Location:

Sydney, Australia

Program Type:

Study Abroad

Degree Level:

Undergraduate

Term:

Summer

Program Overview

Program Description:

A two-week adventure “down under” to volunteer at the Walkabout Wildlife Park in Calga Springs outside Sydney, Australia. Study zoology, wildlife care, and zoo veterinary medicine with koalas, kangaroos, echidnas, wallabies, and all kinds of other Australian wildlife.

Enjoy a fun few tourist days in Sydney and a day trip to a nearby beach town, explore aboriginal sites in the bush, go behind the scenes at Targona Zoo, and study “Australian Wildlife Handling, Conservation, and Care” with your veterinarian (DVM) trip leaders in the classroom and with the animals.

Highlights:

• Assist in treatment rounds with Australian wildlife
• Health check kangaroos and koalas
• Examine pythons and echidnas
• Learn to handle and assess possums and bandicoots
• Discover the anatomy, behavior, and care needs of Australian animals from a zoo vet perspective
• Create enrichments for everyone from dingos to cockatoos
• Perform veterinary labs such as marsupial necropsies
• Enjoy two days exploring Sydney

College credit is available. 

Participants will earn 60 veterinary hours and 15 research hours. You will receive a certificate for 80 service hours upon program completion.

Setting Description:

We will live at Walkabout for the duration of the program (except for two nights in Sydney). The three student groups share a house, which allows you to get to know one another and share meals together. Students will be in rooms of 2-6 students each separated by gender, with shared bathrooms. During our time in Sydney, we will stay at the Sydney Central YHA, a highly-ranked youth hostel that’s central to everything. Students will be in shared rooms by gender, with only other Loop students and staff in their room. (Bathrooms may be shared with others.)

Cost:

All-inclusive, less airfare.

Additional Program Information

Requirements:

The program is open to anyone age 18-25. Each group of up to 11 students will have its own veterinarian and work with several wildlife rangers. High school students may apply for our Australia High School Veterinary Service program.

Scholarships:

Yes

Scholarships Description:

Need-based scholarships and aid are available. Details can be found on our website or by contacting us for more information.