Namibia 2024

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Wildlife Conservation students pack their bags for a trip to Namibia

This September, eleven lucky BSc Wildlife Conservation students embarked on the trip of a lifetime – exploring Namibia’s astonishing wildlife.

Accompanied by Senior Lecturer in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Miriam Thavarajah and Senior Lecturer in Zoology, Ralph Thompson, the students spent a fortnight visiting various conservation and research organisations and gaining firsthand experience of Namibia’s wildlife and society.  

The group ventured far outside their daily university routines, setting up camp at the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) – a charity dedicated to working with local communities and passionate scientists to develop and implement holistic conservation strategies.  

The fund is the key to success in saving the cheetah and its ecosystem and works tirelessly to reduce conflict for wild cheetahs, allowing them to live harmoniously alongside humans. 

Among many initiatives, BSU students had the unique opportunity to learn about the importance of the CCF’s Livestock Guarding Dog program in reducing livestock losses to predators.  

The group then moved on to visit the Etosha National Park. Namibia’s most impressive wildlife sanctuary, the park is famous for its salt pan, so large it can be seen from space and showcasing some of the rarest African wildlife species.  

Senior Lecturer in Zoology, Ralph Thompson discussed the unique trip:  

“Etosha National Park is one of the best places to see the charismatic African megafauna and practice our wildlife photography. We were lucky enough to see a wide variety of animals including elephants, two species of rhinos, leopards, lions, giraffes, oryx and many more.”  

Senior Lecturer in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Miriam Thavarajah added: 

“We’re very happy with the outcome of our wildlife conservation field course 2024 to Namibia. Our students shone throughout, impressing us and our hosts with their curiosity, enthusiasm and insight. It was almost visible how much everyone learned every day from the local guides and experts, and how much the experience changed their outlook on conservation, research and human-wildlife interactions. Namibia provides a unique perspective with its community-centred approach to wildlife conservation, and we are excited by the prospect of taking future cohorts of students to this incredible place.” 

The group finished their trip at the Gobabeb Desert Research Institute in the Namib Naukluft National Park, situated on the boundary between the gravel desert and the dunes of the sand-sea. Here, they learned about desert-adapted animals and plants and met a group of Namibian graduate students on a research internship.

BSc Wildlife Conservation students, Evie de Gruyther, shared her experiences:  

“It’s difficult to articulate how amazing this trip was! It was a privilege to learn from so many experts about the wildlife and conservation challenges and projects. I have learnt so much. The CCF is such a brilliant and holistic organisation and to see conservation in action making a real impact on communities (e.g. livestock guardian dogs) was amazing.”  

She continued: 

“The whole experience was made even better because we shared it together and playing games and sitting around the fire in the evenings were some of my favourite moments. Every place we visited was warm and welcoming. I never thought I would be brave enough to travel so far from home, but now I have, and the world feels more open than it did before which is something I am very grateful for.”  

Interested in studying Wildlife Conservation? Explore our course page and learn about the lives of wild animals and plants and how you can help overcome the challenges they face.