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NOAHS ARK WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
GOBABIS DISTRICT, NAMIBIA

For anyone wanting some real hands-on experience with African wildlife, Noah's Ark is the place to be!  This family-run wildlife sanctuary never turns an animal away and is an ideal project for volunteers wanting to make a real difference during their time in this beautiful Gobabis district of Namibia.  By joining this project volunteers will have the opportunity to give a "second chance" to the many animals that are cared for and rehabilitated at the sanctuary and enable them to return to their natural habitat where they can continue to lead a life free of human disturbance.  A truly unique experience!  This is a very popular project and volunteers are advised to apply early to be sure of securing a placement.

     
  Location: GOBABIS DISTRICT, NAMIBIA Dates: Regular start dates throughout the year (closed from mid December - mid January 2010)  
  Fees:
£995 - 2 weeks
£1,485 - 3 weeks
£1,895 - 4 weeks
£2,695 - 6 weeks
£3,595 - 8 weeks
£5,250 - 12 weeks

Payment: £180 deposit at time of booking – balance of project fee due 12 weeks before departure  
  Reference: AV011 Special Offer:

£125 off all booking to arrive before December 2010 (Terms: Balance Payment due 16 weeks before departure)

  

General Information

Noah's Ark is located approximately 250 kilometres east of Windhoek, close to the border with Botswana.  This wildlife sanctuary is situated within a 10,000 hectare area which has been farmed by the same family for the last 30 years during which time it has cared for and rehabilitated many thousands of orphaned, injured, neglected, abused or abandoned wild animals including lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog, meerkat, baboon and many antelope species.  Wildlife are often considered a problem in Namibia as they cause widescale damage to livestock and agriculture with the result that they are often shot and injured.  As well as caring for the injured wildlife the project aims to educate local farmers and tries to find solutions to these ongoing problems.   

History

Noah's Ark - a family-run project - has been involved in the care and rehabilitation of orphaned, neglected, abused and abandoned wild animals for more than 30 years and continues with its management and development on a daily basis.  What used to be a hobby is now a full-time occupation for about 60 local people who are all dedicated to helping the animals and preserving their natural habitat and is a registered animal welfare organisation.  Without places such as Noah's Ark it would be difficult to prevent many wild animals in Africa becoming extinct.  Although the ethos of the organisation is against the confinement of wild animals, sometimes this is inevitable as mortality rates for previously captive animals is high.  The project provides a safe home for wildlife that has nowhere else to go and the opportunity to live in semi-wild conditions in secure release sites.  Local people are employed as widely as possible which supports the social and economic growth of these communities and encourages a spirit of conservation within them. 

Volunteer Programme

Volunteers work primarily with the resident wildlife, helping to create a stable environment for them, as well as working on reserve maintenace and assisting the local field guides.  Daily duties may include:

  • feeding the cheetahs and baboons (twice daily)
  • meal preparation and feeding all other wildlife (4-5 times daily)
  • caring for, hand rearing and cleaning baby animals
  • night duty with infant animals (including taking them to bed at times!)
  • cleaning animals enclosures
  • helping with repair and maintenance on the farm, including maintaining fences
  • assisting the qualified vet in the clinic with injured wildlife
  • training to assist as a Field Guide for the daily tours of Noah's Ark
  • assisting at the local bushman clinic

At certain times of the year and subject to need it may also be possible to assist with the African Wild Dog Project, identifying individual dogs, looking at familial patterns and recording data.

Working with Wildlife

Problem Animals

Wildlife poses a considerable threat to the local farmers as they kill livestock and damage crops.  Farmers then take steps to rid themselves of the problems, often resulting in injury.  Noah's Ark works with the farmers - offering advice, collecting animals that have been caught and helping to work out solutions to this ongoing problem between the farmers and the wild animals of Namibia.

Injured Animals

Animals may often be caught in traps and suffer serious injuries - well beyond normal recovery.  It is not always possible to rehabilitate these animals but good medical care is given and those that survive live happily on the sanctuary - maybe for the remainder of their lives.

Unwanted Pets

The worst and most commonly found problems arise when people try to domesticate wild animals to become "house pets".  Sometimes female animals are deliberately killed so that the babies may be taken.  However, these playful babies grow rapidly and may become jealous, aggressive and protective and the owners are no longer able to handle them and often resort to cruel means of controlling them.  These animals have lost their ability to survive and have become dependent upon man, and Noah's Ark acts as a haven for these pets that are no longer wanted.

