Study abroad is more than just a trip overseas. In fact, study abroad experiences often start with a course right here in Columbus well before any students depart from Port Columbus Airport. For example, the Human and Animal Interaction study abroad opportunities begin with a departure class, ANIMSCI 2400.05, a two-credit course that includes lectures and field trips, which often involve a Saturday commitment. This year, those trips encompassed a variety of animal experiences, including tours of Pilot Dogs Inc., Pet Palace, The Wilds, Columbus Zoo & Aquarium, Will-O-Wood Sheep Farm, EOARDC, Shipley's Dairy Farm, London State Fish Hatchery, Franklin County Dog Shelter, Battelle Darby Creek Nature Center, and Edgewood Equestrian Center. Most of the tours include not only sites but interactions and informative discussions with experts at each location. The photo at right shows undergrad Cassy Schumacher, who got to meet Rosy, a black rhinoceros, during the behind-the-scenes tour of the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium. Students learned about inner workings of the zoo and were allowed some close-up encounters with a few of the animals. The class is open to all students, but it is required of students who will be traveling abroad on Human and Animal Interaction study opportunities or on the South Africa--Exotic Animal Behavior and Welfare study opportunity.
As soon as autumn semester final exams are out of the way, the 2013 group heads to New Zealand as part of ANIMSCI 3797.03 (in upcoming years, the destination changes to Ireland or Latin America on a three-year rotation).
If you are interested in following the group as they travel, check out the department Facebook page (click here), where the travelers will be checking in periodically from New Zealand.
For more information about animal sciences study abroad programs, click here.