A close encounter with lions on a trip to South Africa has given a Charles Sturt University (CSU) veterinary science student a taste for adventure. Fifth-year student Mr James Chadwick travelled to South Africa in September to attend the International Symposium on Wildlife Utilisation, which focuses on veterinary involvement in wildlife management. “The trip opened my eyes to the possibility of working with wild animals in southern Africa, a completely different world of veterinary work that I never knew existed,” said Mr Chadwick. “The highlight of the trip was assisting a veterinarian doing health checks at Lions Rock Sanctuary, which required sedating lions. While transporting the lions from the clinic to their rangelands, on the back of a ute, we noticed the sedative was wearing off and they started to twitch and growl, which was scary, but fun!” The CSU student is keen to return to South Africa to participate in further hands-on experiences and to learn new skills.