About

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With over 30 years’ experience, Dr Peter Rogers is considered one of the most experienced wildlife veterinarians in the world. He specializes in the capture and veterinary care of some of South Africa’s most endangered species, including the southern white rhinoceros, black rhinoceros, African elephant, cheetah, African wild dog, African lion, Temminck’s ground pangolin and many other species. Read more about his work here.

Dr Peter Rogers BVSc

After qualifying at the Onderstepoort Veterinary Faculty in 1984, Peter spent his first three years working in private practices in Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town, building up experience in the veterinary care and treatment of companion animals, horses and livestock. In 1987 Peter was employed by the then Natal Parks Board – now Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife – where he built up vast experience in the capture and care of wildlife, specializing in the white rhino, black rhino, African elephant, Cape buffalo, nyala and the like.He worked tirelessly in protecting, translocating and treating the wild inhabitants of Hluhulwe-Imfolozi, Mkuze, Ndumo and Ithala game reserves, as well as private reserves in KwaZulu-Natal and neighbouring Swaziland, up to 1995. Peter was part of a team responsible for hand-rearing and relocating an orphaned white rhino heifer, Lahliwe –‘ The Rejected One’- from Umfolozi Game Reserve to the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre in October 1992. Lahliwe was paired up with a young bull from Longleat Zoo in England, named Ronny. Ronny had been brought back to South Africa and was looking for a mate! This was when Peter met the owner of the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre, Mrs Lente Roode. Unfortunately, both young rhinos were poached about a year later.

In 1995, Peter entered the next chapter of his exciting career as a wildlife veterinarian, when he was employed by the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre.

Peter was presented with the exciting and daunting challenge of successfully raising captive bred cheetah cubs. For a few years prior to his arrival, the cheetah cubs had been either dying at birth, or within the first few days thereafter. Peter and an expert team of veterinary specialists from the University of Pretoria got together and soon solved the problem. The cheetahs were found to be suffering from a vitamin E deficiency and a food supplement was formulated, which was added to their diet. Soon great success was celebrated in the successful rearing of captive bred cheetah cubs.

Course background

These courses are designed to be online versions of selected wildlife medicine experiences available in South Africa. We’ve collaborated with projects to create a practical roadtrip in the form of the Wildlife Vet Experience, an exclusive package just for training vets and vet nurses that is both affordable and of high quality. It’s built around our principles of collaboration, credibility and accessibility by connecting communities and exceptional projects and experts while not sacrificing on some of the fantastic food and accommodation that South Africa has to offer. In this way, we’re able to provide both practical and theoretical instruction, covering veterinary treatment as well as sanctuary management and wildlife conservation.

Wildlife Vet Online

Topics include:

Animal Behaviour
Animal Identification and Tracking Techniques
Anti-Poaching
Antibiotics and Supportive Medication
Capture Equipment and Methods
Conservation and Wildlife Education in the Community
Game Reserve Management
Modern Conservation
Orphan Rearing
Parasites
Ranger and Vet Stories
Rhino Dehorning, poaching etc.
Safety Practices
Sanctuaries, Rehabilitation and Rescue Centres
Tranquilizers, Sedatives and Opioids
Wildlife and Field Management

Meet our amazing team

We are all about collaboration, so we have brought together conservation and wildlife experts as well as vets-in-training to help with our unique, dynamic courses.