If you would like to be part of a professional conservation team, make a real difference and experience important conservation work in Africa - this is the volunteer placement for you. Volunteers have the opportunity to work with conservation experts in some of the most beautiful and diverse landscapes in Zululand, tracking and monitoring critically endangered wildlife such as cheetahs, African Wild Dogs, Black Rhino, Lions and Leopards to name a few ... The Zululand Ecosystem is amongst the most diverse and productive wild lands in the world, yet amongst its abundant wildlife, conservation efforts face many challenges and the volunteers role is incredibly important and fulfilling.
Duration & Fees
- £1,095 - 2 weeks
- £1,795 - 4 weeks
- £2,545 - 6 weeks
- £3,295 - 8 weeks
- £4,095 - 10 weeks
Start Dates
2012 Start Dates: 13 Feb | 27 Feb | 12 Mar | 26 Mar | 9 Apr | 23 Apr | 7 May | 21 May | 4 Jun | 18 Jun | 2 Jul | 16 Jul | 30 Jul | 13 Aug | 27 Aug | 10 Sep | 24 Sep | 8 Oct | 22 Oct | 5 Nov | 19 Nov | 3 Dec
Payment
£180 deposit at time of booking – balance payment of project fee due 12 weeks before departure
What's Included
- Accommmodation and meals
- Airport transfers on arrival and departure from Richards Bay
- A full orientation programme
- Help and assistance from local project staff and the Amanzi Travel team
- Transport into town once every two weeks
What's not included
- Travel insurance that must include cover for repatriation
- Flights to Richards Bay in South Africa
- All items of a personal nature etc gifts, clothing etc
- Snacks such as soft drinks and alcohol
- Any excursions above and beyong the project itinerary
Volunteers here get an opportunity to work with a professional team (who are supported by the WWF) on genuine conservation initatives throughout Zululand in South Africa. The main focus is on critical endangered wildlife species and volunteers will monitor animals like Cheetah, African Wild Dog, Rhino, Lion, Elephant and Leopard. This vital conservation work is important across Zululand and the unique bonus in joining this project is that the work is conducted on a number of amazing game reserves in the area, each with it distinct eco-system, wildlife and landscape. For volunteers joining for more than 2 weeks there is the opportunity to join multiple locations on the placement.
The work is conducted in the African bush and volunteers witness an ever-changing environment as they monitor these beautiful animals - this is a African wildlife experience of a lifetime!
Volunteers are not on a safari; they are out in the African bush with dedicated conserservationists on planned and valuable wildlife tracking and monitoring activities. The research carried out, not only provides valuable and necessary data so that the game reserves can make informed wildlife conservation decisions, but also for wider research and publication that has a valuable impact on wildlife conservation throughout Africa.
Volunteers will gain "In field" training and practical experience in a wide range of conservation activities including:
- tracking animals using traditional methods such as the identification and following of animal spoors
- the use of hand-held GPS devices and telemetry tracking equipment
- how to produce animal identification kits
- the setting up and use of camera traps to monitor certain endangered species
- collecting animal behaviour data and learning how this data is extrapolated and used to inform and enhance management objectives on these reserves, as well as other reserves across Africa
- data imput and analysis where necessary
- understanding of conservation issues facing endangered species across Africa.
Other activities that volunteers may be involved in - if they are necessary whilst on their placement include:
- darting or trapping and radio collaring of various animal species
- animal tracking and notching
- relocation and re-introduction of game
- identity tagging of animals
- setting and checking of camera traps
- game counts
- bird ringing and alien plant control
A Typical Day
A typical day may involve rising with the sun and heading out on the back of an open 4x4 vehicle with at most 4 other wildlife conservation volunteers to locate the animals which the monitor has earmarked for the morning. This is done using radio telemetry equipment. Volunteers will be properly trained to use the telemetry equipment and after just a few days will be doing the telemetry tracking themselves. Once animals have been located the sightings will be mapped using a handheld GPS device, and identity kits updated if necessary, as well as taken down behavioural notes used in research. The species monitored include critically endangered species such as the African Wild Dog, Cheetah, Black Rhino and Vulture. Incidental monitoring of focal species like Elephant, White Rhino, Hyaena and Leopard is also undertaken.
