Namibia - Namibian Carnivore Conservation Project

This project provides an opportunity to experience and assist in the entire process of caring for and releasing big cats into a conservation environment. Volunteers gain both hands on care skills and field research skills and techniques.

Conflict between animals and human activity often arises. This ambitious project aims to remove animals from sites of conflict and relocate them to a safe environment. As a volunteer you will be participating in the rehabilitation, research and relocation of some of Africa’s most spectacular carnivores.

As a volunteer you will be an integral part of an ambitious project, which aims to remove animals from sites and sources of conflict with the local area and transfer them to an environment where they can grow once more. The project has already collected and collated new and ground breaking information on the behaviour of animals subsequent to their release, join this on-going project to gain fantastic field skills and research knowledge.

Your Role

As a volunteer you can expect to be involved in a number of tasks, including:

• Carnivore monitoring
• Game counts
• Spoor tracking and counts
• Scat collection
• Night observations
• Identification
• Road kill surveys
• Temperature and weather recordings
• Upkeep and maintenance of study area
• Data collection, analysis and interpretation
• Scat collection
• Raptor monitoring
• Other Research Activities: Such as identification and cataloguing of bird species, road kill surveys, temperature and rainfall profile recordings.

Volunteers will also be expected to assist with the general upkeep of the research base and surroundings, the roads of the reserve and do some cooking.

Typical day

The volunteer experience starts at the Wildlife Sanctuary where you will gain the knowledge and skills necessary for the programme. This is where the first part of the research begins. The project focuses on the collection and dissemination of scientific data on the densities, home ranges and territories of cheetah, leopard and hyena.

The programme also works with local farmers to better understand and help assess their problems and provide assistance with livestock/carnivore management techniques in order to mitigate human-wildlife and livestock-carnivore conflicts. Following this, you will then move to the stunning setting of Namibrand, where you will chart the progress of, and possibility participate in the release of leopard and cheetah.

Here the aim is to establish whether the capture of animals in conflict with local communities and farmers, translocation and subsequent release of these animals is a sustainable and viable long term solution. The project also aims to identify whether this approach can be applied to "problem animals".

Accommodation

Wildlife Sanctuary: Comfortable shared accommodation. Same sex rooms usually with three to a room. Three meals a day are provided.

Namibrand: A farmhouse situated in the heart of the Namibrand. It is clean, comfortable, shared accommodation with basic facilities which running water and electricity. Occasionally the project work takes you away from the base camp, where volunteers may camp out with the project coordinator. Food ingredients are provided, staff and volunteer prepare and cook their meals. A sleeping bag is required for this part of the programme.

Requirements

• Volunteers must be 18 years of age
• Have a reasonable level of fitness
• English being the first or second language
• Comprehensive travel insurance
• Have compassion, understanding and patience
  
  

Additional Information

Arrivals and Travel Information: Volunteers must fly to Windhoek International Airport in Namibia, where they will be met by on the team. At the end of the stay, volunteers will be dropped off at the same airport.

A maximum of five volunteers may participate on the Namibrand project at any one time. This allows for the maximisation of each volunteer's involvement with the project activities and minimises the impact of the volunteers on the environment of the reserve. Please book early to ensure you get a place.


Included

• Transfers to and from the airport
• Transfers to and from Namibrand
• Full orientation, training and support
• Accommodation and meals as indicated above

Excluded

• Return flights to Windhoek Airport
• Travel insurance to include cover for repatriation
• Visas
• Personal items
• Use of internet and telephone
• Soft drinks, wines and spirits
• Additional local activities
  
  
  

Transfer Schedule

Sanctuary to Namibrand	Namibrand to Sanctuary
30 August 2011	9 September 2011
13 September 2011	23 September 2011
27 September 2011	7 October 2011
11 October 2011	21 October 2011
25 October 2011	4 November 2011
1 March 2012	11 March 2012
15 March 2012	25 March 2012
29 March 2012	08 March 2012
12 April 2012	22 April 2012
26 April 2012	6 May 2012
10 May 2012	20 May 2012
24 May 2012	3 June 2012
7 June 2012	17 June 2012
21 June 2012	1 July 2012
5 July 2012	15 July 2012
19 July 2012	29 July 2012
2 August 2012 12	12 August 2012
16 August 2012	26 August 2012
30 August 2012	9 September 2012
13 September 2012	23 September 2012
27 September 2012	7 October 2012
11 October 2012	21 October 2012
25 October 20	4 November 2012