​​ Plan all you like, the Kruger National Park comes with its own agenda, as members of the TB Research group found out during their recent week-long stay.

A week in the Kruger Park sounds like many people's idea of an ideal holiday, but for the Animal TB Research Group, there was a lot more at stake during this trip than game viewing and a few braais.

Not only was research done, (which involved the drawing of blood samples drawn from various animals to test for bovine tuberculosis), but talks were also held with various stakeholders, such as veterinarians, other researchers and park officials. And to top it all, there were quite a few encounters (both expected and unexpected) with various animals, some, big, some small and some enormous. And some downright scary.

The visit also helped the students understand where and how their research has an impact on real-life situations by highlighting the important conservation consequences of the group's research.

Just to get there was a two-day trek, and the week was jam-packed with planned activities:

• Monday (Orientation)

• Tuesday (Elephant capture)

• Wednesday (rhino capture)

• Thursday (buffalo day and meetings with park staff and veterinarians from the area)

• Friday (rhino day)

• Saturday (lab work)

That was the plan, anyway. On Monday, there was an unexpected opportunity to go with the state veterinarians to sample some wild dogs. By 3.30 on Tuesday morning, the camp was bustling as everyone got ready and dressed (and had a strong cup of coffee) before going to look for an elephant bull. Not most people's usual Tuesday morning programme. Everyone left the Veterinary Wildlife Services offices and labs, and some students were fortunate enough to get an air lift to the site in one of the park's helicopters, usually used during the game-capturing process. For many this was their first encounter with such a huge animal in the wilderness. After the successful capture, sampling (which included a bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) using a custom-made 3 metre endoscope and blood collection), and the subsequent recovery of the elephant, the team headed back to base camp.

An elephant post-mortem

But the day was far from over, as, upon return to base camp, a sudden opportunity presented itself to do a full elephant post-mortem examination on another elephant. The team made its way to the field site. This was also a great learning experience with trained veterinarians at hand to explain and answer all the questions the students had.

It had been a long day, so everyone enjoyed a quick dinner and went to bed early to prepare for the next day.  Wednesday's procedures were performed on four rhinos that are housed in bomas as part of the TB project. The students got some great hands-on experience with regards to the collection of samples such as blood and BALs. This also helped the students get a better understanding of what impact their research had on real-life situations when it came to testing various species for bovine tuberculosis.

Thursday was supposed to be a day filled with buffalo, but as with the rest of the week, there were surprises in store. In the bush, things do not always happen on schedule. Two hyenas came in early in the morning that had been removed from the Skukuza tourist camp. These animals were sampled on the bed of the bakkie by the team – quite an experience for many of the students.

Open forum with stakeholders

Later in the day the group was also involved in conversations with different stakeholders, including KNP veterinary staff and state veterinarians and technicians from surrounding areas. This was a great platform to share the last five years of work done by the SU Animal TB Research Group in an open forum.

Friday morning started at 03:30 as the team set out to find a rhino for the day's capture. This was the first opportunity to collect BAL samples from a rhino in the wild. The capture was part of an anti-rhino poaching campaign, and the cameras were rolling during the entire procedure, highlighting the important conservation consequences of the group's research. Afterwards some students had the opportunity to fly back to base camp, giving them an opportunity to see the magical Kruger landscape from the air.

It was time for the farewell braai, where the events and experiences of the week could be relived around the fire. Then mopping up work on Saturday with the last of the lab work on the agenda – and then finally a twilight game drive, where yet another surprise awaited: a standoff between buffalo and lions to cap an unforgettable few days.

This exhilarating week brought home to the students just how valuable these wildlife samples were, what dangers were involved in collecting them, what the risks to the animals were, and just how much time was spent on collecting even a single sample. May this experience continues to inspire them to achieve what they have set out to do in their careers.

And then there was the long road home. But the trip was worth every single kilometre.

Language editing: Susan Erasmus

Photos supplied by Eduard Roos