Orphaned Baby Animals

Poaching and road accidents often robs young animals of their mothers - and these youngsters - often only a day old - find round-the-clock care and attention at Noah's Ark.  These animals often become "tame" and used to the company of humans and although the aim is always to try to release them back into their normal environment once they have reached an age where they can fend for themselves, this is not always possible.  Volunteers therefore will have the opportunity to get close to and care for some of the large carnivores as well as the smaller wildlife and the first intereaction with a tame cheetah or lion that has found safety at Noahs Ark is something they will never forget!

The project itself is in a remote location and whilst there are facilities on site for the volunteers, it is worth bearing in mind that it is not possible to pop to town or the shops.  That said, you will be based at a beautiful camp in rural Africa surrounded by the animals and able to use the camp pool on occasions.

Volunteers may also have the opportunity to become involved in the ongoing and projects in development below: 

Wild Dog Project

One of the most endangered predators in Africa is the African Wild Dog (Lycaon Pictus, derived from the Greek meaning painted wolf). There were once over half a million wild dogs spread over 39 countries but now there are only small populations in 14 countries and only six of these countries have populations of more than 100.  However they are one of Namibia's most valuable assets and the only existing population of wild dogs in Namibia is at the Noah’s Ark.  There are plans to release some of the current captively-held dogs into a proposed 10,000 hectare reserve.  This is an exciting project and important to the conservation and protection of Namibia and its wildlife.

Rehabilitation/Reintroduction Programme

Injured, orphaned and problem animals have been rehabilitated by Noah's Ark for the past 25 years and a perfect infrastructure has been developed during this time.  Animals are released into reserves where they can continue to be monitored and managed. New release sites are always sought as only one quarter of all the animals that come to the project in need of aid are considered suitable for release or reintroduction into a wild and independent environment.

This project is open to volunteer between the age of 18 - 40 years.

A Day in the Life of a Volunteer

7am    Breakfast
8am Morning meeting to discuss the days programme and split into groups
9am Daily activities - animal walks, food preparation, farmwork, horseback riding etc with the animals
3pm Afternoon meeting and activities - perhaps spending some time on a research project or doing a big cat feeding tour with staff and guests
5.30pm   Lion feeding
7pm Dinner and time for socialising
8pm Overnight babysitting duties with young animals and socialising with new friends

Support

Support and advice is available from your Project Managers whilst on the project and from the UK Amanzi Travel Team.

Find out more about Amanzi Travel support

Orientation

The project always starts on a Friday and each volunteer receives a comprehensive two-day induction and training programme.  On arrival volunteers are shown around the accommodation and facilities in the volunteer village.  The next day volunteers are taught "the rules of the game" and something of the story of the project.  The second induction day is a practical training day - learning which food is fed to which animals, how to feed them and clean their enclosures.  New volunteers are not allowed into the enclosures until Monday. The project has clear guidelines and policies and offers continued support to volunteers to ensure success for both the project and the volunteers themselves.

Accommodation and Meals

Accommodation will be in the volunteer village - in wooden cabin units that look out onto a large waterhole.  Each cabin can accommodate four volunteers on a single sex basis and has two wooden sides and two sides covered with mosquito netting and a canvas that can be rolled up and down.  This makes a comfortable and cool sleeping area with individual storage for personal items and single beds. Towels and bed linen are supplied. Bathroom facilities are shared, with hot water and flush toilets.  The village is run on solar power and each room has solar panel lights.  There is a facility at the farm to charge cell phones, laptops and cameras.  The volunteer village is located approximately 700 metres from the main farm.  A laundry service is provided.

Three meals are provided and are prepared by the Lapa kitchen.  Although Namibia is primarily a meat-eating country, alternative needs can be met but please ensure that any special requirements are detailed on your application form.

Getting There

Fly directly into Windhoek International Airport where you will be met on arrival and transferred to your accommodation. Transfers, which are included in the project fee, depart from Windhoek at 9.00 am on Friday mornings and arrive in time for lunch.  Volunteers should make sure their flight arrives in time to catch the transfer transport.  Most volunteers will plan to arrive the previous day and Amanzi Travel can arrange accommodation if required.  Volunteers are returned to Windhoek on Thursday afternoons after 2.00 pm at the end of the project period.

(There may be a number of ways to reach your destination airport - for further information or advice please contact Amanzi Travel)

Fees

What is included

  • Transfers to and from the airport on arrival and at the end of the project
  • Full orientation by local staff on arrival
  • Support from your project Manager
  • Accommodation and meals as indicated above
  • Free internet available at the kiosk

What is excluded

  • International and domestic flights including arrival and departure fees if applicable
  • Travel insurance to cover your project (to include cover for repatriation)
  • Visas
  • Personal items, clothes, travel goods etc
  • Use of telephone, wines and spirits.
  • Trips undertaken other than in the planned programme

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