Kalahari_vet

Home
Namibia
Windhoek
Kalahari_vet

🩺 Veterinarian
🐾 Conservationist
🌍 Adventurer
📍 Namibia

*Back the Pack*

24/07/2025

What an incredible experience seeing so many people and organisations come together to help this African wild dog pack! ❤️🐾

18/06/2025

When we found her, she’d been trapped — injured, alone, and still lactating. That meant somewhere out there... she had pups waiting.

Her leg couldn’t be saved. The damage was too severe. But her life could be.

With expert care and quick action, she survived emergency surgery — and is now back in the wild.

But she’s not safe yet. Her healing, her reintegration, and the future of her pack still hang in the balance.

We need your help.

Your donation will fund her monitoring, tracking, and efforts to reduce future conflict — so more dogs and farmers don’t suffer the same fate.

African wild dogs are critically endangered. Fewer than 350 remain in this region.

Every pack matters. Every pup matters.

Please, donate today — and help us give her, and her family, a second chance.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/kawdcp?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer&fbclid=PAQ0xDSwK6o4dleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABpzIX2vDAEWyZ95BdaPWhZkDVwkn90oahs2ckbKceWuqpgOTJqYONj9c3k86C_aem_lZbYrR35zeG132ZrJcL4_Q

15/06/2025

H E L P U S S A V E T H E A L P H A

On June 10, the KAWDCP team responded to a call for help from a farmer in eastern Namibia. A young alpha female had been found trapped for nearly 24 hours. She was alone, severely injured, and separated from her pack — while still lactating, confirming she had a den of pups depending on her.

She underwent life-saving surgery to amputate a badly damaged leg and has now been released back into the wild. But her future — and the fate of her pack — still hangs in the balance.

This is not just about one animal. African wild dogs are deeply social. The loss of an alpha can cause a pack to collapse. Her survival gives the pack a chance to stay together — and possibly reunite with her pups, if they’ve survived.

Importantly, this pack had recently been involved in livestock conflict. We recognise that coexistence is not easy. Farmers face real losses, and frustration is understandable. But in this case, a farmer chose compassion — alerting us in time and helping make this rescue possible. Their support has been invaluable.

Now, we urgently need funding to continue this mission and ensure long-term solutions that benefit both wildlife and people.

Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) Kalahari African Wild Dog Conservation Project

04/12/2023

INTERNATIONAL CHEETAH DAY!

What an incredible privilege to have worked with this amazing species on a regular basis when I was part of the Cheetah Conservation Fund team in Namibia. This organisation works hard to contribute to the survival of the species, research and education are key♥️🐾

Photos are from the most memorable experiences with wild and rewilded cheetahs, one had broken out of a reserve onto farmland and needed a short ride in the back of the vehicle to be returned. We used this moment to educate surrounding farmers and their staff.

18/10/2023

W A R N I N G G R A P H I C C O N T E N T !

This cow had given birth out in the field and had a pr*****ed uterus. When she came back with her newborn calf, the farmers noticed a jackal had been attracted to the blood and the cow had bite wounds in the v***a. The uterus itself seemed fine and they managed to put it back in place. They closed the v***a with fence wire in order to prevent another prolapse, as this is all they had access to. When I had a look I could smell the infection and see necrotic tissue and inflammation around the bite wounds and wire they placed. I placed 5cc lidocaïne with a caudal epidural (Co2) to make sure the cow would not feel any pain and went to work; I first removed all the wire with wire cutters, then cleaned up and debrided all the wounds and sutured the jigsaw puzzle back together, leaving some space between sutures to let the wound be able to drain. Only then I placed a creative modification of the Buhner suture to prevent another uterine prolapse, as we also do not have the special Buhner needle and tape. Normal suture material will cut through the skin so I placed it through dripline material to reduce the pressure in several locations. One has to be creative when you have limited options available out in the field! In any case it’s a lot more tissue friendly then fence wire.

She received pain medication and long acting antibiotics

02/10/2023

D A R T I N G

When we are closing in on the dogs and ready to attempt darting for collaring, we set up an area where I am usually hiding in/under a bush in the very early mornings and late afternoons, usually for hours on end, with a personal record of 7 hours ! I prepare myself as best as I can by measuring the distances of all the surrounding bushes, so I can very quickly estimate how far the animals are from me. This is necessary because I adjust the pressure of the dart gun to that particular distance, as too little pressure will result in the dart dropping to the ground before it hits the animal and too much pressure will make it either fly over the animal or hit it too hard, resulting in possible injury. A dart is much slower than a bullet and flies in a curved trajectory. It can change its direction entirely by a gust of wind or when hitting a blade of grass. They call it the “art of darting” for a reason!

