UCR undergraduates enjoy insightful study tour to Kenya

November 17, 2023

University Centre Reaseheath undergraduates studying Zoo Management, Animal Management, Environmental Conservation and Canine Behaviour and Training degree programmes gained insightful real-life experience with wild animals on a recent study tour to Kenya.

Students Jasmine Handley and Molly White share their experience of the study tour in the blog post below.

We recently had the amazing opportunity to go on a study tour to Kenya as part of our Zoo Management degree at University Centre Reaseheath.

Over the 10-day trip, we carried out a huge range of activities including:

Meeting the world’s last remaining two Northern white rhino and discussing the species recovery programme
Exploring the 250-acre Sweetwaters chimpanzee sanctuary
Checking wildlife corridors, including monitoring tracks and signs of animal movement and maintaining camera traps
Assisting with a local community farm project, creating and sowing vegetable beds
Tracking black and white rhino on foot, reporting conditions and location to the conservation team
Visiting the Reteti sanctuary to learn about the care, maintenance and feeding of various orphaned species, including elephants, zebras and giraffes

Most of our practical experience on our degree programme so far has been working with animals in captivity, so it was brilliant to be able to see how animals behave in the wild and the conservation work that is being done to protect them. One of our favourite parts of the trip was getting to see all the different animals up close on the game drive, that really was an amazing experience.

As well as helping with our course, our trip to Kenya has given us ideas for additional career options too, which is exciting. Originally, we both wanted to become zookeepers, but now with the experiences we have gained in Kenya, it has made us start to think about other careers such as in conservation or with an animal sanctuary.

The trip was truly an amazing, unforgettable experience and it’s great that we had the opportunity to go as part of our Zoo Management degree.

If you are thinking about studying an Animal Science degree at University Centre Reaseheath, we would really recommend it. In addition to trips and study tours, you will gain lots of practical experience in Reaseheath’s on-site mini zoo which is home to over 200 species and you’ll be supported by highly experienced lecturers who have a wealth of knowledge and skills to pass on to you. It’s also a beautiful campus and everyone is so friendly, it’s a great place to study!