When you think of South Africa, there are several iconic images that come to mind: Table Mountain, hot weather, swimming beaches, and of course, our incredible wildlife. Tourists exclaim that they can’t wait to go on safari, and many South Africans grew up on holidays in the bushveld.
Unfortunately, wildlife poaching trends have continued to be on the rise while conservation funds and capacity have decreased. Conservationist organisations such as African Wildlife Vets (AWV) have stepped forward to assist in strengthening conservation capacities.
AWV is an NPO that provides veterinary support to wildlife organisations by supplying veterinary assistance, medication, and equipment. It was founded by Kate Church, Dr Dave Cooper, and Dr Pete Goodman. Dr Cooper answered some questions we had about AWV as well as his own personal experiences as a wildlife vet.
The wildlife vet
For Dr Cooper, it all began in primary school, in the hills around Pretoria where he collected snakes and sold them for pocket money (not something he’s proud to admit). Luckily for the little entrepreneur, his parents recognised his fearlessness around animals and encouraged him to pursue his gift by sending him to family friends’ bushveld farm in Namibia during his school holidays. He learnt to hunt, track, ride horses, and identify grasses and trees favoured by wildlife and livestock. It comes as no surprise that he chose veterinary science at Onderstepoort Veterinary faculty at the University of Pretoria, following in his grandfather’s footsteps.
READ: The leader of the pack: a wildlife vet saving the ‘unsaveable’
Dr Cooper very quickly discovered his passion for wildlife while working in the Kruger National Park as a student. However, the game industry was still in its infancy and jobs were limited. After 10 years working in a mixed animal practice, he was employed as a full-time wildlife vet by the formerly Natal Parks Board.
The African Wildlife Vets
Due to budgetary and capacity constraints, the wildlife vets were struggling to keep up with the demands of their work. They relied on donor support to supply feed to their orphaned rhino, and they knew that an NPO was needed. Dr Cooper credits African Wildlife Vets as being the brainchild of their MD Kate Church who was ‘most likely tired of hearing their continual complaints and decided to do something about it.’
When asked about day-to-day life as a vet at AWV, his short answer was: ‘No day or year is ever the same.’ However, work includes capturing excess game and transporting them to other suitable habitats (called translocation). They also conduct animal collaring, disease surveillance and control, forensic examinations, and contraception, to name a few. In between all of that, wildlife vets need to respond to any emergencies that may arise like animal breakouts, removing snares, rescuing orphaned animals, and treating human-induced injuries.
You can also visit their Instagram page to see more of what they get up to.
Benefits
The benefits of African Wildlife Vets are the beautiful success stories that happen because of the organisation. One such story that Dr Cooper holds close to his heart is the four black rhino orphans that AWV supported until they were ready to be released back into their natural habitat. He stressed how tedious and long-term this process is, and the role their organisations played in the success story.
Challenges
The biggest challenges that African Wildlife Vets face are funding and veterinary capacity. African formal conservation is relying on NGOs and NPOs like AWV more and more. They constantly need funds for drugs, equipment, and the assurance that they can call on a helicopter when needed.
In terms of veterinary capacity, AWV’s vets always need to be on standby, especially with the constant looming threat of poaching. They also need to be able to complete their routine operations. In addition to that, wildlife vets face repeated scenes of unspeakable cruelties which can often lead to cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). AWV needs the capacity to rotate vets to allow each of them to rest and recover from what they witness on the job.
How we can help
If you would like to play a part in the protection and conservation of our beautiful wildlife, visit africanwildlife.org to find out where and how you can help, or phone +27 71 412 8962. You can also shop great products online.
Pictures: African Wildlife Vets
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ALSO READ: Behind the scenes: translocating rhinos with Peace Parks Foundation
