The last week of the program went by way too
quickly! We enjoyed some delicious ice cream and a laidback tour our first
afternoon in Bonn. It was a nice to take a break and revel in the nice, warmer
weather. The next morning we took a tram to the Cologne Zoo where we were able
to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the elephant exhibit and feed a baby
elephant! Well, not a baby – he was two years old – but he was so adorable and
cute! Two of the keepers took us on a tour of the rest of the zoo, and we saw a
very independent baby anteater and quite the climber red panda. After our day
at the zoo, we went on a quick tour of Cologne.
Our quick-witted guide definitely distracted us
from the heat of the day. We went to an animal shelter on our last day in Bonn.
It was interesting to hear about the differences between shelter policies there
and back home in the states as well as the stray population conditions. The
shelter we visited had never had a problem with running out of space, which
always has been a frequent issue at shelters I have volunteered at in Texas. It
was nice to hear that they never really had to consider healthy euthanasia to
create space. They do not have any veterinarians on staff; the one that comes
in during the week is actually contracted out, which is a bit different than
what I have experienced. I think that’s a good idea though; being a shelter
veterinarian wears you out emotionally, and a reprieve from that daily wear
would be helpful in the long run. Later that day we visited an organic farm. I
never had toured one before, so it was interesting to compare the way an
organic farm ran in comparison to a conventional farm. They allowed us to
sample their strawberries while we walked, which were absolutely delicious.
After Nils took some of us to the German National Museum of Contemporary
History in Bonn. We had the chance to gain insight into the history and growth
and development of Germany in recent years. Nils took us around the museum,
talking to us about the changes his parents and himself have seen the country
go through. It was an amazing experience.
Our last few days of the program were spent at
the Utrecht University. We were lucky enough to learn about the history and
veterinary program of the university and to tour the companion animal hospital.
Something that really impressed me about their hospital was that the ICU ward
of the companion animal hospital had video cameras put in each cage so that the
owners could observe their animals from home. I’m definitely putting that idea
in the memory banks. The host students were welcoming and excited to have us
stay with them for the last part of our trip. The Netherlands happened to have
a world cup match while we were there. A couple of us dressed up for the
occasion with orange hair spray and lays and joined in on the festivities and
celebration as we watched them beat Spain 5-1. We spent the morning on a (leisurely)
canoe tour on our last day. It felt good to give our legs a rest and force our
arms to work a bit. It was something different and definitely something fun. It
was difficult saying goodbye to everyone that night. This trip has been
amazing, and I’m incredibly grateful that I had the opportunity to participate
in it. This is the last post before the back in the states one later this
summer. Although I’m not going to miss searching for wifi, I am going to miss
all the girls, and even Nils, because once you spend four weeks straight with
someone, you can’t even really get them out of your head. Thank you for the
great memories. I miss you all already. (I feel like this reads like a Green
Day song. Or confused Fall Out Boy lyrics. Sorry about that, guys.)
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