Faculty veterinarians assist City of Tshwane with Rietvlei cheetah capture for relocation

Posted on July 05, 2023

Wildlife veterinarians Dr Jacques O'Dell and Dr Bart Gazendam, and students of the Faculty recently assisted the City of Tshwane with the capture and relocation of five cheetahs residing in the Rietvlei Nature Reserve.

A first for South Africa as UP veterinary team performs beak transplant on vulture

Posted on June 10, 2023

What do you do when a vulture with a crushed beak needs a new beak and two attempts to fit an acrylic beak fail? You improvise and use the beak of a deceased vulture, successfully enabling the injured bird to feed again.

Veld fires and livestock: UP Faculty of Veterinary Science experts advise on animal treatment decisions

Posted on June 08, 2023

Veld fires are common in South Africa and according to local studies will increase in frequency over the next three decades. Farmers are emotionally and financially affected by fires, sustaining losses including feed, facilities, livestock, and future performance of surviving livestock exposed to...

UP veterinary specialist performs SA’s first medical procedure to restore regular heart rhythm in a horse

Posted on May 30, 2023

A veterinary specialist from the University of Pretoria (UP) and the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital has performed South Africa’s first transvenous electrical cardioversion (TVEC) on a horse. It is believed this is the first time this procedure is performed in Africa.

UP Faculty of Veterinary Science assistance with surgical intervention saves cheetah's life in East Africa

Posted on May 22, 2023

Dr Ross Elliott, a specialist small animal veterinary surgeon at UP’s Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital, worked with a team from Somaliland’s Cheetah Conservation Fund to save Janet, a cheetah, from amputation and euthanasia.

To rescue a Secretary bird is no administrative task

Posted on May 04, 2023

Recently a juvenile Secretary bird (Sagittarius serpentarius) was found collapsed in the Mabula Private Game Reserve by a ranger.

#UPGraduation2023: Meet the UP family of vets

Posted on May 02, 2023

A family of five veterinarians, all of whom have qualified at UP! The latest graduates are Marlie and Sybrand Harris, who recently shared a graduation stage during the Faculty of Veterinary Science’s ceremony.

#UPGraduation2023: Lion-hearted PhD graduate attributes success to grit, determination and family support

Posted on April 25, 2023

Having been fascinated from an early age by ecology and the natural world, Donaldson set a course for success in her chosen field, which has culminated in her graduating with a PhD as part of the University’s autumn graduation sessions.