Beyond Cats and Dogs: My Vet Tech Internship in Namibia

My name is Julianne Principe, and I arrived at the Cheetah Conservation Fund on March 17th to begin a five-week internship as part of my final year in the Animal Health Technology program at Vanier College in Quebec, Canada. This was one of two internships required to complete my third and final year of studies. My education taught me how to care for animals in both clinical and laboratory settings, mainly focused on dogs and cats, with some exposure to farm animals. This internship gave me a great opportunity to put into practice the theory that was learned, especially by working with goats, sheep, and cheetahs, species I would not encounter in a normal veterinary clinic back home.

During my time at CCF, I rotated through various departments but spent most of my time in the veterinary clinic. I was able to learn a lot assisting the amazing technician and veterinarian in their day-to-day tasks. This mainly consisted of performing daily health checks on the CCF sheep and goats. As part of the veterinary team, I helped identify, monitor and treat different cases of lameness, diarrhea, respiratory issues, abscesses, and the occasional surprise, like a case of bloat. One of the greatest challenges we faced as a team was managing coccidiosis and Haemonchus parasitic infections in the kids and lambs by deworming and washing them, providing supportive care, and performing necropsies on those we sadly lost. This hands-on experience has not only made me more confident in understanding livestock husbandry and medical care but has also significantly improved my handling and wrangling skills, especially with feisty sheep and goats.

In addition to working with farm animals, I got the privilege to assist and observe in different treatments and therapeutic interventions with the cheetahs, including workups, blood draws and bandage changes for one of the cubs.

Outside the clinic, I had the chance to interact with other departments such as the Cheetah, Ecology, Horse and Scat Detection teams, the creamery and garden. I truly appreciated how each of these departments all contribute to the mission of cheetah conservation and allow CCF to function sustainably. Learning about the use of milk to its full extent, for example, participating in its transformation into yoghurt, cheese, ice-cream, and even soap, was especially memorable.

One of the highlights of my stay was a weekend getaway to Swakopmund with fellow Vanier interns from different programs. It was a beautiful change of scenery to see where the dunes meet the coast, to enjoy Namibian cuisine, and to take part in the Cape Cross Fur Seal Tour, where the seals’ loud, comical calls reminded me so much of the herds back at CCF.

At the center, my free time was just as full of unforgettable moments, like playing soccer with the staff and interns, and finally serving the volleyball over the net after what felt like a hundred attempts. Our outing to Leopard Hill was also a blast, with lots of group photos taken to remember it by.

This internship has been an invaluable experience that has not only left me with professional growth, but also with personal memories that I’ll always cherish.