Onderstepoort marks clinical firsts including first rhino CT scan
The University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Veterinary Science at Onderstepoort has reported a series of clinical and research milestones over the past year, led by South Africa’s first CT scan on a live adult rhino and breakthroughs in equine reproduction. During a recent campus briefing, Dean Professor Vinny Naidoo said the faculty’s work in wildlife conservation and zoonotic diseases has gained increased international recognition, with the Onderstepoort Wildlife Clinic and the Hans Hoheisen Wildlife Research Station near Kruger National Park central to these advances.
The faculty also confirmed a complex mid-2025 surgery on “Njozi”, a Rietvlei Nature Reserve cheetah, to repair a forelimb fracture; she is set to move to the Cheetah Conservation and Research Centre near De Wildt for rehabilitation, pending a Gauteng provincial permit, before returning to a conservation programme. The research and training pipeline – including final-year rotations at HHWRS – supports endangered species management and strengthens the scientific base that underpins South Africa’s wildlife conservation and nature-based tourism.
Source: Caxton Network News
