Volunteering with Animals in the Wild

Conservation volunteering with animals in the wild allows you to work directly with ethical, environmental projects across Zululand, South Africa. You will be able to volunteer with wildlife conservationists in game reserves with priority and endangered species. Make a difference by actively participating in the conservation of African wildlife within a fun, safe, stable and beautiful environment. It may well be the experience of a lifetime as well as one that changes your life.

Highlights

• Work to help monitor and protect wildlife species such as Painted Dogs, Cheetah, Lion, Rhino, Elephant, Leopard and Vultures
• Track and monitor free roaming wildlife
• A chance to be involved with the translocation of wildlife species
• Become empowered and motivated to protect nature by participating in our projects
• Gain a conservation mindset and make friends with like-minded volunteers!

Skills you will Acquire and Develop:

• The proper use of telemetry tracking equipment
• The use of hand-held GPS devices
• How to collect and analyse data
• How to identify wildlife species
• How to set up and use camera traps to monitor certain species
• How to track animals using traditional methods
• An understanding of conservation and issues around human-wildlife conflict.

Conservation Tasks Can Include:

• Performing game counts
• Setting up camera traps for research purposes
• Relocating / translocating wildlife
• Contributing to habitat conservation
• Learning useful bush skills such as tracking and animal identification
• Ultimately learning to become a wildlife conservationist

Important Note: The daily tasks and challenges depend on the time of year and the work that needs to be done at the time. Depending on how long you join the team for, you may also be part of wildlife darting or trapping, the radio collaring of various animal species, the relocation and re-introduction of game, and identity tagging of animals. Please note that these activities occur strictly when the need arises and cannot be guaranteed.

Wildlife Volunteer Projects in South Africa

Wildlife ACT provides an opportunity for sustainable travelers interested in volunteering with animals in the wild. Our conservation projects are Fair Trade Tourism certified and have won Responsible Tourism awards in the categories “Best for Wildlife” and “Best for Habitat & Species Conservation”.

Conservation volunteering with us is not a Safari, but does offer a true African wildlife experience while making a difference to wild animals and environment. Our Wildlife Volunteering Program in South Africa is an exciting opportunity for all wildlife enthusiasts looking to volunteer with animals in the wild, where they belong.

Our wildlife conservation volunteers are placed on a protected wildlife reserve in Zululand, South Africa. We currently work across 5 wildlife reserves across the province. These include the famous Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve, Tembe National Elephant Park, Manyoni Private Game Reserve and uMkhuze Game Reserve.

Our conservation programmes ensure that volunteering with animals in the wild is done ethically with minimal interference. We are NOT a wildlife sanctuary and are firmly against hugely damaging projects that offer things such as cub petting or lion walks.

When deciding to work to volunteer with wildlife in South Africa, there are essential questions that you need to ask to guide your decision. This is an opportunity to ethically experience African wildlife and make efforts to assist with their conservation, in an ethical and certified manner.

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