These attempts are often made a few consecutive days and even though lying down seems quite a relaxed position to be in, I can tell you after 5-7 hours without barely any movement my whole body is sore! Taking a nap is also out of the question as I have to stay vigilant, you never know when the dogs may suddenly decide to rock up. On top of that this semi desert area makes it that I can go from feeling hot and bothered to freezing cold all in one session. The only things we do for conservation.. It is however quite a special feeling when the wildlife around you seems completely unaware that you’re there and is just going around it’s usual business, while you watch the sun rise or set.

01/10/2023

We interrupt your regularly scheduled Pack F**k Friday to bring you some exciting news from the field!

Nadja and Robin are thrilled to have confirmed visuals of the Rietbok pack and their seven healthy pups! This young pack, led by a first-time alpha female, embarked on their maiden denning season in a challenging environment on our farmland. With only four adults, newly formed, and limited prey, the odds were stacked against them.

What makes this even more remarkable is the collaborative effort with the neighboring communities. Living on farmland, this den hasn't been persecuted in an area that has in the recent past. The cooperation between our conservation team and the local communities has created a safe haven for these magnificent creatures.

This extraordinary achievement is a testament to the resilience and adaptability of these remarkable animals. The Rietbok pack has not only survived but thrived in their new territory, securing their place in this unforgiving landscape. The birth of these seven pups is a beacon of hope, a symbol of nature's unwavering determination, and a testament to the positive impact of working together for the greater good.

The challenges they face are immense, but the future looks brighter with the addition of these seven new members to the pack. As we continue to follow the journey of the Rietbok pack, let's celebrate this remarkable achievement and wish them all the best as they navigate the trials of survival in the wild. Help us back the pack and continue fighting for wild dog survival!

30/09/2023

E X T R E M E T E M P E R A T U R E S

We are working in a semi desert area. Which means temperature differences can be extreme !
As we have been battling with freezing temperatures earlier this season, we are now dealing
with very hot days of around 40 degrees celcius , whereas at night it can still be between 3 and
8 degrees celcius. We were very cold overnight in the car without blankets , we even used the
emergency foils !
The temperature difference is so large that I have had the darts that I pressurised in the early
morning “explode” due to overpressurising; as the air inside the dart expanded so much in such
a short time due to the increasing temperature, we also see this happen with the tyre pressure
of the vehicle during the day. Physics lessons for us all!
This also shows how important it is for us to be prepared for all scenarios when we immobilise
African wild dogs because an animal under anaesthesia can not regulate its body temperature;
this means we need ice packs and cool water to be able to cool them down and (foil) blankets
and heating packs to warm them up ready with us at all times! We do however completely avoid
darting when it is too hot or too cold.

06/09/2023

G R A T E F U L

So grateful for the support so we can continue treating animals in underprivileged communities! And a special thanks to & for the ongoing support and donation of some valuable medication.

10/08/2023

W O R L D L I O N D A Y

It’s world lion day !
It’s always amazing to see these animals in the wild and I have had the privilege to work with this species on several occasions. Namibia boasts FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) and TB (Tuberculosis) free lion populations and therefore frequent testing is a big priority. This includes compulsory annual checks on (the small amount of) captive lions that have to be done.

07/08/2023

P A N G O L I N

MEFT contacted us for assistance on a ceased live Pangolin from the illegal wildlife trade. Since it couldn’t be determined how long the animal had been held, quick action to make sure the animal was stable was requested from us. We always try to help where we can.

I examined the pangolin (without sedation or anaesthesia) on arrival at MEFT, the animal was alert and responsive. I advised to keep the animal in a quiet dark space and keep contact with humans as limited as possible.

The animal has gone into rehab and release.

Address

Windhoek

Website

http://kawdct.org/, https://www.gofundme.com/f/kawdcp?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Kalahari_vet posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Kalahari_vet:

Shortcuts

Want your business to be the top-listed Pet Store/pet Service in Windhoek?