Over the last 12 years we have been privileged to host 480 student volunteers from 37 countries

Dr Dup has confirmed my career in the veterinary world.

As an 18 year old preparing to apply to university, trying this veterinary experience before spending tens of thousands on a veterinary degree has left myself and my family assured that this is the career for me.

I have always loved animals and wanted to work with them; most assumed it was a phase, but being part of Dr. Dup's team for four months over the summer break has made them take me and my dream more seriously. The reference from Dr. Dup will help with my university application, too.

I know that this amazing and invaluable experience has put me ahead of my classmates. The practical and theoretical work, as well as the stories of vets' and nurses' most memorable cases (good and bad), have given me the feeling that I have been shown the real veterinary experience, not the sugar-coated TV version.

Be careful coming here as you will never want to leave. I am already planning to come back during next summer break!

It is a once-in-a-lifetime trip that I will make every year!

I have been working as a small animal veterinary nurse for the last 15 years in London, England. I needed a break from my day-to-day nursing routine to experience and learn new things.

Dr Dup and the team have renewed my love for my job. I am amazed at how easily my small animal nursing skills transfer to the beautiful and majestic wildlife of South Africa. IV injections in a Buffalos ear vein are so much easier than a rabbit in practice back home. An enucleation is the same on a dog and a lion; both are just as amazing to watch; a vet with nearly 40 years of experience makes any procedure look easy. Monitoring a lion, kudu or buffalo under anaesthetic/chemical restraint requires the same skills as a dog or cat.

In the small animal clinic, while monitoring the anaesthetics of dogs and cats, I have been reminded of the importance of using your senses and a stethoscope rather than a fancy capnograph, etc. - a good reminder for us all not to rely on machines!

It’s great to have people from different countries and at various stages of their careers. We aim to discuss our experiences back home and advise others new to veterinary life on what it is like and simple tips and tricks that can help with school and beyond.

Everyone was so welcoming. I feel like I have a second family now. I am forever grateful and look forward to next year.

I came in July 2018 for a vet internship after my 3rd year at a French vet school. I wanted to improve my knowledge about wildlife.

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During the month I spent there, I learnt a lot about the chemicals and how to use them on local wildlife, how to treat a wound on an antelope, how to do an autopsy on many animals and a lot about the lesions we could find on the animals.

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The good point was that Dup gave us some lessons about anaesthesia in wildlife, explaining all the protocols depending on the species and the differences between the species. We could always ask our questions which helped me to learn a lot during my internship. 

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We were quite busy; sometimes waking up at 5 AM to drive to a reserve for a mass capture. 

It was a very interesting experience and I would love to come back one day. 

I currently attend the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austria.


Last February, I had the opportunity to shadow Dr Dup in his everyday life as a wildlife vet and anyone who has ever had the chance to work with him will confirm: learning from Dr Dup is one of the best things that can happen to a vet student.

Waking up at 4 A.M. every day has never been easier than during those three weeks when getting out of bed meant we were headed for another day of amazing adventures in the beautiful South African landscapes.


From day one, Dr. Dup trusted us with hands-on work. He let us assist in any way we could: administering injections, holding the animals, chipping them, treating wounds, etc. He gave us just the right amount of responsibilities and freedom for us to trust ourselves. Before getting out on the field, he always gave a short lecture about the species we were about to work on.

Thus, we could fully enjoy the work on animals like buffalo, various antelopes, and giraffes. We even had the very rare opportunity to help with the translocation of a hippo—which was probably the most crazy and unique adventure we had out there. I genuinely wish for everyone to feel the thrill and excitement we felt then at least once in their lives!

I got to meet people I would have never gotten to crossways within my “normal” life. 
All in all, I recommend that everyone step out of their comfort zone and head for South Africa. Wildlife medicine had been a dream of mine for a while, but since I came back, it has definitely become a plan.

I had such an amazing experience in South Africa with Dr. Dup. I learned so much and met so many beautiful people on my adventure that I will never forget throughout my veterinary medicine career. I am so grateful to the people who helped me get here and also proud of myself fo doing it!

I spent two weeks with Dr. Du Plessis, Dominique, and teammates I met there. It was the first time I had travelled alone so far from home, and I won't exaggerate when I say that it was probably the most beautiful trip I've had so far. 

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For the experience itself, we saw many wildlife animals. I never thought I'd see all the animals I've seen in two weeks, and I've been very happy and satisfied about it. I saw elephants, plenty of giraffes, lions, rhinos, hippos, eagles, sable antelope, and so on. Every moment of the experience was brand new and unique.

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I learned how to give intravenous injections to buffalos, observed relocations, and participated in them. I also learned how to work as a team, which I really appreciated, and assist Dr. Dup in his work as a wildlife veterinarian. I spent two (too short!) amazing weeks, and I intend to return when I can!