South Africa Wildlife Conservation Experience

Conservation efforts are mainly focussed on the lion population at the game reserve, although this a great conservation project if you like to see the other big stuff too. The big 5 are all present, lions, leopards, buffalo, rhino (including white rhino) and elephant. There is also a huge biodiversity of mammals (51 species) and birds at the reserve.

Photos

Full Details

Learn hands on conservation with the experts

Working with a team of experts you will be a hands on volunteer. Going out on game drives, counting game, surveys, fence patrols… everything you can think of when it comes to a conservation project (see itinerary for more details). The game reserve runs a 12 year old conservation project that has won awards from the National parks bodies and this is a unique opportunity to get involved learning with some of the most qualified game rangers in South Africa!

Amazing Bushveld setting

The game reserve is set in an award winning game reserve, a unique conservation area set on 8000 hectares of land. The animals are all able to roam freely, and many species, that were once indigenous to the region but have long since died out (through hunting and habitat removal) have steadily been reintroduced as a direct result of previous volunteers efforts. The natural setting of the game reserve will not disappoint.

Full back up on placement

As one of the conservation volunteers you will have a full induction about the reserve, ecosystems and your responsibilities on the project. The volunteers have their own co-ordinator and Land Rover to assist in the different projects. These might involve animal tracking, capture, medical support or eco surveys.

A typical day…

Volunteers are busy from Monday to Friday, the average working day being 8 hours.
Weekends are free for volunteers to either relax at their house or to go sightseeing.
Exciting and interesting things frequently happen on a game reserve and these events will be included in the programme where possible.
Volunteers are allocated a qualified game ranger as facilitator and Land Rover game viewer for their sole use for the duration of the programme. The programme is therefore flexible but an average day might include the following:

• Breakfast at 7:00am
• Leave volunteer house for duties on the reserve 7.30 am
• Tracking of lions with telemetry and monitor activities.
• Move through to the game reserve identifying antelope and then to area allocated for vegetation survey.
• Lunch on the reserve around 1.00 til 2.00pm
• Canoe on the river until 3.00pm to survey bird behaviour
• 4.00pm fence patrol on way back to volunteer house

Itinerary

There is no set itinerary for this project, but you will be involved in lots of conservation activities such as the following long term and short term projects:

Accommodation

Volunteers are housed in a shared comfortable volunteer house. Your house has all the facilities you could need and has a daily maid service. It is conveniently located next to the pub  for when you want to have a pint of Castle lager and share stories of African adventure at the end of the day. Most of the rooms are single rooms however please be prepared to share if necessary. Three rooms share one bathroom, complete with a shower. A communal dining and living room with digital satellite TV is situated centrally within the house, which leads off to a kitchen.

Also, the sun room provides additional seating on luxury couches, where internet, email and CD players are available. The house has an outside braai (BBQ) area which has seen many a night fire surrounded by festive volunteers.

See the Accommodation

Food

Food is provided and plentiful, although the volunteers cook themselves, you will find plenty of time for Braais (BBQs) and hearty South African food. Special dietary requirements can be met on request also.

Frequently Asked Questions

Price

Dates

There are no set start dates for this trip please contact us with a month you wish to travel.