Vet Visions
Zimbabwe
This exciting 2 week course allows pre-vet students or anyone with an interest in vet-care, sanctuary care, or just plain animal lovers to explore a mix of conservation and veterinary care in Zimbabwe. We will take you on an exciting 14 day journey discovering different locations within Zimbabwe and along the way you will get hands on experience from vaccinating cattle to caring for orphaned animals within private game reserves and animal sanctuaries throughout the country.
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
Come into contact with iconic Zimbabwean wildlife such as elephants, lions, leopard, hyena and so much more!
Assist in the day to day care and upkeep of animals within a sanctuary
Hands-on vaccinations, assisting on farms, and deworming
Enjoy hands on work with wildlife orphans
Work alongside local vets and animal caregivers within different communities
Perfect for people interested in zoology, wildlife, and sanctuary care
Explore Zimbabwe as opposed to being stationed in one place
Project video
This course is designed to open your eyes to the culture, community, and lifestyle of various locations within Zimbabwe. With a limit of 10 in each group – one-on-one learning is made possible. Covering a wide area you will be exposed to the care of livestock in rural areas, sanctuary care for orphaned animals, anti-poaching control within a game reserve and so much more! Set in Zimbabwe, you will be in contact with African animals such as elephants, lions, leopard and other iconic species throughout your trip. We have laid out a route destined to keep you hungry for more with a fast paced and well scheduled itinerary intended to take advantage of every moment of your trip. Explore Africa from a different perspective with both the wild and domesticated taken into account.
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:
Vaccinating cattle
Learning about disease control in poultry (chickens)
Administering parasite treatment for various species
Assisting at the local dog shelter
Observing surgery in different veterinary clinics
Rhino tracking
Walking pangolin to allow them to forage for food
Deworming and vaccinating primates
Vaccinating and weighing sheep
Collection of samples for worm counts
Worm counts
Deworming carnivores
Post mortems of cows/donkeys/horses/sheep
Learn about dangerous drugs, how to load ad
Supporting conservation and animal welfare in Zimbabwe
Project Photos
ACCOMMODATION
The nomadic style of our trip will allow you to experience 5 different locations within Zimbabwe including animal sanctuaries, private game reserves and private concessions. Each location is well equipped to handle groups of our nature with comfortable shared accommodation, lovely home cooked meals, bonfire evenings and good vibes! Our accommodation will be dictated by the places we are working, and will range from lodges with verandas and great views across the Zimbabwean Bush to rustic campsites with drop toilets and showers that are open to the evening stars, and much in between! Many of our students come back to Zimbabwe time and time again to rekindle their shared love for the African bush.
LOCATION
Zimbabwe is based in the middle of Southern Africa. It is renowned as being the best place to see wildlife because there are considerably fewer tourists, and the nature reserves are much more wild and free. It is home to Victoria Falls, one of the 7 wonders of the world, being the largest waterfall in the world. There are some of the largest national parks in Africa, the largest man-made lake in the world (Lake Kariba), beautiful cities, rolling grasslands, endless horizons and cultural diversity. “Zimbos” (as they call themselves), are friendly and love showing volunteers their way of life, culture, and history.
The project will see you travelling around the historical town of Bulawayo, the iconic Matopos National Park, and farms exisiting peacefully with nature. One thing is sure, once you visit Africa, it will be "in your blood" and you will want to return again and again for the nature, wildlife, people and fun of living wild.
PROJECT FEE
2026: £ 2,750
2027: £ 2,550
In order to provide you with a fun, safe and rewarding stay, we have a project fee to cover your accommodation, food, and all transfers when staying with us. This cost also allows you to be covered by our public liability and professional indemnity insurance. We do not charge for your training or spending with with our vets. So you can focus on having an amazing time and we will take care of the rest.
What's included
Want to know what’s included? Great news, it is pretty much everything! Including your:
Pre departure assistance with planning your trip from one of our destination specialists
Transfers to and from the airport
Project coordinator with you the ground 24/7
3 meals a day
Shared accommodation
all transport around Zimbabwe
What's not included
Flights to/from Zimbabwe
Required: Personal medical insurance. Optional: trip/flight/luggage insurane
Visa
Project specifics
AGE: 18 -25
QUALIFICATIONS: Open to anyone. Ideal for Gap year and pre-vets aiming to get into vet or nursing school. Vet students in years 1 and 2 and nurse students in all years of study. Not suited to qualified vets or nurses as this is not a clinical project.
EMS (other)
Fitness Requirements
Due to the isolated nature of our locations, and the demanding nature of our work, a certain level of fitness is required to join this project. While we try to make our work as comfortable as possible, there are times when physical tasks are necessary to ensure safety and efficiency.
As such, you should be able to:
Climb up and down from a high pickup truck
Comfortably run 50 metres
Walk 1 kilometre over rocky and uneven ground
Not suffer from severe or unmanaged depression or anxiety
If mental or physical challenges prove problematic to safety, attendees will be required to sit out of activities, and in severe circumstances, we reserve the right to terminate a stay based on incorrectly or undisclosed disabilities. If you have a history of physical injuries, disabilities, or mental health conditions and would like to discuss your fitness to attend, we encourage you to apply and highlight this in your application form. We’re more than happy to have a conversation with you, and always do our best to be inclusive and accommodating.
START DATES
The project has set start dates throughout the year. We can also run private courses if you have a group of 6 or more people for outside of these dates. Please email us to discuss this.
2026
4 June- 17 June
19 June- 2 July
9 July- 22 July RESERVED
23 July- 5 August
2027 Dates TBC
WHAT NEXT?
If you want to gain valuable work experience, develop a variety of skills and grow your CV, whilst learning to care for animals and suport conservation, then this project is for you.
To chat to our team, discover availability and have all your questions answered by our volunteer coordinators, just click the "apply now" button, fill in our form, and we will be in touch with you right away.
Project Fees
Volunteering is a rewarding experience that makes a real impact on animal welfare and provides a chance to learn and travel to beautiful places....
booking conditions
Worldwide Vets aims to provide you with an easy booking experience and the a trip of a lifetime. As such, we have terms and conditions we ask you to abide by when booking a project with us...
PAST feedback
Ashlynn Jensen
July 2024
"The best part of my experience was getting to see a wide array of animals and locations. I liked being able to see the vet school, a clinic and shelter, a farm, and multiple wildlife rehabilitation centers."
Sophie Dunn
July 2024
"I had the best time making new friends and learning about conservation. I feel like I have come out of this experience with more knowledge and love for Zimbabwe and its animals."
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