INTRODUCTION TO CONSERVATION MEDICINE COURSE

ADVENTURE AWAITS . . .

This experience will never leave you. Come leave your heart in Africa.

QUICK FACTS:

During the course, participants can expect to receive lectures and practical experience in the following aspects:

• Practical demonstrations and active participation in fieldwork

• Various Capture Methods – Mass Capture, Chemical Capture, Passive Capture

• Basic Applied physiology

• Basic Pharmacological principles from injection to recovery

• Current and new pharmacological preparations

• Equipment- darting with a range of projectors

• Basic principles of immobilization

• Species-specific information

• Problems under anesthesia

• Confined space darting

• Conservation strategies in South Africa

The course takes on a relatively relaxed environment with some very intense days during captures. Participants will be based at Source Tree Lodge, Mpumalanga. Transport is provided as a bus with a very friendly team leader at the group’s side. They will instruct and ensure safety during captures.

Duration: 13 Days – Arriving on a Sunday afternoon and departing a fortnight later on a Saturday morning.

WILDLIFEVETS.COM INTRODUCTION TO CONSERVATION MEDICINE COURSES CALENDAR

There are several courses in a year, and we take a maximum of twelve candidates in each of these courses.

What you need to know:

Course Cost – US $4000.00

Duration – 13 Days

Accommodation – Included

Meals – Included

Transport from/to Airport – Provided (Kruger Mpumalanga Int Airport)

Visit to Kruger – Included

Do I get to do hands-on work or watch? – Better get ready to work!

This is a hands-on working experience. You will be part of our team in the field doing REAL veterinary work!

Will I learn, grow, and have a good time? – Definitely!

2024

YOUR TRIP TO AFRICA

Know, Plan & Enjoy!

Traveling to a new continent can be daunting. The following guidelines will help you plan your trip.

Fees

• Once your application is approved, you must pay the deposit ($2000.00 USD) to secure your seat. Banking details will be on your invoice. Deposits are non-refundable.

• Application turnaround times are about three days. If you have not heard from us, you can follow up via mail: sourctreecourses@wildlifevets.net.

• The final outstanding balance must be paid 60 days before the start date of your course.

• The final payment is not refundable if you cancel your trip 30 days or less before arrival.

• Any non-regular diets incur a ZAR1500 surcharge per person and must be settled before you depart our accommodation.

Flights

• Flights are not included in the course fees.

• Fly from your country of origin to Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport in South Africa.

• Should you need to stay in Johannesburg, please stay close to the airport and use the hotel's shuttle service. Be aware of whom you use for transport to travel efficiently and safely. City Lodge Hotel at O.R. International Airport.

• Then you have two options:

  • After a long flight, the quickest option is to take a connecting flight to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA). For more information, visit the airport website.

  • Take the Lime Time or City Bug bus shuttle to Nelspruit. Lime Time & City Bug Bookings

• Whatever you decide, give us your arrival times, and we will pick you up from either KMIA or the respective bus stop in Nelspruit. Please send us your itinerary via mail as soon as you’ve booked: sourctreecourses@wildlifevets.net.

• A tip when landing in South African airports. Porters (usually in orange uniforms) might offer to assist you with your luggage. We advise you to handle your own luggage, be firm, and say no to their services. If you use their services, R10 is a fair gratuity fee.

• There are well-signed airport information desks if you’re unsure where to go.

• Please lock/wrap your checked-in luggage at your point of origin and label it with your name and phone number/email address.

• We have a high rate of petty crime, so please always look after your valuables. Always keep an eye on your bags, don’t leave anything lying around, and keep cash, phones, and cameras on your person, not in plain view (“what the eyes don’t see, the heart won’t want”). Do not put expensive belongings in your check-in luggage.

• Let your folks know you will most likely get hold of them a day or so after you arrive here. They are welcome to contact us via email at sourcetreecourses@wildlifevets.net to check if you have arrived safe and sound.

• Very important: Keep all your electronics, a change or two of clothing, and your essentials in your carry-on, as luggage may be delayed. If your luggage is delayed/missing on arrival, make sure you report it to your airline, get a tracking/reference number, get the name of the person you reported it to and their telephone number, and give that person my contact details: Michelle Raath, Source Tree (Pty) Ltd / Wildlifevets.net, sourcetreecourses@wildlifevets.net, telephone +27 79 497 9297.

General

• You’ll be arriving in our winter season. Days are warm—up to 27° Celsius. Nights and mornings can be very cold—down to 5° Celsius (that’s cold for us!). We suggest that you plan to dress in layers that you can remove or add as needed. Bring a warm jacket/coat!

• If you forget something, you’ll most likely be able to buy it from a store at OR Tambo International Airport or a store in Nelspruit if the program schedule allows time.

