Big 5 Animal Reserve Volunteer, South Africa

Overview

This Big 5 animal conservation project is a platform to spread awareness about animal conservation. Not a day will go by without volunteers being in close contact with the animals, so participants need to be willing to get their hands dirty and work as part of a team.

The Big 5 Animal Game Reserve is home to an assortment of animals and bird life who roam free in a lush expanse of space. It is a stunning and idyllic reserve that holds all five of the big 5 animals (lions, leopards, elephants, buffalos and rhinos), as well as ostriches, giraffes, crocodiles, snakes and many more.

It feels a little incongruous to think about the callousness involved in animal hunting amid such a tranquil and luxurious setting. But the truth is that animals are suffering in South Africa, and need to be protected – which is why this Big 5 Animal Reserve exists.

You will be working in a private Big 5 game reserve project that sets out to awaken volunteers to the variety of wildlife that exists in South Africa. This wildlife project allows volunteers to experience these animals, not just as images on TV but in real life.

• You will be in the safe hands of a professional and very experienced Farm & Wildlife Team.
• Your days will be spent going out on game drives, taking care of the land and the animals on it. 
• Volunteers completing at least 4 weeks at this Big 5 game reserve project will obtain an FGASA (Field Guide Association) qualification.

It is a perfect programme for Gap Year travellers looking for a complete volunteering package.

What's included?

• Pre-departure briefing in London
• Pre-departure information and advice
• In-country induction or training
• 24-hour emergency contacts
• In-country assistance and support
• Donation to the Big 5 project
• Sightseeing activities (these are arranged for you, but not always paid for).
• Transportation: airport pick-up, airport drop-off, as well as Big 5 project related transport.
• Accommodation: Luxury tented accommodation close to the Big 5 project with access to a volunteer house
• Food: all meals included and provided by staff
• Phone Sim Card
• T-Shirt
• Survival Course (Camping)

What's NOT included?

• Flights
• Insurance
• Visas
• Monthly stipend

Location

The Big 5 animal game reserve is located in the Garden Route of South Africa – an area famous for its pristine beauty, lush plant life and stunning coastlines. You will be based just outside of a town called Albertinia, one hour from George, and near Mossel Bay - a very popular holiday destination.

You will be working in an area set against the backdrop of the majestic Langeberg Mountains.

 

One of the many beauties of this Big 5 project is that it is run in conjunction with a stunning Game Lodge – complete with restaurant and bar for guests. Like the visitors at the lodge, volunteers at this animal wildlife project will spend their days absorbing information so as to develop a commanding understanding of the natural world.

Project life and Photos

The Big 5 animal reserve programme was started with a vision to create more environmental awareness. When you arrive at the Big 5 Game Reserve you'll be given a thorough introduction and orientation to the project, which will give you a detailed insight into the particulars of the Game Industry and South Africa's fascinating wildlife.

Many animals live at the reserve, and the wildlife team ensure that they are given the freedom to roam and enjoy the vast landscape and interact with other wildlife. This Big 5 project inspires volunteers to action and effectively allows them to witness the interconnectedness of all living things.

The video below (taken in August 2010) shows a volunteer helping a game ranger feed de-worming tablets (hidden in pieces of meat) to the cheetahs. On this occasion, they were attempting to distract some of the cheetahs in order to ensure that one particular cheetah received their dose...

 

Your work at the Big 5 Game Reserve can include:

Observing Big 5 animal behaviour. Being educated on how to approach wild animals on foot.  Game captures and translocation. Game counts & keeping species records. Wildlife nutrition and feeding. Basic farm maintenance (fences, roads, construction etc.) Reptile park maintenance and a Snake Handling Course Working on the Cheetah research & breeding project. Animal care – de-worming the cheetahs (inserting de-worming tablets into raw meat). Rifle handling and rifle care – you’ll be given a 2-day Darting & Rifle Handling Survival Course. This will help you with wildlife immobilisation, and you’ll be taught how to handle tranquilizer rifles.

