Animal Sciences - Wageningen University

09/12/2025

"𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 — 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲!"

In period 4 we again provide the free choice course 𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑀𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝐴𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 (ELS33801, 1 ects). It is also known as the ‘ Motivational Compass Course'. It is a course worthwhile following if you have troubles making study/career choices.

Education catalogus: https://wur.osiris-student.nl/onderwijscatalogus/extern/cursus

You will work through 3 booklets, writing about personal motivated actions, interviewing others and making a sound analysis of what motivates you. This will lead to the Motivational Compass and with that you compass you will look ahead, what that would mean for study and work related choices. You will find out what is your core driver, and what environments, skills and subjects fit you as a person. This personal assessment will most likely make it easier to make sound study choices. You can follow this course as a bachelor and as a master student. We now also turned this course into a MOS module, so if you are a master student you could also choose to follow it as a MOS module in period 1 or 2 each academic year. This course is called Identifying Your Motivation (ELS68300, 1.5 ects).

In period 4 the course is on Thursday afternoon from 𝟭𝟰.𝟬𝟬-𝟭𝟳.𝟭𝟬 week 1-4. Registration for this period closes the 𝟭𝟭𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆.

Maybe see you in class!

Kind regards

20/11/2025

18/11/2025

Jambo (hello)! I’m Corné, raised on a dairy farm in Groningen, which explains my passion for dairy cows. I’ve nearly completed my internship at DeHeus in Kenya, marking the end of my master’s in Animal Nutrition and my time in Wageningen. After rewarding internships in the Netherlands I wanted something more special and chose to step out of my comfort zone. A placement in South Africa wasn’t available, but DeHeus Kenya needed help during construction of a new feed plant, so I accepted the opportunity.

My internship aimed to gather data on the quality of fodder available to Kenyan dairy farmers and to compare methods for assessing that quality. I brought a handheld NIR (near-infrared) device from the Netherlands to estimate forage quality in the field and compared those results with a lab-based NIR system to evaluate the handheld’s accuracy. I analyzed forage, concentrates and raw materials and advised farmers on improvements.

My journey started in Eldoret and continued through Nakuru, Meru and Nanyuki, ending in Nairobi. Over about five months I visited nearly 100 farms, conducted feed analyses and participated in “seminar weeks” when my supervisor from the Netherlands presented to farmers, an excellent chance to share practical recommendations. I also visited an impressive dairy farm in Iringa, Tanzania.

Overall, I found that fodder quality in Kenya is generally lower than in the Netherlands and that farmers are often disadvantaged by inconsistent quality of concentrates and raw materials. Outside of work I experienced unforgettable safaris and, on a spontaneous challenge with a good friend, climbed Mount Kenya, an achievement that inspired me to aim for Kilimanjaro next.

Kwaheri (goodbye)! If you’d like a similar experience, DeHeus Kenya is recruiting interns for 2026!

30/10/2025

Next up: Wellbeing week from at the WUR!

27/10/2025

Nestled in the rugged embrace of South Africa’s Eastern Cape, the Baviaanskloof is a landscape of breathtaking contrasts. This magnificent area is a sanctuary of biodiversity and is home to an array of wildlife, including the elusive leopard that silently navigates its terrain. Rich in both ecological and cultural heritage, the Baviaanskloof embodies the delicate balance between conservation and human presence, making it an ideal setting for understanding how apex predators adapt to shifting environmental pressures.

Monitoring leopards is a challenge due to the rugged terrain and their vast territories. Traditional methods of monitoring fall short and can often be time consuming and expensive. This is where the use of AI comes into play. Under a larger project for the Baviaanskloof, I used camera trap data that was collected between 2020 to 2023 to analyse the presence of leopards in this region. My research focused on harnessing AI to enhance leopard identification—using advanced image recognition and data analysis to build a clearer picture of their population distribution. Beyond identification, the study explored whether leopard abundance and activity patterns varied between regions of high and low human pressure. By analyzing this data, we uncovered insights into how these majestic predators navigate landscapes shaped by human presence, providing valuable knowledge for conservation strategies. This thesis project played a role in the conservation project known as Eden to Addo. The aim of this project is to connect 3 main reserves in South Africa to preserve biodiversity with natural corridors.

All in all, my thesis amounted to an experience that was worth much more than a simple grade in Osiris. I learnt some lessons that I will carry with me my whole life and I am very grateful for the people I met there.

