VSDW

VSDW (Veterinary Student Association for Development and Wildlife) for students and professionals. Graag nemen wij even de vrijheid om ons kort voor te stellen.

Wij zijn ‘Veterinary Student Association for Development and Wildlife’ (VSDW), een nieuwe opbloeiende studentengroep verbonden aan de Universiteit van Gent. Wij zijn het "zusje" van de groepen VSG (Paard, Herkauwer, Kleine Huisdieren). Deze specifieke studiegroep zijn wij dit jaar begonnen doordat wij zelf (op verschillende reizen in Afrika en andere derde wereldlanden) hebben ondervonden dat er i

n deze landen behoefte is aan meer kennis omtrent diergeneeskunde en landbouw. Op dit moment bestaat ons team uit verschillende enthousiaste studenten Diergeneeskunde uit verschillende jaarlagen. Met deze studiegroep willen we aan de hand van lezingen en uitstapjes de diergeneeskunde wereld in derde wereldlanden meer onder de loep leggen en mensen bekender maken met de problemen die aldaar aanwezig zijn. Juist op deze manier willen wij mensen ook enthousiast maken om zich in te zetten voor ontwikkelingshulp in deze landen. Verder willen we ook een informatie punt vormen voor mensen, zoals wij, die geïnteresseerd zijn in reizen naar derde wereldlanden om daar ervaring op te doen, maar dit een (te) grote stap vinden om te zetten. Door informatie beschikbaar te stellen en te delen met onze studenten kunnen we zulke ontwikkelingsreizen meer toegankelijk maken (hoe moet ik dit aanvragen? Waar moet ik mijn klinieken regelen?). Hopelijk zien we jou op een van onze lezingen of activiteiten binnenkort!

13/05/2026

🐾Wildlife Wednesday Recap🐾

As we wrap up a full academic year of Wildlife Wednesdays, we wanted to look back with gratitude. Thank you for exploring the wild with us. This year has shown how incredible, and how fragile, our natural world truly is, and it’s up to all of us to help protect the wildlife we share this planet with.

Good luck with your exams, you’ve got this! 🌿✨

06/05/2026

🐾 Wildlife Wednesday 🐾

Name: Burrowes’ Giant Glass Frog
Latin: 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘹
Class: Amphibia

The Burrowes’ Giant Glass Frog is a rare rainforest amphibian found near clear, fast-flowing streams in Central and South America, recognized for its striking green coloration and translucent underside that reveals parts of its internal organs. These nocturnal frogs spend most of their lives high in vegetation above streams, where their camouflage helps them blend seamlessly into surrounding leaves.

Males play an active parental role by guarding eggs laid on leaves above water and even urinating on them to keep them moist and protected. Once hatched, the tadpoles drop into the stream below, where they continue their development in the water.

Burrowes’ Giant Glass Frog is listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List, with declines driven by deforestation for agriculture, logging, the introduction of predatory fish species into streams, and potential disease threats such as chytridiomycosis.

Protecting tropical forest habitats and clean freshwater ecosystems is essential for the survival of this remarkable amphibian and the biodiversity these ecosystems support.

🔗 https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/54907/85877221
🔗 https://animalia.bio/centrolene-ballux

29/04/2026

🐾 Wildlife Wednesday 🐾

Name: Northern Muriqui
Latin: 𝘉𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘺𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘺𝘱𝘰𝘹𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘴
Class: Mammalia

The Northern Muriqui is a rare primate of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, known for its long limbs, woolly coat, and remarkable agility in the canopy. These gentle monkeys live in peaceful, highly social groups where embraces are more common than conflict, making them one of the most harmonious primates in the world.

Their diet includes fruits, leaves, and flowers, and as they travel through the treetops they play an important role in seed dispersal and forest regeneration. Vocal calls help them stay connected across the fragmented forest patches they inhabit.

Northern Muriquis are listed as Critically Endangered, with fewer than 1,000 individuals remaining. Habitat loss, hunting, and forest fragmentation have caused severe declines, leaving only small, isolated populations.

Protecting and restoring the Atlantic Forest is essential to the survival of this extraordinary species and the ecosystem they help sustain.

🔗 https://www.iucnredlist.org
🔗https://animaldiversity.org

29/04/2026

𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐏 🎯

What really happens when you work with tranquilizer darts and blowpipes?
During this workshop, you’ll get an inside look at the techniques veterinarians use to safely and accurately handle darting in the field.

Veterinarian Jonas Spruyt will guide you through the essentials of dart guns, blowpipes, and the practical skills behind wildlife immobilization.
Expect a clear, hands‑on introduction to the tools, methods, and safety principles used in real‑life situations.

After the lecture, you’ll get the chance to try these techniques yourself under supervision, a unique opportunity to experience the precision and responsibility behind darting.

Discover another side of veterinary medicine, far beyond the walls of the traditional clinic. 🦓

📅 7 May
⏰ 18:30
📍 Peerdestal
💶 €12
🔗 Register: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/17w6k6fzx2LB1C0azShR8ihFME7I2jnOxe_-UB8xleQA/edit

Come learn, practice, and explore the wild side of our profession.⭐️

22/04/2026

🐾 Wildlife Wednesday 🐾

Name: Mole Cricket
Latin: 𝘎𝘳𝘺𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘱𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘦
Class: Insecta

🦗Mole crickets are unusual, highly specialized insects known for their underground lifestyle. With their velvety bodies and powerful shovel‑like forelegs, they are expert diggers, creating extensive tunnel systems in moist soils across Europe, Asia, North Africa, and beyond.

