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Monitoring endangered species as part of your gap year, university holidays or career break will be an unbelievable experience! Come and join this friendly team on reserves in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa and work alongside them as they track Wild Dogs and Black Rhino. You’ll help locate the animals using radio telemetry each day and assist with the ongoing reaserach into these endangered species.
The main focus of the conservation work will be Wild Dog, Black Rhino, Cheetah and Vultures. You will also monitor Elephant, Lion, Leopard, Hyena, White Rhino and Buffalo. There is also an amazing diversity of other wildlife on the reserves including a rich bird life, giraffe, gemsbok, zebra, blesbok as well as many other species of antelope.
You will join a small volunteer group of no more than four volunteers per reserve. This way you will be heavily involved in all project activities and hands on conservation work. Volunteers staying for 4 weeks or more will have the opportunity to stay at more than one reserve, giving you a chance to experience diverse aspects of wildlife conservation.
As part of your time on the project you will assist the rangers to develop photo and illustrated identikits of all the monitored species. Most work will be carried out during the day but there are night drives to monitor nocturnal animals like the hyaena.
For researchers and university students, there is the potential to collect data for dissertations and research papers. The monitoring offers a bounty of opportunities for data collection from recording species location and surrounding habitat through to dung collection and DNA analyses. We would also establish a data sharing environment whereby students and researchers would have access to previous information collected, so as to enhance their data set and projects.
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All training will be via practical tuition in the field. The skills you will gain are:
The proper use of telemetry tracking equipment and hand-held GPS devices
How to produce animal identification kits
The way to set up and use camera traps to monitor endangered species
Tuition on tracking animals using traditional methods like the identification and following of animal spoor
How to collect animal behaviour data and how this data is used to inform and enhance management objectives on these reserves
A firm understanding of conservation issues facing endangered species across Africa
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Volunteers will share a twin room with bed, mattress and bedding provided. There are separate shared toilets and a living/eating area. The camp has electricity, running warm water and there is an outside space where you can sit by the fire under the stars. Volunteers are responsible for keeping the camp clean and will share the cooking duties in a well-equipped communal kitchen.
The camp accommodation is unfenced, so you can expect visits from antelope, warthog, monkeys and baboons during the day and the occasional hyaena or bush baby at night!
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January – 4th and 18th
February – 1st and 15th
March – 1st, 15th and 29th
April – 12th and 26th
May – 10th and 24th
June – 7th and 21st
July – 5th and 19th
August – 9th and 23rd
September – 6th and 20th
**Four, Six and Eight week programme also available**
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| Project Fees |
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| Combination of Projects |
Yes you'll be able to combine this with many other Shumba conservation projects
Please see Combo Page for exciting ideas! |
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| What's Included |
1) Accommodation, Meals & Airport Transfers
2) Pre-departure Information and Support
3) Assistance with Flights & Travel Insurance
4) Project Booklet
5) Onsite Training and Guidance
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| Accommodation |
House - Shared room |
| Food |
3 meals a day included |
| Transfer to/from airport |
Yes, in host country |
| Not Included |
Flights & travel insurance |
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