Reserve Management & Research at Kruger National Park

This internship far exceeded my experience and I learned interesting things like reading animal tracks and signs. It's exciting and I've been kept on my toes as you never know which wild animal you'd see and that makes it interesting!

This program was the most amazing trip I’ve ever taken. My stay in South Africa went way above my expectations. I received more value than I expected. The program was always very organized and we knew what was expected of us. I learned a lot about nature and wildlife. I think one of the most rewarding parts of my stay is how much I learned about the bush. One of the highlights of my stay was seeing the leopard Matemba and the local pride of lions. Meeting new people and making lifelong friends was also rewarding. The quality and quantity of food was very good. Even with my gluten free diet I always had enough food. The camp was always in very good shape and clean. The advice I'd give to others who are considering this program is to stay as long as you can because it’s definitely worth it. I would also tell them to enjoy every minute of their stay here because it goes by so fast!

For someone passionate about zoology, visiting South Africa to learn is a dream come true. This goal means a lot to me because being able to gain first-hand field experience within one of the best National Parks in the world - while also working toward conservation goals related to Africa’s “Big Five” - is a milestone in my life. No other organization anywhere in the world would have given me such a relevant platform to work and gain experience with the Big Five and thereby the relevance of this internship is immense to me. I have learnt the techniques for changing the batteries of the camera traps, changing their data cards, and the data entry techniques, from the field notes to the data matrix of the computer software program. I am also confident about using the GPS during the transect study and taking field notes during field trips. This internship has gifted me with adventure. The personal gain of this internship for me has been my development into a more confident and committed human being. Learning various conservation techniques with minimum resources and self-guidance has provided me with personal and professional development opportunities to explore my innovative ideas and resourcefulness. I will cherish this memory of adventure for the rest of my life. This internship project has also taught me the important value of acceptance, which has indeed changed the philosophy of my life.

Once winter break commenced, I happily packed my backpack (binoculars included) after my last final exam of fall semester, headed to the airport, and thirty-some hours later (San Diego to Johannesburg) landed in South Africa. There I interned at Dinokeng Game Reserve focusing on a comprehensive understanding of wildlife conservation. I chose this specific internship provided by Intern Abroad HQ because it aligned perfectly with my particular career goal and path. I am extremely passionate about wildlife and consequently the conservation of wildlife. While there, I learned so much about strategies and practices, and so many valuable skills to address and improve the dilemma of the rise of endangered species and extinction epidemic. The skills I was so grateful to learn and improve on consisted of learning all about savannah ecology, animal behavior, GPS, GIS, and other navigational skills, biodiversity survey techniques, habitat assessments, bird point counts, monitoring the range and activity of wildlife species, and ways in which to mitigate human to wildlife conflict. Everyday started in the early morning just before the sun came up as many of the bird species started to come out and ended just after the sun would set as many of the other native species are crepuscular, mostly active in the cooler temperatures of dawn and dusk. It was truly a beautiful, wild, and wonderful time that I will forever cherish.

My passion in life is animals, particularly wildlife, and in turn the conservation of wildlife is what gets me out of bed every morning and keeps me going. This passion is in line with my academic and professional goals, as I am graduating with a degree in Environmental Sustainability with an emphasis in Conservation, and quite possibly will continue on to earn a master’s degree. My internship role focused on wildlife conservation and consisted of learning savannah ecology, animal behaviour, dealing with and safely conducting oneself around dangerous game, GPS, GIS, and other navigation skills, biodiversity survey techniques, habitat assessments, bird point counts, herbivore transects in relation to predator activity, the setting up of wildlife camera traps as well as the uploading and sorting of con-sequent photos, data logging, monitoring of high intensity sites, range and activity use of predatory species (lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas), recording kills made by predatory species, and ways in which to mitigate human to wildlife conflict. My recommendations to future interns on this program are to remember the values of both patience, as well as open-mindedness. Also, to bring sunscreen and make sure to stay hydrated!

My experience with Intern Abroad HQ was incredibly smooth, organized, and simply one I will never forget. From the moment I submitted my application, I was put in touch with a specialist at Intern Abroad HQ who provided me with all the information I required and was always available for an email or a phone call if I had any questions. The information package provided was incredibly detailed and answered all of the questions I had about the program and the process. I participated in the wildlife conservation internship at Dinokeng Game Reserve in South Africa. The moment I arrived at the airport I was met by my transfer to the reserve. The field guides I had on the reserve were extremely knowledgeable and helpful in being able to adjust to life on the reserve and the work to be done. Throughout my time the work involved a mix of both manual labour (fence and tree removal) as well as data collection. It was such a joy to wake up every morning surrounded by wildlife and then head out on the reserve and work so closely with the animals. The field guides also did a great job to break up the work throughout the day to avoid the high heat of the South African afternoons. Safety was also a major concern for the field guides and I never felt unsafe during my one month on the reserve. They even provided a lecture to review animal behaviour and how to conduct yourself should an encounter with an animal occur. On top of feeling like the work I was doing was making a concrete difference for the wildlife of Dinokeng, I also left the experience with friendships with people from around the world; many of which I know will last long after the experience ended. I cannot speak enough about how this experience challenged me and provided me with a feeling of accomplishment in the work I was doing. I will definitely be interning abroad again one day and know it will be with Intern Abroad HQ.