Location
  • Australia
    • Sydney
Subject Areas
Animal Science Health Sciences Service Learning Wildlife Sciences

Program Details

Program Type
Provider

Pricing

What's Included
Accommodation Activities Meals
What's Not Included
Airfare
Aug 02, 2018
Aug 25, 2022
6 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Australia Veterinary Service is available as both a high school program (ages 14-18) and a college and young adult program (ages 18-25). This amazing program takes place outside of Sydney in Calga Springs, where you will live at a ZAA-accredited wildlife sanctuary for two weeks.

Your program will be led by a team of veterinarians who will help oversee all your activities and teach you all about Australian animals. From kangaroos and koalas to frogmouths and pythons, this sanctuary has pretty much any Australian animal you can dream of (except for platypus). You will get hands-on with these animals as you learn about marsupials, mammals, birds, and reptiles and help to care for their upkeep, enrichment, and medical needs.

You will be working alongside your veterinarians and the park staff each day. On the weekend, we will head into Sydney for fun in the city, including a trip to Sydney Opera House, famous beaches, Taronga Zoo and more!

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Assist in health rounds, including helping to treat kangaroos and koalas.
  • Examine and medically assess possums, echidnas, pythons, and bandicoots.
  • Perform enrichments for flying foxes, dingoes, frogmouths, and emus.
  • Perform veterinary labs such as marsupial necropsies, supervised by your team of veterinarians.
  • Visit Sydney including the Opera House, Royal Botanic Gardens, Darling Harbour, beaches, and the Taronga Zoo.

Related Programs

Program Reviews

4.94 Rating
based on 16 reviews
  • 5 rating 93.75%
  • 4 rating 6.25%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Academics 4.7
  • Support 5
  • Fun 4.9
  • Housing 4.7
  • Safety 4.95
Showing 1 - 8 of 16 reviews
Default avatar
Ashley
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My Trip in Australia!

I had the BEST time ever during my trip abroad in Australia. I have been waiting to go on this trip since 2020 so finally making it was the best feeling ever. I was able to learn so many useful lessons and practices during my time there that I was able to bring home and apply at my job in an animal hospital. I also enjoyed learning so much about the Australian wildlife and how to properly handle and care for them. I can’t wait to go back! I highly recommend taking this trip, it was the most amazing experience ever!

Pros
  • The amount of animal handling
  • My amazing group of people
  • Exploring Sydney
31 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Alyssa
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Very cool experience

Loops college vet experience is such a great experience for anyone looking to go into wildlife conservation. Your main experience through this program is spending time with the rangers and doing what they are doing. So while there is not a lot of vet experience at walkabout available, you spend a lot of time getting to know the animals and taking care of them in other ways. The people at Walkabout are also just super nice and amazing!
The only thing about this program is that you don’t get to leave the sanctuary except for scheduled excursion times that you take with the entire group so there is a lot of down time at the park. But overall a really awesome and memorable experience!

Pros
  • Wildlife conservation
  • Animal experience
Cons
  • Not a lot of sightseeing
  • Not a lot of actual vet experience
30 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Hannah
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Highly Recommend!!

During the 2 week program to Australia, I was given the opportunity to learn about prominent Australian wildlife through lectures and hands on experiences. This trip opened my eyes to how amazing Australian animals are from a medical and veterinary standpoint. It was an extremely safe, overwhelmingly fun, and remarkably educational experience! Not only did we spend in depth time learning about Australian animals, but we also had lots of chances to explore and have fun! We spent a day at the Taronga zoo as well as a day exploring Sydney. The animal education was very plentiful and was taught in a very fun and interactive way. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone who is interested in the veterinary, biology, or conservation professions!

What was your funniest moment?
The many laughs and stories shared with my peers during our time on the trip!
54 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Tayessa
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best Experience Ever!