FGASA (Field Guide Association) exam - for volunteers staying at the Big 5 Animal game reserve programme for longer than 4 weeks. Conservation projects - planting trees (volunteers build small enclosures to plant trees that take approx 5-6 months to grow), erosion control, weeding, watering etc. Tracking & monitoring released cheetahs on foot. Lion monitoring. Studying elephant interactions & upkeep of their bomas. Marine education. Taking part in different community projects. Working with the game reserve's vet. Elephant care and nutrition.

You will gain an appreciation and awareness of Big 5 wildlife. Every effort is made to ensure your enjoyment as well as safety during your stay. It is definitely a journey worth taking and is ideal for lovers of nature, wild animals and the great African outdoors!

Elligbility & skills required:

• No specific skills or experience are necessary for this Big 5 Game Reserve programme
• We accept volunteers from any background - Gap Year travellers or those on a career break.
• Minimum age is 18 yrs.
• Volunteers with a conservation background may consider joining this programme for work related experience.
• Volunteers should be physically fit and mentally positive!

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Flights, transportation and visas

• International flights are not included.
• Please aim to arrive on the Saturday before the project starts. DO NOT arrive on Sundays.
• Volunteers need to fly into George Airport via Cape Town or Johannesburg.
• A representative will collect you from your final destination as pre-arranged, and transport you to your accommodation. On departure, your project coordinator will transport you to the airport and/ or assist with any further travel arrangements
• A tourist visa is required for Commonwealth, US and European citizens. In this case, you are able to get a tourist visa upon entry.

NOTE: If you cannot secure a flight to arrive on the Saturday before the project starts, please arrive on the Friday and arrange an overnight stay. A representative will collect you on the Saturday. Please DO NOT arrive later than the Saturday before your project starts.

 

CIBT Visa advice... For expert visa advice we advise our volunteer, work placement, and internship participants to get in touch with CIBT - a company that we work in partnership with. Our UK, Canadian, and US travellers can use CIBT for visa advice and to get their visa applications processed - with visas returned within a week. UK travellers can contact CIBT for visa advice. Canadian participants can contact CIBT for visa advice or call Toll Free: 888-665-9956 US participants can contact CIBT for visa advice or call Toll Free: 800-577-2428 Canadian citizens should state account number: 57497 US citizens should state account number: 57496

Dates and duration

2013 Big 5 Animal Programme - Arrival & Departure Dates:

Safety and insurance

• All of Twin Work & Volunteer's placements are in partnership with recognised and established local organisations, run by or employing local people. These organisations, depending on the nature of what they do, might be small-scale NGOs, family projects, schools or orphanages, or local initiatives with environmental or social goals.
• We often use local businesses to provide logistical and support services to volunteers such as transfers, pick-ups, accommodation and so on. In this way, we support the local economy through helping independent local businesses to thrive. We take our partnerships very seriously and work extremely closely with all our partners.
• We provide 24-hour emergency support from the UK and our partners provides support locally.
• We have an agreement with the crisis management service Tranquillico, should the very worst situations arise.
• If any wider safety concerns arise in the destination, such as civil disturbances or natural disasters, we seek advice from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) and implement their recommendations where appropriate.

 

Insurance options... Comprehensive insurance is available for all programmes. You have no obligation to take up insurance with any of these companies, but insurance of a suitable sort is mandatory on all our programmes. For UK participants: Here are the full details of our partnership with Endsleigh. For American and Canadian participants: We offer insurance options with International Volunteer Card (IVC).

Eligibility

• No specific skills or experience are necessary for this Big 5 Game Reserve programme
• We accept volunteers from any background - Gap Year travellers or those on a career break.
• Minimum age is 18 yrs.
• Volunteers with a conservation background may consider joining this programme for work related experience.
• Volunteers should be physically fit and mentally positive!

Accommodation and Food

Accommodation:

• You will be sleeping in a modern tented camp area that is a stones throw away from the animals at the Big 5 game reserve.
• You will also have access to a very comfortable farm style volunteer house that includes a communal area with satellite TV and internet. Here, you and the other volunteers are able to enjoy plenty of socialising after working at the Big 5 reserve.

Food:

• All meals will be provided for you, with some ready made and some do-it-yourself. You can expect a varied assortment of dishes - each one healthy and hearty.
• All meals at the Big 5 programme are prepared according to your specific tastes as best as possible. Specific food requirements, however, are only subject to request.

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