Namibia - Wildlife Sanctuary
This project provides volunteers with the unique opportunity to gain hands on experience caring for injured and orphaned African Wildlife. The sanctuary is a safe haven for a number of species including lions, leopard, cheetah, wild dog and baboons.
Long term rehabilitation is the primary aim for the project; however some animals will never be able to return to the wild due to human activity. As a volunteer you will be taking part in all aspects of the care and feeding of the animals, help to maintain and develop the sanctuary and becoming surrogate parents to our orphaned baby baboons.
The sanctuary is situated in a 1500 hectare reserve within striking distance of Windhoek. The reserve boasts all kinds of wildlife, freely roaming the land including leopard, cheetah, kudu, oryx, hartebeest, springbok, warthog, ostrich, caracal, jackal, baboon, African wild cat, mongoose, meerkat and various bird species.
Namibia is well known for its stunning landscapes and the reserve is no exception.
Your Role
Volunteers also get the opportunity to work alongside our carnivore experts and Bushman trackers in our conservation research programme. This may include getting involved with the monitoring activities of a number of leopard and cheetah within the local area.
At least one morning volunteers can assist with the teaching in the San Bushman School on the farm. The school provide education for underprivileged local children. There are approximately 30 pupils ranging in age from 1 - 15 years old.
Volunteer Work
Animal Care: All the animals need daily care, tasks include-
- Daily feeding and clearing out enclosures
- Spending time with young animals. Participating in daily walks and play time. A large part of this will be caring for the orphaned baboons. Volunteers will be responsible on a rota basis for bottle feeding and sleeping overnight with the babies who are currently too small to live in the camp with the young baboons. Walks with the baboons take place several times each week.
- Feeding large carnivores.
Reserve Work: activities may include -
- Enclosure and border patrols
- Fence removal
- Building and maintenance
- Invasive species removal
- Teaching at the bush school
Conservation and Research Work: activities may include -
- Locating and monitoring carnivores using telemetry and GPS
- Identification
- Counting and tracking via spoor
- Game counts
- Setting and checking box traps
- Vegetation survey
- Data entry
- Wildlife census
Volunteers are split into groups and tasks are done on a rotational basis.
Please note that this information is set as a guide and the nature of a wildlife sanctuary means tasks and activities can change daily.
Typical day
Early start around 7am, plan activities with the coordinator before commencing tasks. There will be a tea break mid-morning and lunch is usually around 1pm. Duties resume again at 2.30. Dinner and chill out time in the afternoon.
Volunteer’s working week consists of 5 and half working days. Free time Saturday afternoons and Sundays, although the animals still need to be fed. Time can be spent walking, relaxing, reading, swimming or team challenges!!
Accommodation
Accommodation is basic, clean and single-sex sharing with 3 beds in each room. Bedding is provided but please bring a sleeping bag for any camp outs. Facilities are basic but include cold and hot running water for showers etc. and electricity. The plugs used in Namibia are 3 large round pins. Please be sensible when using electricity and be prepared for frequent power cuts! A laundry service is provided twice a week.
Food is basic but tasty. Breakfast is self-service and includes toast & cereals. Lunch is typically cold and varies between sandwiches, soup or filled pancakes and fruit when available. Dinner is typically a hot meal or sometimes a braai (barbeque).