17/10/2025

Looking for an exchange location. Read the story of Bijs:

I have been on an exchange to Norway where I took courses for my minor and I would like to tell you a little bit more about this experience!

Last year I decided I wanted to take the chance to go on an exchange and Norway was the first choice on my list. I chose Norway mainly because of the beautiful nature there and I liked the idea of being only a 2 hour flight away. Another big advantage that I noticed when I arrived in Norway, is how well everybody speaks English. And if they sometimes cannot think of the English word, I asked them to say it in Norwegian and often I understood it because of the similarities between Dutch and German. Something I really needed to get used to, is that a lot of Norwegians can be a little reserved. However, all Norwegians I met were always really polite and ready to help if you ask them something!

I studied at NMBU in Ås, a little bit south of Oslo. I took three courses there: ‘The Biology of Animal Stress and Its Implications for Animal Welfare’, ‘Experimental Animal Nutrition and Physiology’ and ‘Ecology and Management of Natural Resources in the Tropics’. I really enjoyed the first two and I now know that I don’t want to work with tropical ecology in my future career. The first course was very interesting because it went quite deep into the neurobiology in stress situations and the second course was mostly interesting because of its practica where we visited the experimental farm of the university multiple times, as well as the rodent department at the veterinary school. At that school we also got to dissect a pig, which I thought was really fascinating!

Because of the events ESN Ås organised in the first week of the semester I got to learn a lot of new people very quickly, which was really nice! During the first weeks of the exchange, ESN also organized a trip to Lapland in northern Finland, which was absolutely amazing and there I made memories I will never forget!

All in all, although I was very happy to be back after four months, I really had a fantastic time in Norway! I really can recommend going there on exchange or on a nice long vacation!

26/09/2025

https://diergaardeblijdorp.nl/nl/aanmelden-young-academy-day

26/09/2025

Blijdorp Zoo is excited to announce that this fall marks the third edition of their Research Symposium, held during the Blijdorp Science Weeks and as always, participation is free of charge.

On Wednesday, October 8th 2025, Blijdorp Zoo will once again open its doors to share the fascinating diversity of research projects they are involved in. Expect an inspiring day filled with scientific talks, interactive sessions, networking opportunities, and plenty of time to enjoy the park in its beautiful autumn colors.

The symposium runs from 09:00 to 17:00. While you can only register for the full day, you’re free to choose which sessions you attend. Registration is now open, you can sign up below before Wednesday September 24th 2025.

They'll provide coffee, tea, snacks, and drinks throughout the day. Please note that, unlike previous years, lunch is not included. You’re welcome to bring your own lunch or grab a bite at one of the zoo cafés.

For any questions, reach out to [email protected].
They look forward to welcoming you in October!

https://diergaardeblijdorp.nl/nl/research-symposium-2025

17/09/2025

You are very welcome at the MAS thesis market on 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟖 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓, from 19.00h and bring your WURcard, so you can access the building. Hope to see you there!

Programme director Sylvia Brugman will kick off with a general presentation of the master’s Animal Sciences itself; what to expect and how to plan your programme. Specifically aimed for BAS student. MAS students are invited afterwards to the market and other presentations.

After that, the chair groups of the Animal Sciences Group will have a stand on the market. Some chair groups even have a presentation in stall for you. You pick where you want to be.

Two chair groups of interest that present at the same time? Don’t worry and go to the market for a 1-on-1 conversation with the chair groups. Grab a drink, have a chat and you will be sure to choose the right MAS thesis track for your master’s.

The sessions will not be recorded and presentations, only when consented by the chair group, will be uploaded on the MAS Brightspace after all sessions took place.

The chairgroup, Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (WEC) won't be present during our MAS thesis market, as they organize their own Thesis Fair on Wednesday October 1st 12:00 – 14:00 in room Lumen 1 and Lumen 2 in Lumen.

12/09/2025

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐔𝐑 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐚𝐲!

15th of October, at Forum and Orion.
Starting from 12:00u onwards and already 85 companies are attending.
So sign up using the link from the story or check out .

www.eu/careerday

01/07/2025

With summer break fast approaching, Student Career Services is offering a variety of engaging career events to support students who will be spending the summer in Wageningen!

Check the schedule for more detailed information