Volunteers are usually back by late morning to fix lunch and then there will be some time to relax, read, write in a journal, have a nap or watch the abundant bird and animal life which occurs around the camp before heading out again between 2 - 3pm to follow up on those animals that were not located in the morning, such as elephant or rhino.
Everyone returns to camp shortly after sunset, to start preparing supper and then sit around the fire listening to the sounds of the bush and discussing the day's activities. Some nights endangered species' volunteers go out to track species such as the hyaena who are active at night, but everyone is usually in bed early to be ready for the next day and the excitment it holds!
The Game Reserves
The Zululand ecosystem is amongst the most diverse and productive wild lands in the world, yet amid its gallery of wildlife, conservation efforts face tremendous challenges. Some of these challenges include: rapid encroachment and fragmentation of natural habitat; poaching; insufficient research and inadequate funding for monitoring and research; coupled with the occurrence of many endangered species.
Zululand makes a dramatic backdrop to the project's initiatives as it is a place of unspoilt beauty with cultures as diverse as its landscapes. The rolling hills are disturbed only by the zig-zagging of rivers, and the picture-perfect coastlines are framed by abundant forests.
The Reserves focused on currently are:
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP)
Set in the heart of Zululand, and established in 1895, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP) is one of the oldest Game Reserves in Africa. Part of the land was the exclusive hunting preserve of the Zulu king Shaka, who protected the area by proclaiming 'conservation' laws through his ownership of the land. The Park covers some 96 000 hectares and contains an immense diversity of fauna and flora. It is home to a rich diversity of wildlife, including the "Big 5" as well as African Wild Dog, Cheetah, Hyaena, Jackal, Hippopotamus, and various antelope species including Waterbuck, common and mountain Reedbuck, Nyala, Kudu, Bushbuck, Steenbok, Duiker and Impala.
The volunteer project's main focus on HiP includes the monitoring of Cheetah, Leopard, African Wild Dog and Rhino, making extensive use of innovative monitoring techniques including the use of remote camera traps.
Mkhuze Game Reserve
Mkhuze Game Reserve is one of Africa’s oldest Game Reserves, founded in 1912. It is famous for its immense biodiversity. The Mkhuze River, with a beautiful stretch of fig forest along its banks, curves along the Reserve's northern and eastern borders. The Mkhuze Game Reserve constitutes the north western spur of the recently declared World Heritage Site: the Isimangaliso Wetland Park.
The Reserve offers an abundance of wildlife including endangered species such as Black Rhino, Cheetah, African Wild Dog and Suni. Other animals to be found in the Reserve include White Rhino, Elephant, Buffalo, Giraffe, Leopard, Nyala, Blue Wildebeest, Hyaena, Warthog, Zebra, Kudu and other smaller antelope. Mkhuze is also famous for its rich birdlife and attracts ornithologists from all over the world.
The volunteer project's main focus on Mkhuze is the monitoring of the African Wild Dog, Cheetah, Elephant herds and Vultures.
Thanda Private Game Reserve
Thanda Private Game Reserve, in the heart of Zululand, is situated in an area exceptionally rich in fauna and flora, boasting not only the Super 7 (Lion, Buffalo, Elephant, Rhino, Leopard, African Wild Dog and Cheetah), but also over 400 bird species. Over the past few years a number of indigenous keystone species including African Wild Dog, Cheetah, Lion, Elephant, Buffalo and White Rhino have been reintroduced to this Reserve. As part of this project staff and volunteers initiated monitoring efforts to help assess the progress of these reintroduced species with a focus on the African Wild Dog and Cheetah, as well getting a handle on the resident Leopard and Hyena populations' demographics, as well as how these species, along with Lion and Buffalo, impact on the endangered species.
The volunteer project's main focus on Thanda is the monitoring of the African Wild Dog, Cheetah, Vulture and Spotted Hyaena.