Despite their hidden habits, mole crickets are far from silent. Males produce remarkably loud mating calls from specially shaped burrows that act like natural amplifiers, allowing their songs to carry impressive distances. Their diet varies by species, ranging from plant roots to small soil invertebrates, making them both soil engineers and, in some regions, agricultural pests.

These insects play an important ecological role by aerating soil and contributing to underground food webs. Their unique morphology and behavior make them one of the most distinctive members of the cricket family.

Mole crickets are generally listed as Least Concern, but regional declines have been noted due to pesticide use, intensive agriculture, and the loss of moist, undisturbed soils needed for burrowing. 🌍

Protecting healthy soil ecosystems and reducing chemical pressure helps support this fascinating and often overlooked insect.

🔗 https://www.iucnredlist.org
🔗 https://animaldiversity.org

08/04/2026

🐾 Wildlife Wednesday 🐾

Name: Rusty Patched Bumble Bee
Latin: 𝘉𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴
Class: Insecta

🐝 Once a common pollinator across North America, the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee has declined dramatically (90%) in recent decades. Despite its small size, it plays a crucial role in pollinating both wild plants and crops — making it essential for healthy ecosystems and food production.

This species is known for its buzz pollination, vibrating its body to release pollen from flowers, and is one of the first bees active in early spring. Interestingly, only the queen survives winter to start a new colony the following season.

Rusty Patched Bumble Bees are listed as Critically Endangered, with populations declining due to habitat loss, pesticide use, disease transmission, and climate change. 🌍

Protecting pollinators like this bee is key to maintaining biodiversity and resilient ecosystems.

🔗 https://www.iucnredlist.org
🔗 https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Bombus_affinis/

🐝🌱

27/03/2026

🐾🦎VSDW goes Bucharest 🌍🇷🇴

Afgelopen weekend trokken we met VSDW naar Boekarest voor het BEAR Congress 2026, georganiseerd door . Samen met studenten uit maar liefst 22 landen namen we deel aan een inspirerend programma rond wildlife, exotics en zoo medicine. 🐋

Van boeiende lezingen en interactieve activiteiten tot gezellige momenten — het congres bood een unieke mix van leren, ontdekken en verbinden. 🐆

Een grote dankjewel aan WESA voor de fantastische organisatie en warme ontvangst. We kijken terug op een onvergetelijke ervaring! 💚

25/03/2026

🐾 Wildlife Wednesday 🐾

Name: Little Auk
Latin: 𝘈𝘭𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦
Class: Aves

🐦 The Little Auk is a small seabird of the High Arctic, thriving in some of the coldest and most remote environments on Earth. Despite its size, it is a powerful diver, using rapid wing beats to “fly” underwater while hunting for tiny crustaceans.

Breeding in massive colonies that can number in the millions, Little Auks play a crucial ecological role. By transporting nutrients from the ocean to land through their guano, they transform Arctic landscapes into productive “oases”.

Also known as the dovekie or sea dove, this species is perfectly adapted to life in extreme conditions — yet remains sensitive to environmental change.

Little Auks are listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, but face growing threats from climate change, habitat alteration, pollution, and changes in marine food availability. ❄️🌍

🔗 https://www.iucnredlist.orgv
🔗https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/little-auk

🐦❄️

13/03/2026

Beste studenten,

🐾 De sollicitaties voor VSDW 2026–2027 zijn geopend!
Wil jij meewerken aan inspirerende lezingen, uitstappen en events rond wildlife, development en diergeneeskunde? Dan is dit jouw kans om deel uit te maken van het leukste team van de faculteit.

✨ Openstaande functies:
• PR-intern
• PR-extern
• Social Media Manager
• Penningmeester

📩 Hoe solliciteren?
Stuur je motivatie naar [email protected] en vermeld:
• Je naam en studiejaar (2026–2027)
• Waarom jij graag bij VSDW wil aansluiten
• Voor welke functie je solliciteert en waarom jij daar perfect in past

📆 Deadline: 12 april 2026 om 23:59
Na je sollicitatie ontvang je een kleine opdracht zodat we kunnen zien wat jij in huis hebt.

⚠️ Opgelet: Zit je volgend jaar in je 3e master? Dan raden we je af om te solliciteren — we willen dat zowel je studie als je engagement de aandacht krijgen die ze verdienen.

We kijken ernaar uit om jouw motivatie te lezen. Misschien maak jij volgend jaar deel uit van ons team 🐘🦒

Wilde groetjes,
Het VSDW-team

11/03/2026

🐾 Wildlife Wednesday 🐾

Name: Parrotfish
Latin: 𝘚𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘦
Class: Actinopterygii

🐟 Parrotfish are a colourful family of tropical reef fish recognised for their distinctive beak-like teeth, which allow them to scrape algae and coral from reef surfaces. Behind this beak lies a second set of powerful pharyngeal jaws that grind the coral they consume.

While feeding, parrotfish play a crucial role in maintaining healthy coral reef ecosystems by removing algae that would otherwise smother corals. In the process, they also grind coral skeletons into fine particles — meaning that a significant portion of tropical beach sand actually originates from parrotfish digestion.

Another remarkable behaviour occurs at night: several species produce a protective mucus cocoon around their bodies while sleeping. This cocoon is thought to help mask their scent from predators and reduce parasite attacks.

Parrotfishes are generally listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, but many species depend heavily on coral reef habitats that are declining due to climate change, habitat degradation, and human disturbance. Protecting coral reefs is therefore essential for maintaining healthy populations of these important reef grazers. 🌊

🔗 https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/facts/parrotfish
🔗 https://www.barrierreef.org/news/news/five-fascinating-facts-about-parrotfish

Adres

Ghent

Website

http://www.vsdw.be/

Meldingen

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