This trip was actually the first trip I have taken outside of the United States! The staff was extremely helpful with everything including flights and making sure everyone was safe and having fun throughout the whole session. I personally loved getting to know the group that I stayed with and I think being in a group of people that all had the same enthusiasm and interest made it so much better. I enjoyed learning so much about Australian wildlife and about Australia in general. While there, we had the opportunity to split into groups and learn about a specific animal or species and then observe and create enrichment for them. I was in a group that focused on the dingoes, which are really amazing creatures that are sadly a vulnerable species in Australia. My group and I had a wonderful time learning about their history and creating a fun exercise for them.

I definitely would recommend this trip to everyone, and I will never forget this experience!

48 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Kaitlyn
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Australia Veterinary Service

This was my first study abroad program that I've went on and my first time in a different country. I found the enrollment process and the days leading up to our departure very smooth and easy to follow/do. I was nervous to travel abroad because I did not know anyone going into this trip. Everyone from Loop Abroad was so friendly and made me feel comfortable in this adventure I was taking. All the other students were so awesome and I truly met some amazing people. The veterinarians as well as rangers at Walkabout Wildlife Park, where we spent the majority of our time, were amazing mentors and teachers as well. I really learned a lot about many different species of animals I have never had hands-on experience with until this trip. I would definitely recommend this experience to any individual looking to pursue veterinary school and wanting to build their resume while gaining one of the most memorable experiences, as well as to any individual looking to go into an animal-related career.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
The most nerve-racking moment was meeting everyone at the airport. I was traveling alone and did not know any of the other individuals traveling with me. I decided that there definitely would be other individuals in the same boat I was. I wanted to make this trip as amazing as possible so I was able to put aside my fears and just focus on having fun and getting to know other people. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. I honestly felt comfortable within the first 10 minutes of meeting everyone. My group was very special as we all became very close and were all such good friends by the end of the trip. The people I shared this trip with were what made it so amazing.
50 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
sammi
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

unforgettable journey!

this was my first time abroad studying for vet-related course! i really enjoyed the 20 girls who also shared this experience with me! the four dvms were amazing in their own qualities and really helped us throughout our two weeks in australia! i cannot thank them enough as well as tassin, our keeper, for all the meals and support she gave us!! i enjoyed learning about aboriginals and australian culture that was in the park itself! a few of us got up to watch the sunrise before breakfast and morning lecture which is was always a treat and a great morning hike around the park! we got to see many of the australian animals, befriended them, and helped construct enrichments for them as apart of our academics! we also enjoyed our time at terrigal and sydney for free time which was really amazing and we made so many memories together!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
i would say to instantly get a sim card on your way out of customs at the airport!! it was really helpful for me to let my family know i got there safely!
49 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Isabella
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Australia zoo

First off you get to go around the world to a totally new place. When we got there we were all told of how Austalia is thr place that tries to "kill you" with all their dangerous animals. In the winter it wasn't somthing serious to worry about but the possibility is still there. The staff was so friendly and outgoing and really wanted us to learn about the many great animals that share their home with them. I learned so much about the native animals that when I went home people had to Google the info I was telling them to see if I was telling the truth. Kangaroos roam the area freely same with the emu. So many weird and wacky animals but they have so many great qualities about them and facts that make them truly adaptable. Australia has problems with invasive species too that we go on to learn about. This is a great place to fill your mind with knowledge.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
A termite straight from the tree! It tasted just like a pepper corn.
55 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Gabriella
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Exotic Experiences

The Australia Veterinary service was such a great trip! I learned so much about exotic animals from handling to their anatomy. We also got to learn about amazing cases that zoo vets had worked on and how they solved them. The hands on experience and one on one talk with wildlife vets was an invaluable experience. We learned about the park animals, diets, average days, and their upkeep. I also formed a bond with some of the animals, especially the one's I did my project on.

I also recommend the program if you are looking to make some new friends as everyone was so welcoming and kind. I got to meet 40 new people, including other college students, vet students, zoo vets, and park rangers. I still keep in touch with many of them because you get to know each other well when you live together for 2 weeks.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Make sure to pack for the weather and bring bug spray
53 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers