During the summer of 2025, I was fortunate enough to be able to participate in the cheetah rewilding and conservation internship in South Africa. We were located at the Running Wild Cheetah Conservation near Rustenburg, South Africa, about a two-hour drive northwest of Johannesburg. Along with cheetahs, the conservation also has lions, hyenas, servals, caracals, meerkats, and bush babies, many of which are being prepared to be released into the wild. Those that are not able to be released are still provided with everything necessary to enable them to live comfortably for the rest of their lives.

Throughout the internship, we participated in various hands-on activities such as enclosure cleaning, food preparation, feeding, body checks for injuries or ticks, and going on bush walks among various other activities, all with the goal of maintaining each animal’s health and working to release them into the wild one day. The owners of the conservation also had multiple talks with the group on topics such as the methods and reasoning for the steps they take to rewild a cheetah, the anthropogenic threats to wild cheetah populations, the methods of darting or tranquilizing a cheetah and when it’s necessary, and how to use telemetry to track an animal with a collar. The last of the two lectures had engaging, interactive practice activities immediately after. We also went to Pilanesberg National Park one day to see and learn about the Big Five African mammal species.

As an environmental engineering major, I view environmentalism as having two general topics: physical and biological. The physical side consists of issues such as climate change, alternative energy, and pollution, while the biological side consists of habitat protection, endangered species protection, and invasive species removal to name a few. This internship gave me a deeper understanding of the biological aspect of environmentalism, so I am hoping to combine this experience with a future internship or another study abroad experience in the physical aspect to help me determine which of the two paths I enjoy more and want to go down once I get my degree, even if I may not know what specific job I want just yet.

As amazing as this experience in South Africa was for me, it may not have been possible for me to do without receiving the EA Academic Excellence Award. With the costs of long international flights, out-of-state tuition, and personal expenses, costs can add up quickly and financial assistance makes a significant difference. I am deeply appreciative of the donors whose contributions made this experience possible. Your support allowed me to participate in a life-changing program, gain valuable hands-on experience, and make friendships that will last a lifetime.

Name: Kerem Pegg
Status: Sophomore
Major: Environmental Engineering
Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana
Program: Cheetah Conservation Internship in South Africa