Daniel Wood ~ June 2017
I spent just 2 weeks with Wildlife ACT at Tembe Elephant Park and loved every minute of it! We saw an amazing variety of wildlife, including the tusker elephants, the resident wild dog pack and lots of lions.
As a frequent traveller and former volunteer coordinator for another organisation, I was really impressed with Wildlife ACT. One of the things that initially drew me to Wildlife ACT was how informative and up front they were on their website – rare indeed. Lots of information offered and they really care about the cause. It’s genuinely rare to find an organisation which ticks all these boxes, and still have a lot of fun while you’re out there! Accommodation and facilities were also way better than expected.
It was great to be able to contribute to the research and conservation effort too, rather than just being a tourist (this isn’t an ecotourism vanity project). Volunteers help in all sorts of ways – providing vital funding through the donation, helping create ID kits, locating collared animals using radio telemetry, setting up camera traps and much more. If you’re really lucky as I was, you might get to participate in call-ups or relocations of key species, which is a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
They have a fantastic research team as well as great working relationships with other park and support staff. There’s also excellent support before you get there from Bronwen et al. who will answer any question you have, but honestly almost everything is provided up front in the volunteer information.
Every day is a new experience. You never quite know what you’ll do or what you’ll see, and Tembe is a stunning backdrop to your day. My stay was all too brief but amazing nonetheless… I have already recommended Wildlife ACT to friends and I’d love to go back one day!
