KEY ACTIVITIES

During your trip, you will carry out the following activities. Our trip is always subject to slight change, and alterations in the plan may alter a little depending on which animals are most in need of care and attention.

• Deworming elephants with drinkable medicine

• Vaccinating lions

• Bandaging and treating horses

• Lameness assessment in horses

• Pregnancy diagnosing and dipping cows

• Supporting the local dog shelter

• Visiting different veterinary clinics

• Visiting the local vet school

• Supporting conservation and animal welfare in Zimbabwe

The trip either starts in Harare and crosses west to finish in Bulawayo, or starts in Bulawayo and crosses East to finish in Harare. Regardless of which way to take the trip, our visits will be to the same places and the work, teaching, and activities will always be relevant, fun and support the local community and conservation. Below is an example of the Harare to Bulawayo directional trip. 

DAY 1 - arrive at the airport together. Head to our lively social hotel and enjoy some time getting to know your team, swim in the pool and head out to our first dinner together.

DAY 2 - Visit a local charity vet clinic and learn how animals are prepared for surgery, how medicines are administered and spend time with the rescued dogs treating them for ticks and deworming them.

DAY 3 - Visit the University of Zimbabwe to see how students in Africa undertake their education.

DAY 4- Visit a local animal shelter in the morning to learn how dogs and cats are rescued and develop an understanding of shelter medicine. In the afternoon we visit a wildlife rescue centre to meet the elephants, giraffes, zebra, monkeys and more and take notes on how rehabilitation in action is saving animals in Africa.

DAY 5-Drive west to a wildlife rescue center. Lunch on arrival. Take the endangered pangolin for a walk and a conservation talk. Help clean cages and feed the young animals, before "bedding them down" for the night.

DAY 6 - Assist in sanctuary morning work. After lunch set off to a large wildlife reserve, and enjoy a sunset drink on the deck overlooking the river and a night round the fire under the stars.

DAY 7- Morning spent at the local SPCA dog shelter. Meet the residing vet and observe castrations and other vet work. Return to the reserve for lunch and in the afternoon meet the rehabilitated elephants, walking beside them in the wild.

DAY 8 - Early morning bush walk before breakfast to spot zebra, giraffe, and impala. Revisit the elephants to deworm them with oral medication. After breakfast visit the horse stables to help with care including bandaging, lameness and lunging practice, and nutrition talk. Afternoon to participate in extra activities like horse ride or game drives.

DAY 9 - Visit the resident captive lions who are well cared for and not used for breeding or exploitation. Help spray parasite prevention on them through the cage and feed them meat with deworming tablets.  Afternoon off to relax.

DAY 10 - Morning travel to our next farm based in a wildlife reserve. Deworming horses, talk on parasites and equine breeding. 3pm prepare and set up camera traps. Late afternoon game drive and on the way back we search for hyenas and leopards. Dinner followed by a bonfire.

DAY 11 - Morning spent injecting, deworming, and treating cattle. Learn about the cattle breeding program. An afternoon spent on the chicken farm with lessons on avian care and medicine. Early afternoon bush walk and learning how to track wildlife then collect cameras from the night before and look for the presence of carnivores.

DAY 12 - Move on to a new animal rescue centre that specialises in primates. Meet the monkeys, learn about their nutrition, then prepare food and behavioral enrichment.

DAY 13- Take the rehabilitating baboons for a walk in their natural environment, learn about the best ways to rehabilitate different species, and the role of biologists and vets.

DAY 14 - A fond farewell as you head to the airport for your departure.