• You’ll be staying at Source Tree Lodge. We are located on a game farm in a rural area. Due to busy course schedules, limited vehicles, and our location, we can’t just “nip into town.” We do NOT recommend/or accommodate visits to bars/clubs in the evenings. All evening activities are based on the farm unless it is necessary to sleep out due to capture logistics.

• We always advise that students visit their doctor and get a broad-spectrum antibiotic, JUST IN CASE! Also, get a pro-biotic for your tummy.

• We do not require any vaccinations for your visit (it is best to have your COVID-19 vaccine before you travel), but check with your doctor about your home country's requirements for re-entry. We would prefer you have rabies vaccinations as you may work with dogs in rural communities.

• South Africa does, however, require you to have a valid negative COVID test before entering the country. For more info regarding COVID and South Africa, please follow this link: https://sacoronavirus.co.za

• The lodge is not located in a Malaria area. You will enter areas with Malaria, but a good repellent is the best defense. We do not take Malaria medication ourselves. For more info, please visit this site.

• Be aware of the medication you take – it is not always necessary, and the side effects may prevent you from having the best experience on the course.

South Africa

• PLEASE NOTE: You will be attending the course in South Africa, a country in Africa, NOT Southern Africa, which refers to a region of Africa. South Africa is a well-developed country with excellent infrastructure. This also means that we are not affected by most of the issues you might encounter in the media regarding Africa. If you are unsure of anything, you can check with us directly.

• Wild animals do not run around our streets. They are encountered in wildlife areas, parks, farms, and sanctuaries. Our cities are much like yours, just smaller.

• Our currency is Rand (ZAR). Check out the latest exchange rate here. Most stores accept Mastercard and Visa. Don’t carry more than R200.00 cash on you. It is not safe or necessary. ATMs are at most filling stations if you need to draw more money. 

• We have 11 official languages in South Africa. Swahili is not one of them.

• We work on 220V – 240V AC @ 50Hz. We have a type M wall socket. We advise you to buy these converters at a South African airport. 

• Our country is almost double the size of Texas. Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, and Swaziland border us.

• Transport

  • Taxis in South Africa offer transportation to and from rural areas, and we do not recommend using them at all.

  • You can find relatively cheap flights to any airport in South Africa.

  • We drive on the left-hand side of the road. Our roads (highways and national roads) are well maintained, clearly marked, tar roads. It is easy to self-drive here, but be aware of traveling at night, and calculated navigation is essential.

  • Trains are not the safest means of travel unless you use the luxury lines. The Gautrain can take you from the OR Tambo airport to destinations in Pretoria and Johannesburg.

  • If using a bus, use luxury coaches like Greyhound, Intercape, Lime Time, or City Bug.

  • We provide your transport during the course in a small bus.

• During the course, you are in our care, and we make every effort to ensure your safety and well-being. Please do not arrange private trips with friends or other operators during the course.

• No one is permitted to leave the group during the course or on captures with anyone who does NOT work for Source Tree Pty Ltd, Wildlifevets.com, or Wildlife Pharmaceuticals (Pty) Ltd.

Your Stay

• Don’t worry—you won't stay in a tent in the bush amongst the lions!

• Accommodation is shared in 2 large rooms with five beds each and two smaller rooms with two beds. A lounge in the middle has a fireplace and a library for some downtime reading.

• There is WiFi throughout the lodge. However, it is not as fast as you might be used to, as there are no phone lines here, and we have to use radio networks.

• Although we provide an internet connection on our farm so you can communicate from your devices, activating your international roaming while you are still in the States is advisable. We provide free Wi-Fi at our main lodge. Our primary service provider is Vodacom: www.vodacom.co.za.

• You are welcome to run early in the morning or late afternoon. The farm lies within the Crocriver Mountain Conservancy, so the elevation changes slightly. Go with a buddy!

• Bring enough clothes for seven days. We will then take your clothes to a laundromat to be washed.

• We have credit card facilities at the lodge. We accept only Mastercard and Visa.

• If we have time in the afternoons, we will take you to one of the farm's hilltops for a sundowner in the bush.

Before or After your Course

• Traveling to South Africa is long, so make the best of it if you have time!

• You will be in the Northeastern part of the country. The NE and SW regions have vastly different landscapes, cultures, and things to experience.

• It is worth the flight to Cape Town before or after the course to experience the Coastal Region. Kwazulu Natal is another incredible province with warm ocean currents and lovely beaches.

• Check out these great sites:

  • https://wildexpressions.co.za – For a multitude of tours and Safaris

  • https://www.southafrica.net/za/en/travel

  • http://www.capetown.travel

  • https://www.sanparks.org

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