Predator Conservation Essential Info
Working with lions, cheetahs, leopards and many more amazing animals, Game drives with field guides and getting stuck into big cat conservation! Location Namibia Requirements Working Visa. The Wildlife Foundation, is home to 310 orphaned animals and offers visitors a unique chance to get close enough to touch, brush or even walk cheetah, leopards and lions.
No other gap year wildlife conservation in Africa programme comes close to giving you this much access to some of the worlds top predators in their natural environment. The wildlife conservation program has been running for 3 decades and is now one of the world's leading institutions for big cat conservation, this is your unique opportunity to become involved and have a life changing experience. The programme is located in Namibia, one of African most breath taking countries. A stunning mix of dunes, seascapes, rugged mountains, lonely deserts, stunning wildlife, colonial cities and bushmen.
 Further Information
At the Big Cat and African Wildlife Conservation in Namibia Induction
It is very important that both working guests and the Big Cat and African Wildlife Conservation in Namibia get the most from their time together. To do this we believe requires clarity and structure so the boundaries of the relationship are clear. In support of this, all working guests are required to undertake a full and comprehensive induction covering all aspects of working on the Big Cat and African Wildlife Conservation in Namibia. On completion of this, you will be allocated a supervisor to whom you will responsible and who will be responsible to you. Each working guest will be issued with a Working Guest Programme Manual, returnable on leaving. This includes details of the responsibilities on sides, the policies and procedures, the organizational structure, a code of conduct and clear guidelines on all aspects of working practice.
You will be part of a group of working guests, so this also will give you time to meet with and get to know each other.
Work
You will already have some idea of the work you will be undertaking individually and this will be further discussed on your arrival. Each day you will meet with your supervisor to be given the tasks of the day. You will be taken, at least in the first instance, to the location and provided with and shown how to operate the necessary equipment and materials. Your daily hours, including break times, will also be discussed.
At the end of each day, the group will meet with your supervisor(s) to discuss daily progress, any problems that have occurred and how best they might be resolved and to forward plan.
All those coming have to be clear that the basic needs of daily life must come first and many of those are entirely routine, functional, hard work and dirty. They are, however, essential to ensuring the welfare of the animals.
Free time is shared amongst fellow volunteers where they come to gather around a blazing log fire , for drinks , dining or just pure relaxation. A short stroll through our wilderness settings , a splash pool to cool off, or just lazing in the sun.
Your time on the volunteer programme should be a life changing and wonderful experience. However, being a working guest on the Big Cat and African Wildlife Conservation in Namibia is a huge commitment and one which needs considerable and honest thought before you apply, to ensure your expectations are met and that you will gain the very best during your time there.
Food
All food is included. Please note that Namibia is predominantly a meat-eating country and is not an easy country to be a vegetarian. We will try to cater for any specific dietary needs, but food may become monotonous if you do not eat meat.
Communications
The Big Cat and African Wildlife Conservation is situated 1 hours drive from the nearest town. It is therefore important that you plan ahead if you wish to have contact outside The Big Cat and African Wildlife Conservation during your stay. You should assume that e-mail contact will not be possible. There is a pay phone or you can have to access to phone and fax, but we do need to charge for this.
Role of the Volunteer
It is always busy. Every day of the year the needs of the animals at the Big Cat and African Wildlife Conservation in Namibia must be attended to before anything else and often there are not enough hours in the day to achieve all the other things we would like to. This is why the skills of working guests can be used so effectively. All working guests can be certain that there will be something to help us with. It is important to note that there may be times that we will give priority to certain skills depending on the need at any one time. There are many and varied opportunities to help, from the very general to the very specialized.
Feeding the animals always comes first and so financial support is simply not always available for extra staff. Again, this is why working guests are so important. You can make the most extraordinary difference to the progress of each of the projects by using your skills in a practical way. To support you to do this you will be given a comprehensive induction and training, clear guidelines as to the policies and procedures and support in your work.
Culture
Even if you have travelled in Africa before, it must be remembered that you will experience aspects of daily life which are very different to being at home. These can cause difficulties, distress and frustrations on both sides if not acknowledged.
We are in a remote location in the bush and therefore you are unable simply to go to the shops, go to a bar, meet with friends, have access to e-mail and computers or other social and practical things you might take for granted at home. It can be difficult to adjust to the remoteness, lack of outside communication and lack of entertainment. We hope that working guests arriving in groups will help and that you will be so exhausted after your day´s work you will want to go to sleep early - but we do suggest that you bring books, personal stereos etc.
It must also be remembered that politically there are many issues and relationships which those who have not been brought up in Southern Africa do not fully understand. It is therefore very important that you remain non-judgmental and uncritical of any political issues about which you may not have full knowledge.
Please remember that there are many creatures which may not be included in those you wish to see. There are snakes, beetles, moths and other assorted "creepy-crawlies", large and small, on the ground and in the air. We do appreciate this can be a very real difficult for people and only you can decide whether it may spoil the enjoyment of your trip or not.
If you are working with the animals, you are required to prepare their food. This will mean cutting and handling fresh meat etc. This may not be for the squeamish!
Accommodation Your accommodation will be in the Working Guest Village Kasjua. Four working guests of the same sex will be asked to share a room we will ensure that same sex sharing takes place. Towels and bed linen will be supplied.
When To Go
Contact us for details and availability.
Price and DatesPrograms start on any Friday.
You should arrive at Windhoek no later than 8:00 a.m. Friday morning, so it is preferable to arrive Thursday night. Departures should be planned no earlier than Thursdays at 2:00 p.m, but it is preferable to depart on any Friday.
Full Price list:
- 2 weeks 1250
- 3 weeks 1889
- 4 weeks 2325
- Additional weeks 499 / week.
Included
- All meals
- Accommodation
- Pre departure information
- Training and assistance from highly educated field rangers and animal trackers
- All your help during the programme times selected, you will be a real member of the team and we could not do this without you
- Assistance with visa application
Exclusive
- Flights
- Accommodation pre and post placement
- Costs for Visas
- Insurance
- Drinks
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