Animal Management students’ unforgettable visit to pioneering Conservation Reserve in South Africa

This summer, our Level 3 Animal Management students and Animal Therapy, Rehabilitation, Behaviour, and Welfare Foundation Degree students enjoyed an unforgettable visit the Shamwari Conservation Reserve in South Africa.

The Shamwari Conservation Reserve is celebrated as a success story in conservation and serves as an exemplary model for our students of how ambitious conservation projects can reverse the effects of human impact. The 250 km² reserve has famously mitigated nearly 300 years of human influence through an investment of patience, expertise and ingenuity.

During their visit, our students toured the Born Free Centre, a sanctuary where large cats are rescued and given a forever home. They attended talks on elephant contraception and the lion industry, and helped the local community at a daycare centre by revarnishing doors, constructing kitchen units, and playing with the local children.

The trip provided an excellent opportunity for our students to learn about conservation through activities such as surveying birds and reptiles on the reserve, monitoring animals, clearing invasive plant species, setting camera traps, helping with erosion control, and learning about direct conservation through the reintroduction of white-backed vultures.

Whilst in South Africa, our students also enjoyed weekend excursions to Plettenberg Bay, where they visited Birds of Eden, Monkeyland, Tsitsikamma National Park, and Jeffreys Bay for a horse ride along the beach.

The experience offered our students invaluable insights into international conservation efforts, allowed them to engage in hands-on ecological and community work, and enabled them to apply their academic learning to real-world scenarios.

If you would like to find out more about the Animal Care & Management courses available at Abingdon & Witney College, ranging from Level 1 to Degree Level education, please click the links below.