Tembe National Elephant Park
The area now known as Tembe Elephant Park is real wild country. The land was historically owned by the Tembe tribe, the ancestral custodians of the area. Situated in Northern Zululand, and adjoining the Mozambique border, Tembe National Elephant Park is most widely known for having over 200 of the world’s largest elephants, which are also the last remaining indigenous herd in KwaZulu-Natal. Tembe is also home to a rich diversity of other wildlife - including the “Big 5” (Lion, Leopard, Black and White Rhino, Buffalo and Elephant), Hippo and various antelope species, from the majestic Giraffe which stand at 5 metres tall, down to one of the smallest antelope in Africa - the Suni, at only 35 centimetres high! Tembe’s beautiful sand forest stretching through most of the Reserve hosts over 340 bird species, making it a delight for bird lovers.
The volunteer project's main focus on Tembe is the monitoring of the Lion, Wild Dog and Elephant populations.
This project maintains a small volunteer group of no more than 4 people per reserve, and therefore recommend that potential volunteers apply as soon as possible in order to confirm the dates that suit them. As there are a number of project sites, volunteers are offered the opportunity to join more than one reserve, giving them the chance to experience diverse aspects of wildlife conservation. The opportunity to work on multiple Reserves depends on the length of stay. Volunteers who stay for only two weeks will work on one Reserve, but for every additional two weeks spent, the better their chance of experiencing another Reserve.
Volunteers' accommodation is basic but comfortable and most volunteers will share a twin room, with separate shared ablutions and a living/eating area. The accommodation is based on the Reserve on which the placement is based and as there is no fencing around the camp volunteers will have a real bush experience with possible visitors to the camp such as antelope, monkeys and baboons during the day, and hyaena, elephant, bushbabies etc at night.
The accommodation has electricity, running warm water and flush toilets. A bed, mattress and bed linen is provided. There is an outside seating / barbecue area where volunteers can sit by the fire under the stars - which is incredible with the absence of artificial light on these beautiful reserves.
Each camp has a communal kitchen where volunteers prepare their own meals. Most of the time volunteers take turns preparing meals, or one person becomes the "chef" and the others help with chopping, peeling and cleaning. Sometimes volunteers have different tastes and cook separately, which is also fine. Volunteers are taken into town to shop for groceries every two weeks. Basic food items are provided for within the volunteer food budget, enough for three healthy meals a day, Any additional ‘luxury’ items can be purchased by volunteers to take back to camp with them. The drinking water at the camps is of good quality, but bottled water can be purchased if preferred.
South Africa
Why visit South Africa?
Every country in the world displays some diversity, but South Africa, stretching from the hippos in the Limpopo River to the penguins waddling on the Cape, takes some beating. There’s the deserted Kalahari, Namakwa’s springtime symphony of wildflowers, iconic Table Mountain and Cape Point, Africa’s biggest game reserve - Kruger National Park - boasting the most mammal species of any game reserve, and the magnificent peaks and plunging valleys of the escarpment of Drakensberg.
Cape Town is widely described as one of the world's most beautiful cities. Some of its more famous landmarks include Table Mountain, Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for decades), Cape Point, Chapman’s Peak, Kirstenbosch Gardens and the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. A combination of historical coastal charm and urbane sophistication, Cape Town has some of the finest beaches and is also the gateway to the lush Cape Winelands, famous for world-renowned wines. From here, it is an easy journey to the Whale Route, where Southern Right whales can be seen (June - November) and humpback whales, Bryde's whales, Minke whales and bottlenose dolpins can be viewed year round.
The Garden Route is renowned for its beaches, indigenous forests, nature reserves, lakes, mountain ranges, adventure opportunities and hiking trails. Plettenberg Bay is a relaxed beach paradise with spectacular walks and hikes where one can watch dolphins and whales on eco-marine cruises. With some of the world's finest beaches, the Eastern Cape's untouched and pristine coastline also has a rich social, cultural and political history. Port Elizabeth is the gateway to the Eastern Cape, and the perfect complement to the Garden Route. Cape St Francis is situated on the Indian Ocean coastline, in and around Africa's largest man made web of canals and waterways, and is renowned for its long, sandy beaches, surfing, rock fishing and tranquil lifestyle.
