Moreton Morrell students gain unique wildlife tracking qualification in trip to South African bush

A group of students from Moreton Morrell College gained a unique wildlife tracking qualification after completing a residential trip to the South African bush.

Ten higher education students from the college, which is part of WCG, went on the wildlife tracking trip of a lifetime to Dinokeng Game Reserve in the Limpopo region of South Africa.

The group of four BSc Animal Behaviour students and six BSc Canine Therapy and Rehabilitation students camped in the park for 11 days.

The large game reserve is home to animals including cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo, rhino and more than 300 species of birds.

During their visit, the students, who were also joined by six students from Merrist Wood College in Guildford, were taught about local ecology, habitat management, animal health, tracking and protection by experienced field guides from Limpopo Field Guiding Academy.

The students also took part in an intensive course in learning how to identify and track an animal through measuring the stride length, movement, and gait of a footprint, and how to spot signs of animal activity through assessing vegetation and dung.

At the end of the course, the students all successfully completed either level one or two of the CATHSSETA Cyber Tracking certificate, an internationally-recognised wildlife tracking qualification.

During the visit, they also visited the local communities of Soweto, ate local delicacies and learned more about the country’s history.

The students are completing their course with Warwickshire College and University Centre (WCUC) – the higher education arm of WCG.

Helen Coleman, subject lead, said: “The students all thoroughly enjoyed the trip to South Africa.

“They gained confidence exploring the environment, worked successfully as a team and enhanced their existing academic and practical skills in animal husbandry, habitat management and welfare developed during their studies.

“The days were enriched by the incredible environment, animals, and the incredibly welcoming people.

“It was also a fantastic opportunity for the students to achieve a unique, internationally- recognised qualification.”