A South Dearborn Graduate's Journey to South Africa Sparks a New Passion for Conservation

Photo and article submitted by Remi Hensley

For Remi, a South Dearborn High School graduate, the trip to South Africa started with a single set of photos. A few of her friends had gone the year before, and when she saw their pictures and heard their stories, she knew she wanted to go too. The program, run through Western Kentucky University, had been offered for around 25 years, and the opportunity was impossible to pass up.

Once there, Remi found herself working hands-on with some of the most remarkable wildlife on the continent. Her veterinary work brought her face-to-face with several antelope species, including kudu and impala, as well as giraffes and zebras. These are animals most of us have only ever seen from the other side of a zoo enclosure.

But it wasn't only the animals that left an impression. The pace of the work surprised her most. As part of the veterinary and conservation work, animals had to be safely darted or captured so the team could carry out health checks and hands-on care, and getting to that point took patience. Days were spent driving for hours across the landscape, searching for the right animal. Despite their size, she said, the animals were astonishingly difficult to spot in their natural environment. Everything stayed calm and unhurried, right up until an animal was darted or captured. Then it was "go time," a sudden burst of focus and urgency, before the quiet settled back in just as quickly.

Some of what stayed with her was harder to witness. Remi saw firsthand the effects of poaching: animals that had been harmed or killed, and came away with a sobering understanding of just how serious the issue really is. That experience, more than any other, stuck with her.

It also reshaped how she thinks about her future. The trip deepened her interest in conservation and gave her a new perspective on how other countries protect wildlife facing far more dramatic threats than many animals here at home.

When asked what she'd want Southeast Indiana readers to take away from her experience, Remi didn't hesitate to say, "Take every opportunity you can. South Africa was breathtaking, and seeing animals in their natural habitat was far more exhilarating than seeing them anywhere else."

But the lesson didn't stay an ocean away. Southeast Indiana, she's quick to note, is home to its own beautiful and remarkable animals. Ones that deserve the same protection from human-driven problems. Conservation, in other words, isn't only something that happens on a faraway reserve; it's something worth caring about right here at home.

Editor's Note: Are you feeling inspired to learn more about or become a part of local Animal Conservation? Visit the Indiana Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife page for more information and available resources. To get involved, consider supporting local conservation groups like the Red Wolf Sanctuary or the Cardinal Land Conservancy..