Our Mission
About Me
My name is Lanielle, and I am a South African conservation professional with a background in wildlife, veterinary support, and hands on field work. I studied wildlife management, conservation, and wildlife health for six years, and I grew up around animals and conservation. My career has taken me through wildlife capture, veterinary assistance, conservation research, animal welfare work, and mentoring students from around the world.
I split my time between my farm in South Africa and the United States. In the U.S., I am involved in animal search and rescue during disaster response efforts and work with giraffe conservation organizations. In South Africa, I run some of the programs offered through WildSpirit Conservation Services and actively work alongside veterinary and conservation teams on others. Every program I am involved in meets strict ethical standards and offers genuine, high quality hands on experience.
I started this work because I saw a gap. Many passionate students, early career professionals, and animal lovers struggle to access real, meaningful experience, the kind that builds confidence, practical skills, and clarity about whether this path is truly right for them. My focus has always been on providing real hands on experience, not observation only opportunities.
About Us & Our Mission
There is something that happens when people come to South Africa and work hands on alongside wildlife and animals. I’ve seen it time and again. People slow down, reconnect with the work, build confidence, and leave changed, with new skills and renewed motivation.
Some arrive straight out of school, unsure of their next step but drawn to animals and the outdoors. Others come as early career professionals still figuring out where they fit, or which direction within veterinary medicine, conservation, or animal care feels right. And some arrive already qualified, wanting exposure to new species, new environments, and new mentors, or simply needing a reset to remember why they chose this field in the first place.
Time spent actively working in the field builds practical skills, clarity, and confidence. Participants are involved, not just observing or sitting in classrooms. They don’t leave having only watched, they leave having done. With stronger hands on experience, real knowledge, and a deeper understanding of the animals and environments they’ve worked in.
The more people who gain meaningful, practical experience with wildlife and animals, the better chance those animals have. Education, exposure, and responsibility matter, for people, for animals, and for conservation.