UK TV vet to film new series at Shamwari Game Reserve

ITV Studios Anglia Factual, which has made several acclaimed ITV1 wildlife series including Survival With Ray Mears, Wild Britain With Ray Mears, Lion Country and Cheetah Kingdom has returned to Africa to shoot the exciting new TV series ‘Safari Vet School’ with acclaimed TV vet Steve Leonard.

Steve Leonard will present 12×30 series ‘Safari Vet School’, which will track the fortunes of student vets as they come face to face with Africa’s ‘big five’ for the first time during a life-changing and action-packed 16 day summer placement at the 25,000 acre Shamwari Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. 

Working with top wildlife vets alongside the Shamwari Wildlife team, the students, mainly from UK vet schools, will gain valuable experience of exotic wildlife and learn skills ranging from basic capture techniques to wildlife relocation. They will also have the extraordinary opportunity to dart wildlife on the move from helicopters. Filming will be based primarily around the Shamwari Game Reserve located in the malaria free Easter Cape of South Africa, however additional filming will also take place at the Addo National Elephant Park also located in the Eastern Cape.

 Steve Leonard said: “It’s great to be back in Africa working with the big beautiful iconic species and some of the ugly little jaspers as well. This project is very much hands on allowing me to tap into my veterinary skills and get my hands dirty – and nearly bitten! I’m very pleased to be working with the creative team at ITV who really understand wildlife program making and who are as enthusiastic about conservation as I am.”

Dr Johan Joubert, Wildlife Director at Shamwari Game Reserve commented “ The ‘Vets Go Wild’ experience at Shamwari Game Reserve is a fantastic opportunity to allow budding vets unparalleled wildlife experiences of dealing with some of the world’s most exciting, dangerous and indeed endangered  animals. At Shamwari we are passionate about conservation and have pioneered wildlife conservation projects alongside sustainable tourism for the past 20 years. We hope that through the airing of this exciting TV series we can communicate the important work which is done here and inspire the next generation of wildlife lovers to spread the word in the UK.”      

*Shamwari won the accolade of the ‘World’s Leading Conservation Company 2009’ at the World Travel Awards, London