Brothers Safaris Updates: Our last few days in South Africa on the Wildlife Immobilisation & Conservation Course, 8 July.

We have had a great couple of days darting animals. Yesterday, we had the privilege of working with young black rhinos. After each rhino was immobilized, we helped monitor, draw blood, and ear notch them. While we were busy with one of the youngsters, the mother decided to come back for her baby. Someone warned us to run, and everyone rushed back and quickly jumped into the vehicle. Once we were there, we realized we had actually been running toward the mother and now were in between her and her baby. The guys were able to chase her away long enough for us to finish up treatments, and they were happily reunited a few minutes later. It was a great adrenaline rush!!

Today, we had a rough start with strong winds and very lively wildebeest bulls that were doing everything they could to stay away from the truck. Eventually our luck got a little better, and we were able to immobilize several bulls and relocate them to a holding facility. It ended up being a great last day as we watched the sun set one final time.

Grace Kell (University of Tennessee, U.S.A.) and the students on the Wildlife Immobilisation and Conservation Course - 8 23 July 2010

So what does it take to be a wildlife vet, part 2.....

After my introduction, where to start next….? Maybe I should point out that generally a wildlife vet works with lions, tigers and bears (despite two of these three not being indigenous to SA…) whereas an “exotics” (note the “s”!) vet works with valuable birds (of the feathered variety), caged/pet reptiles, spiders, caged primates, etc.
If you work in a zoo you will be exposed to all of the above, and a whole lot more! I have helped out at one of our largest zoos in the country and found it immensely interesting, but also somewhat sad and frustrating in other ways – some animals just do not belong in zoos and money is not an excuse to keep animals in poor conditions, rather release them back in their natural environment and country if conditions cannot be rectified.
Anyway, these days I mostly work with various antelope species, especially the rare ones (sable, roan, etc) and colour variants (golden gnu, black impala, etc), rhino (white and black), predators (lion and cheetah mostly), elephant, disease free (this is a discussion on its own!) buffalo and various others such as giraffe (they like to die on you, so you don’t always rush at a job involving them!). Please bare in mind this is in South Africa and that our situation and conditions are very different from other African, and even Southern African, countries. Here everything is fenced in at some stage – maybe after 250 hectares, maybe after 2.5 million hectares – which has pro’s and cons, but it certainly has a large impact on us as vets and the work we do. I would say without doubt that it increases the veterinary work load greatly and creates work opportunities that would not otherwise exist. But fences are another discussion, not entirely in the realm of what I am supposed to be sharing with you, so let me move on before I get side-tracked, which I easily do.
The veterinarian’s role almost always almost always involves chemical immobilisation (not anaesthesia, there are some important technical differences which one needs to bare in mind if you want to live a long life while doing this job….) of the animal firstly.
If the animal is just being relocated then you need to get it into the truck or crated enclosure, alive preferably, and then revive it by giving the antidote. Now some of these antidotes given intravenously work very fast, – as in 30 – 90 seconds fast – so it is important that you get out of the truck or crate enclosure rather smartly after administering the antidote. More on darting and immobilisation in the next part…..
Wild African Regards,

Our 1st week on the Wildlife Immobilisation & Conservation Course, 8 July - 23 July 2010 PART 1!

Today we spent time at Addo Elephant National Park. What an AMAZING place!! We were able to spend some time with the Conservation Manager of the park John, and learned about the conservation and management of the reserve. It was great to hear about his work and the history of the park. We enjoyed a dribe through the reserve and were able to view many species of animals including Elephant, Kudu, Warthog, Yellow mongoose, jackal and even the elusive Dung Beetle! What a beautiful park!

After returning back to Amakhala Game Reserve we were treated to an evening river cruise and enjoyed the peace and tranquility of South AFrica at its finest!

We are currently enjoying a quiet evening around the fire and anxiously awaiting the adventures that tomorrow holds including an early morning game drive (hopefully including the Africa Lions......)

Beth Kaiser (IOWA State University, USA) & the rest of the students on the Wildlife Immobilisation & Conservation Course, 14 July 2010

So what does it take to be a wildlife vet-part1

I imagine images of James Herriot flash through many of your minds (for those of you who haven't read his books and have an interest in animals and the adventures one encounters while caring for them, you should find one and read it), and in some ways you wouldn't be far off - what with perilously hanging out of a helicopter trying to dart a fast moving zig-zag blur of fur and horns, to having to break a hasty retreat from a not-so-sedated charging rhino! There are certainly adventures a plenty...

But the truth is you do not have to be a "special" vet to start off in wildlife, in the academic sense that is, but as a person you do need to be very determined and a little daft...

I started off my veterinary career in the UK after completing my studies at Onderstepoort, here in South Africa. During my 5 and a half years in the UK I treated everything from cats and dogs to cattle, sheep, pigs, rabbits, snakes and spiders, and ostriches in Wales(they play some rough rugby there!). But my heart was always in wildlife and when I returned to South Africa I was determined to work in the wildlife field as a vet, but not just relocating animals - I wanted to still practice veterinary science. Not an easy ambition.

African Vet Safaris

To cut a very long story short(a 7 year story in fact), I now own and run a specialist safari business as well as practising as a wildlife veterinarian. The safari business(http://www.brothressafaris.com/) offers guests(lay persons and veterinary affiliated persons) the opportunity or join me on select wildlife procedures as a vet. Guests are often hands on and totally behind the scenes, giving them rare insight into the world of wildlife in South Africa. Through their participation guests fund most of the work they are privy too, thus supporting wildlife conservation. This enables us to select and work with certain projects and organisations that need the veterinary and financial support, as well as still working with private game reserves and owners. A large part of my business is training foreign(mostly) vets, vet students and vet nurses in the art(for it often in an 'art' rather than an exact science...remember this as you follow this blog) of wildlife immobilisation, and also about conservation issues.

Somewhere in between all this I still work as a wildlife bet responding to calls, emergencies and routine work for individuals and game reserves. The trick is to find family time for Becky my significant other, William - our gorgeous lively 3 year old son, and 'Shot'-the not-so-young daft but adorable white Bull Terrier. Vet call outs thus often become family affairs.

So now you have a fair idea of how crazy you need to be if you want to be a wildlife vet. Of course not all wildlife vets have this much going on-they simply work 12-18hour days as vets from April to October, and then try catch up on the rest of their lives from November to March.

Oh yes, I also managed to recently complete a Masters Degree in Veterinary Tropical Diseases of Wildlife. Fortunately it was a web based degree so I could squeeze it on somewhere between midnight and two am when i find myself at a loss for things to do...

So now you know all that, I guess you want to know what I actually do as a vet?

Well then watch this space....

Wild African Regards,
Dr Peter S. Brothers
Wildlife Vet & Director Brothers Safaris/African Vet Safaris

New course starting 8 July 2010

Tomorrow our 2nd Wildlife Immobilisation & Conservation Course students arrive, we have students from Denmark, the USA & Belgium. We are all very excited and nearly ready!!
To see the course that will be running open the link below and see the adventure that awaits our
students.
http://www.brotherssafaris.com/index.php/Specialist-Veterinary-Safaris/wildlife-immobilisation-a-conservation-course.html