GoEco > Africa > South Africa > Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
This program is now open for international volunteers !
Gain vast experience in animal care as you volunteer at a world renowned wildlife rehabilitation center in South Africa!
Program Highlights:
Your Schedule at a Glance (Minimum two-week commitment):
Arrival Day, Monday: Arrive at Eastgate Airport (HDS), Hoedspruit. You will be picked up at the airport and taken to your accommodation at the wildlife rehabilitation center. Your accommodation is on the center grounds, so take some time to explore and get settled in before you begin your volunteer work the following day.
Days 1-5, Tuesday-Saturday: Volunteers feed the animals, create enrichment activities, perform health checks and clean and maintain the property in the mornings. Big projects, such as cleaning out predator camps, are completed in the afternoon, before attention is given once again to the animals that you have been allocated to care for that day. The day ends with the cleaning of the clinic, in preparation for any nighttime emergencies.
Day 6, Sunday: Sundays are free for volunteers to relax after some basic chores.
Group excursions are sometimes organized to surrounding areas; however, they are strongly dependent on the present needs of the center.
Remaining Weeks: Remaining weeks will follow the schedule of volunteering Monday-Saturday and having Sundays mostly free. Departures are on Monday.
What’s Included
What’s not Included
Flights, visas (if required), travel health insurance, personal expenses
Limpopo Province, 33 kilometers from Hoedspruit and nearby to Kruger National Park
This center is a non-profit organization, open to the public and relying entirely on public support. Project Volunteers will be involved in many aspects of conservation and animal care under professional supervision. Wildlife is brought to the center from all corners of South Africa, and once healthy enough, are reintroduced into their natural habitats. Those animals that cannot be returned to the wild due to the nature or extent of their injuries are cared for at the center and become ambassador animals, used to educate the many people who visit us each year, both from across South Africa and abroad. Another important function of the center is breeding. The center has successfully bred and released into the wild the endangered crowned eagle, serval and many others.
Volunteers will be involved in many aspects of conservation and animal care. They will also work and live with volunteers and professional staff from around the world. If a volunteer wants to increase his or her chance to see baby animals, we recommend they come from November-March, which is our baby season.
Some of your tasks may include:
Please note that, due to the nature of rehabilitation work, nothing is predictable or guaranteed, including which types of animals are at the center at any given time.
Please take note of this project’s minimum requirements:
Quiet time is on Sundays, and although volunteers still tend to the feeding of all the animals, there is ample relaxation time. If volunteers want to get active, educational trips can be organized to nearby attractions, including the stunning Kruger National Park for an extra fee.
Add on our eight-day Garden Route Road Trip to enhance your South Africa experience!
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