Jensen travels to South Africa with pre-veterinary program

Jensen, an Organismal Biology and General Chemistry major with a minor in Pre-Veterinary Medicine, chose LoopAbroad as her travel platform after researching different programs and reading reviews. From reviews, individuals appeared to have had good experiences with the program and its website had a lot of information, according to Jensen. The travel organization provides hands-on study for students pursuing careers working with animals. According to its mission statement, the company strives to make a positive impact on animal welfare and marine and wildlife conservation.

Jensen said she chose to travel to South Africa because that program provided the opportunity to work with animals that were her top priority. In addition to the animals, she said she loved the people and the culture in South Africa.

Cango Wildlife Ranch, established in 1977 as South Africa’s first crocodile show farm, is most widely known today for its conservation of wildlife.

Jensen said the focus of her time in South Africa was on learning about the anatomy, behavior, and conservation of big cats, but she was also able to interact with bat-eared foxes, birds, lemurs, and pygmy hippos.

“I got to assist with animal enrichment, feeding, cleaning, maintenance, medical procedures, and go on an overnight safari,” Jensen said. “To allow animals in captivity to be less stressed with the constant human interactions, we got to bond with various animals. This allowed the group to have close interactions with and learn about species we would not have been able to otherwise.”

Jensen said she feels the trip assisted her in deciding what path she would like to follow in the veterinary field.

“After this trip, I realized how much of a need there is for continuous learning in the veterinary field and the need for volunteer work in other countries for conservation and animal care,” Jensen said.

When Jensen becomes a veterinarian, she plans to volunteer in other countries to provide care for animals that would not otherwise receive care.

Jensen said she also learned about the risks of working with wild animals and how to manage those risks.

In her group’s study of conservation, they learned to consider a wide variety of negative impacts humans have on the survival of a species, according to Jensen.

“Through a trophy hunting debate, we covered the pros and cons of trophy hunting being used as a form of conservation and supporting the local community,” Jensen said. “These experiences showed me how many different factors need to be considered when making plans for animal care and conservation.”

Jensen said she feels that the trip taught her a lot and intensified her excitement for her future career. She welcomes conversations with other students who have similar interests.