a specialized trailer using a system of ropes. Once loaded, the feeling of accomplishment that swept over our team was unforgettable.

Walking the giraffe to the transportation vehicle

After more immobilizations, we continued our lectures on the diseases of African wildlife and their conservation. One lecture that really changed my way of thinking was Dr. Brothers’ lecture about hunting and its positive effect on conservation. 

Dr. Brothers teaching me how to shoot a dart gun

Going into the study abroad, it seemed counter-intuitive to me that hunting could help save species from extinction. However, we learned that without carefully maintained and humane hunting to sustain the value of African wildlife, many populations would be killed off to be eaten and make room for farmland instead of being carefully managed and conserved. In addition, the revenue made from hunting is put back into protecting wildlife. 

Sunset at Mattanu Game Reserve

Although all the animal darting was done by veterinarians, we had a unique opportunity to practice shooting from a helicopter on our own. Each student had a short ride in a helicopter that chased a pretend antelope (a volunteer on a four-wheeler with protective gear and a cut-out target on his back) and had five shots with a paintball gun with which to test their skill. 

Immobilization of a red hartebeest

Picturesque Photography

Thank you, Rebecca Gill from Cornell University, for these unique and beautiful photographs!

Some days you have to just follow the rainbow

Just a little guy on a big adventure

The Land Down Under

Photos submitted by Erica Evans from NC State University.

A Simple Moment

Before the Firestorm

Defying Gravity

Belize Zoo Experience

Laci Taylor, Cornell University

This summer I had the opportunity to participate in a one-week experience at the Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center through a course at Cornell called International Experience in Wildlife Health and Conservation. The course is a partnership with Cornell and the Belize Zoo in Central America. As an aspiring wildlife veterinarian, I found the course to be highly rewarding as it was unlike any other offered in the core veterinary curriculum. 

The Belize Zoo was started in 1983 by Sharon Matola to educate the people of Belize and tourists alike. One of the most interesting aspects of the Belize Zoo is that the entirety of its animals arrive as orphans or rescues and all of its animals are native species, many of which are at risk for extinction. Through educational programming, the zoo aims to dispel some of the negative stereotypes and myths engrained in Belizean culture that cause the public to intentionally harm or kill animals. One such myth is that the sighting of certain species of owls means that death is coming for someone close. The educational component of the zoo ultimately contributes to the preservation of many local endangered species populations.

While at the zoo, I worked with a wide variety of species ranging from spider monkeys to jaguars. Alongside some of Cornell’s veterinary faculty and the Belizean zookeepers, I was able to attend lectures, practice physical exam and clinical skills, take and analyze lab samples, as well as observe and assist in anesthesia and dentistry procedures. In just one week, I learned to insert my first catheter, participated in a dental extraction and gave preventative vaccines to a jaguar, ran diagnostic testing and bloodwork on a howler monkey and performed an ultrasound on a puma, amongst many other wonderful clinical experiences! One of my most memorable experiences was assisting in the dental procedure on one of the zoo’s jaguars. Before I wanted to be a veterinarian, I wanted to be a dentist, so this was an especially impactful opportunity. As a rising second year, I hadn’t yet learned about dentistry in the curriculum so assisting was a great hands-on introduction. During the procedure I learned about simple vs surgical extraction. The extraction on the jaguar was a surgical extraction which meant that the removal of the tooth required creation and elevation of a flap, and removal of bone. I watched the dentistry resident use many different dental surgery tools to remove the periodontal ligament from the tooth and I was able to loosen the last bit of periodontal ligament, ultimately “delivering”, or removing, the tooth!

When we weren’t working in the Belize Zoo Veterinary Clinic, the team immersed itself in the history, culture and traditions of Belize. One such experience was a trip to Xunantunich, an ancient Maya archeological site in Western Belize consisting of four major architectural groups. Additionally, we traveled to San Ignacio, Belize to a marketplace where farmers, traders and vendors from all walks of Belizean life gather. 

My desire to make a global impact as a wildlife veterinarian drew me to this opportunity and participating only reaffirmed this desire. The course at the Belize Zoo allowed both students and faculty to broaden their veterinary experiences by providing veterinary care to zoo animals all while learning about Belize’s conservation efforts. It is a course I highly recommend!