My study abroad experience was the Cheetah Conservation Internship in South Africa, which was one of the most memorable and fulfilling experiences of my life. While I was there, I got to interact with some of nature’s most incredible wildlife by feeding them, cleaning their enclosures, caring for them, and most importantly, learning more about their behavior and needs.

As a Zoology and Pre-Veterinary student, this program was even more exciting because I got to learn a bit about the veterinary side of caring for exotic animals, as well as conservation and wildlife management strategies. One really cool thing I got to see was a veterinarian examining one of the overweight servals we had. I even listened to its heartbeat myself using a stethoscope. We learned many other skills, such as how to use a dart to tranquilize a cheetah, different tracking methods for cheetahs released into reserves, and how cheetahs are trained in order to be rewilded.

A typical day started with waking up early around 6:30 a.m. and completing tasks such as cleaning enclosures, training the cheetahs, going on cheetah walks, and working on enrichment activities for the other animals. My group’s focus was the hyenas.

After lunch, we prepped meat for the lions, cheetahs, hyenas, servals, and caracals, then went out to feed them in groups.

We usually ended our day around 5 p.m., when we had the freedom to do an activity of our choice. My favorite was catching the beautiful South African sunset or hanging out with the meerkats.

I met so many amazing people while in South Africa and truly got to dive in and experience a culture very different from my own, especially coming from a Polish background. I’m so thankful for the opportunity and will never forget the amazing memories I made. This scholarship really helped make it possible for me to do this.

Name: Aleksandra Rembiszewska
Status: Senior
Major: Zoology
Hometown: Wheeling, Illinois
Program: Cheetah Conservation Internship in South Africa