Big 5 Wildlife Conservation Volunteering
Location: Limpopo Province
Start dates: 1st of every month
Duration: 1 / 2 months
Availability: Spaces available
Cost: From £1395 / $2200 - see pricing table below
How will I make a difference?
By volunteering with us, you will be contributing to the knowledge base within wildlife conservation research. Your hard work enables the project to study important conservation questions. The results of this research have the potential to be extremely influential for private reserves in Africa, for example by better understanding lion prey selection and the effects of elephant populations on the surrounding habitat. Answering these questions is vital for effective conservation management of the reserve, and thanks to the help of volunteers, they are now able to look at these issues in detail.
Private game reserves now collectively represent more land under conservation than national parks. These reserves often don’t benefit from national government funding and are reliant on self-funded conservation research projects such as this one to create essential data from which to develop best practice policies for the management of private reserves.
Volunteers are also involved in other essential hands on activities that are critical to conserving the environment on the reserve. A percentage of your fee goes directly to the reserve conservation fund from which the ongoing research project is financed.
Big 5 wildlife conservation volunteering in South Africa: What will I be doing?
You will generally volunteer 6 days per week between 6am and 6pm (depending on the season these times may vary); however volunteers must also be available to work over the weekend depending on the research requirements, data collection times and work load or nature of activities.
Morning activities are usually spent monitoring and collecting data for bird point counts. These activities are followed by lunch. Afternoon activities include developing rhino identikits, carrying out bird identifications, herbivore transect drives, clearing alien plant species and dung counts of plains game. You will experience photographic opportunities that the average tourist on safari can only dream of!
The exact research that you will be assisting with depends on the needs of the reserve at the time.
Volunteers all complete Bush Craft training which is an ongoing learning experience which begins during your first few days and continues throughout your placement. This prepares volunteers to safely work in a big game environment and give a foundation of knowledge on animal identification, tracking, and behaviour. Volunteers go on educational walks to get them used to being on foot in the bush.
There are usually 4-10 volunteers at the project at any one time with a maximum of 10.
More about the project
The reserve was formed by a group of landowners who took down their fences in the late 1980s in an attempt to re-wild their lands. The mixture of land that resulted and the constraints of a closed eco-system have raised certain management questions.
The reserve has played a significant role in rehabilitating the area which was previously intensively used as farm and agricultural land. The area has also been used to reintroduce species such as wild dog, spotted hyena and lion. These predator species have a marked impact on herbivore populations and the need for continued restocking of plains game.
Location and free timeYou’ll be living on a 36,000 hectare, privately owned big game reserve which is located in the Limpopo Province, approximately 250km from Johannesburg. The reserve is characterised by contrasting majestic mountain landscapes, grass covered hills, grassy plains, bushveld shrubs and deep valleys.
The reserve is home to over 50 different mammal species including the Big 5 (lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard) as well as cheetah, migrating wild dogs and an amazing variety of bird life. It also boasts one of the largest populations of white rhino on a private reserve in Africa.
During your stay, free time and travel opportunities are limited as the reserve is remote and travelling distances are great. The reserve is in a rural area surrounded by farm lands, a national park and other game reserves. Volunteers generally travel at the end of their stay and South Africa boasts many exciting tourist and adventure activities.
Volunteer accommodationThe project accommodation is in a fenced area within the reserve. Volunteers will be staying in a comfortable fixed tent in the research camp which has permanent kitchen, dining and ablution facilities and electricity. Volunteers are required to share the accommodation tents, please note that same sex sharing cannot be guaranteed.
What’s included and where your money goes?
Prices
1 month £1395
2 months £2195
Start dates: 1st of every month
Duration: 1 / 2 months
Availability: Spaces available
Cost: From £1395 / $2200 - see pricing table below
How will I make a difference?
By volunteering with us, you will be contributing to the knowledge base within wildlife conservation research. Your hard work enables the project to study important conservation questions. The results of this research have the potential to be extremely influential for private reserves in Africa, for example by better understanding lion prey selection and the effects of elephant populations on the surrounding habitat. Answering these questions is vital for effective conservation management of the reserve, and thanks to the help of volunteers, they are now able to look at these issues in detail.
Private game reserves now collectively represent more land under conservation than national parks. These reserves often don’t benefit from national government funding and are reliant on self-funded conservation research projects such as this one to create essential data from which to develop best practice policies for the management of private reserves.
Volunteers are also involved in other essential hands on activities that are critical to conserving the environment on the reserve. A percentage of your fee goes directly to the reserve conservation fund from which the ongoing research project is financed.
Big 5 wildlife conservation volunteering in South Africa: What will I be doing?
You will generally volunteer 6 days per week between 6am and 6pm (depending on the season these times may vary); however volunteers must also be available to work over the weekend depending on the research requirements, data collection times and work load or nature of activities.
Morning activities are usually spent monitoring and collecting data for bird point counts. These activities are followed by lunch. Afternoon activities include developing rhino identikits, carrying out bird identifications, herbivore transect drives, clearing alien plant species and dung counts of plains game. You will experience photographic opportunities that the average tourist on safari can only dream of!
The exact research that you will be assisting with depends on the needs of the reserve at the time.
Volunteers all complete Bush Craft training which is an ongoing learning experience which begins during your first few days and continues throughout your placement. This prepares volunteers to safely work in a big game environment and give a foundation of knowledge on animal identification, tracking, and behaviour. Volunteers go on educational walks to get them used to being on foot in the bush.
There are usually 4-10 volunteers at the project at any one time with a maximum of 10.
More about the project
The reserve was formed by a group of landowners who took down their fences in the late 1980s in an attempt to re-wild their lands. The mixture of land that resulted and the constraints of a closed eco-system have raised certain management questions.
The reserve has played a significant role in rehabilitating the area which was previously intensively used as farm and agricultural land. The area has also been used to reintroduce species such as wild dog, spotted hyena and lion. These predator species have a marked impact on herbivore populations and the need for continued restocking of plains game.
Location and free timeYou’ll be living on a 36,000 hectare, privately owned big game reserve which is located in the Limpopo Province, approximately 250km from Johannesburg. The reserve is characterised by contrasting majestic mountain landscapes, grass covered hills, grassy plains, bushveld shrubs and deep valleys.
The reserve is home to over 50 different mammal species including the Big 5 (lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard) as well as cheetah, migrating wild dogs and an amazing variety of bird life. It also boasts one of the largest populations of white rhino on a private reserve in Africa.
During your stay, free time and travel opportunities are limited as the reserve is remote and travelling distances are great. The reserve is in a rural area surrounded by farm lands, a national park and other game reserves. Volunteers generally travel at the end of their stay and South Africa boasts many exciting tourist and adventure activities.
Volunteer accommodationThe project accommodation is in a fenced area within the reserve. Volunteers will be staying in a comfortable fixed tent in the research camp which has permanent kitchen, dining and ablution facilities and electricity. Volunteers are required to share the accommodation tents, please note that same sex sharing cannot be guaranteed.
What’s included and where your money goes?
- A comprehensive information booklet
- Support from your dedicated volunteer manager within the PoD UK team
- Travel advice and assistance
- Return transfers from O.R. Tambo airport (Johannesburg)
- Induction
- Bush craft training
- Accommodation (a shared permanent tent)
- All main meals
- Shirt to work in
- Daily travel onsite within the reserve
- Training manuals, text books, field identification guides and research equipment to use whilst on placement
- Support from the volunteer coordinator (who is a qualified field guide)
Prices
1 month £1395
2 months £2195