Abstract:
If a wild animal is in distress anywhere in the country, veterinarian Dr Katja
Koeppel, a senior lecturer in Wildlife at the University of Pretoria (UP), is likely
to be called upon to help. As the go-to person who rescues animals, she can be
called upon at any time of the day.
“I decided that I wanted to become a vet when I was four years old,” says the
German-born vet. “I never wanted to be a princess or an astronaut – becoming
a veterinarian was my dream.” She spent her school holidays working with her
uncle who was an equine veterinarian in Germany, and eventually began
studying Veterinary Science at Glasgow University. Dr Koeppel started out
working with small animals and horses, but soon realised that her passion was
wildlife.
