Vets on the Wild Side
Follow Africa's top wildlife vets as they tackle dangerous cases, from injured rhinos to wild cats and crocs, showcasing their skill, courage, and dedication to protecting endangered species.
Episode 1
In South Africa's Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve, covering 97,000 hectares of rugged terrain, wildlife vet Dave Cooper faces a demanding day.
Episode 2
In Kruger National Park, vets test a new elephant contraception method.
Episode 3
Zimbabwe's Imire Game Sanctuary works to protect black rhinos, whose numbers had dropped to around 200 due to poaching.
Episode 4
This episode explores game capture techniques for rhinos, zebras, and how to avoid crocodile attacks.
Episode 5
Wildlife vets test milder anesthetics on nyalas in the cool early hours, minimizing animal stress during captures.
Episode 6
Buffalo, dangerous yet valuable if disease-free, require constant monitoring for bovine tuberculosis.
Episode 7
A young male rhino with a sheath growth requires surgery in Umfolozi, where rhinos are cared for before a major game auction. Though not life-threatening, the growth could worsen.
Episode 8
Two wildebeest need treatment, one for a cut leg and the other with a horn infection causing maggot infestation near the eye, which Dave Cooper must contemplate euthanizing.
Episode 9
Oxpeckers, effective for tick control, are in demand by ranchers willing to pay $100 per bird. Wildlife vets Chris Foggin and Janine Honywill capture and translocate them to farms.
Episode 10
The world's largest game auction happens annually in Natal, and Wildlife Vet Dave Cooper ensures every animal is healthy from capture to transport.
Episode 11
At Vaalbos National Park near the Kalahari Desert, Wildlife Vet Paul Meyer spends a day capturing animals for a ranch.
Episode 12
Night falls on Lake Kariba, and wildlife vets set out to capture crocodiles. They move silently across the water, using torches to dazzle the crocs before safely capturing them for disease testing.
Episode 13
In Natal, there are too few lions to ensure a broad, genetic pool. As such, the lion population has become inbred. To improve the genetic diversity, lions are being captured in Namibia and immortal to Natal, where it is hoped they will interbreed with the native lions. Vet Dave Cooper supervises the operation