Kruger National Park is the flagship of South Africa's game reserves, offering an unrivalled wildlife experience over two million-hectares. Private concessions operating within and alongside Kruger National Park feature luxurious, exclusive game lodges with many exciting safari activities. Some of these lodges are unfenced, allowing for the free movement of wildlife. Madikwe Game Reserve, in the North West province, is one of South Africa's largest private Big Five game reserves and features numerous lodges and camps. The Waterberg area in the northwest is also malaria-free and is aptly named for its strong streams that flow even in dry seasons, making for excellent game viewing. Both reserves are great for those seeking an accessible malaria-free wilderness experience.
Durban is a sub-tropical city and the gateway to KwaZulu-Natal. It offers a unique mix of Zulu, Indian and colonial cultures. Visit the Anglo-Zulu battlefields, take a fascinating glimpse into Zulu culture, hike in the beautiful Drakensberg Mountains, dive the reefs, marine and coastal reserves of Maputaland, as well as experience Big Five game reserves. The Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve is renowned for saving the white rhino from the brink of extinction, and Phinda Private Game Reserve is well known for its award-winning lodges and conservation initiatives.
Johannesburg meaning "Place of Gold", is South Africa's economic powerhouse. This vibrant and cosmopolitan city is home to many attractions including the Apartheid Museum and Constitution Hill, and also offers shopping from world-class to atmospheric curio markets. Known as the "Jacaranda City", the state capital of Pretoria features beautiful blossoming trees, significant old buildings and fascinating museums, including the Transvaal Museum, home of Mrs Ples, the australopithecine fossil found at the Cradle of Humankind.
Highlights of South Africa
- Breathtaking scenery, quaint coastal villages, cosmopolitan cities, wine routes and exclusive bush lodges.
- Exciting Big Five safaris in unspoilt wilderness areas.
- Malaria-free game viewing and sunshine all year round.
- See Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was held in prison for 27 years.
- Go up Table Mountain by cable car for stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean and beautiful Cape Town.
- Whale watching and great white shark cage diving.
- Beautiful, pristine beaches perfect for swimming and sunbathing.
- The Cradle of Humankind: Sterkfontein is one of the world's most productive and important palaeoanthropological sites.
Climate
For Johannesburg:
| Seasons | Max | Min |
| Summer (September - April) |
25 °C |
10 °C |
| Winter (May - August) |
19 °C |
4 °C |
| Rainfall: October to March, with November to January heaviest |
South Africa has typical seasons of weather for the southern hemisphere, with the coldest days in July-August. The Benguela Current, a cold motion that moves from the lower South Atlantic Ocean, causes moderate temperatures on the West Coast. On the central plateau, which includes Free State and Gauteng provinces, the altitude keeps the average temperatures below 30 °C.In winter, also due to altitude, temperatures drop to freezing point, and in some places, even lower. Heavy snows have fallen recently for the first time in decades in Johannesburg. During winter, it is warmest in the coastal regions, especially on the Eastern Indian Ocean coast and Garden Route, where it has year round mild weather with occasional rain. As winter is cooler and drier, it is more suitable for hiking and outdoor pursuits, and is also a good time for game viewing as vegetation is less dense and thirsty animals congregate around rivers and other permanent water sources.
In summer, South Africa experiences the hottest temperatures and this is generally when most rain falls, October – March. However, there is one exception - the Western Cape, which is a winter-rain area that enjoys a Mediterranean climate (average 26°C).
Christmas to mid-January, and Easter are the height of the peak season for visitors.
Autumn (April/May) and Spring (mid-Sept to November) are ideal almost everywhere.
Key Facts
Population – 50 million
Capital – Pretoria (executive), Bloemfontein (judicial), Cape Town (legislative)
Currency – Rand (ZAR)
Official Language(s) – Afrikaans, English (South African English), Southern Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu
Time difference – GMT +2 hours
Telephone – country code 27, international access code 00
There are currently no reviews available, however if you contact us on info@amanzitravel.co.uk we will be happy to put you in touch with past participants.