Bush adventures in the heart of a spectacular game reserve
Experience nature at its simplest, from seeing a lion chasing its prey or newborn cheetah cubs playing, to a duel between two elephants in the distance. In the African bush you can never tell what awaits you around the next corner....
Travel to the home of the Big Five in the South African bush and support the team's important research work on site.
This project gives you a real and unfiltered look at Africa's incredible wildlife. Unlike a tourist safari, you play an active and meaningful role in the exploration and long-term conservation of South Africa's natural resources in this stunning region.
Together with an international team you will collect important behavioral data on reintroduced predators and large herbivores in a private game reserve. To assist you in this important conservation work, you will be trained to use research equipment to locate predators on the reserve. You will receive excellent training in large animal identification, tracking and behavioral research.
Bush adventures in the heart of a spectacular game reserve
Meet big game and predators such as lion, cheetah, leopard, elephant and rhino
Explore the nearby regions to experience breathtaking views
Our base camp accommodation may be simpler than what you are used to - so please travel with an open mind and a willingness to adapt to local conditions.
Accommodation is in dormitories with shared bathrooms, there is cold running water for showering and participants share basic chores and duties around the base such as cooking, cleaning and other duties.
A typical day consists of spending time in the reserve tracking wildlife and doing research from the safari vehicles. This typically occurs in cooler weather at dawn and dusk when wildlife is more active. Most of the research relates to predators such as lions, leopards, cheetahs and hyenas, but other wildlife is also observed, including elephants. There is a daily schedule and when you are not assisting on game drives you may be working on data entry or assisting with camp and cooking duties.
The team can spend up to 12 hours a day collecting data, so expect long days.
Another aspect is community work, where volunteers are expected to participate in educational days with local residents, emphasizing the importance of conservation.
Wildlife tracking
Exploring predators such as lion, leopard, cheetah and hyena.
Education days and workshops with local residents
To participate in this program, knowledge of English is required for communication.
Apart from language skills, no special skills or qualifications are required as all training is conducted by a fully qualified field service team. All the organization asks is your enthusiasm to learn and fully engage in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Before you can fully engage in the research process, you will complete a training session that will teach you how to conduct comprehensive radiolocation and surveillance of all collared predators on the reserve. You will learn a variety of new skills including mammal and bird identification, ecology and also bush first aid. This training allows you to make an effective contribution to the overall program by getting to know the animals on the reserve individually, following their development and observing their behavior.
While staying at the Karongwe base, volunteers will visit the Khamai Reptile Park as part of the training. At a later date, volunteers are also taken to a local curio market, where a variety of quality carvings and other gifts are sold.
Optional excursions
Volunteers at the base have one day off per week. For volunteers staying longer, there may be an opportunity at the end of each 4 week cycle to take 3 or 4 consecutive days off. Excursions from Karongwe are best done with a rental car, which volunteers usually do in groups to keep costs down. Please note that there are additional costs for pick-up or drop-off at the reserve. Hoedspruit, the nearest town is about 45 minutes drive away. In the Karongwe Game Reserve area you can visit the Kruger National Park, the entrance gates of which are no more than an hour's drive away. There is also the Panorama Route, which covers various rural routes along the Drakensberg, the Blyde River Canyon and the historic towns of Pilgrims Rest, Graskop and Sabie, where there are various adventure activities to be discovered such as zip-lining, quad biking, canyoning and hiking. Alternatively, you can just relax with a picnic at one of the many nearby waterfalls.
We also now include cultural/local experiences. These experiences will take place once every 4 weeks.
These activities may include:
Our base camp accommodation may be simpler than what you are used to - so please travel with an open mind and a willingness to adapt to local conditions.
Accommodation is in dormitories with shared bathrooms, there is cold running water for showering and participants share basic chores and duties around the base such as cooking, cleaning and other duties.
Cell phone reception is limited.
Frühstück
Mittagessen
Abendessen
WLAN/WiFi
Handyempfang
Elektrizität
TV
Schließfach
Waschmaschine
Wäscheservice
Safe für deine Wertsachen
Support & advice for all logistical inquiries
Information on applying for a police clearance certificate
Advice on visa regulations of the country
Established contact with the base in Limpopo
Introductory event
24-hour on-site support
Airport pick up
Necessary project equipment and materials
Project training by experienced staff
Accommodation & meals during the project
24-hour emergency phone
Research training
Game Reserve Fees and Permits
Telemetry training for finding animals
Wildlife identification techniques
First Aid Training
Not included:
Aufenthaltsdauer | Programmpreis |
---|---|
Interesse an längerem Aufenthalt? | Preis auf Anfrage |
Bitte beachte: Alle Angaben zu Preisen sind ohne Gewähr. Bei den Programmpreisen handelt es sich um Circa-Angaben des Anbieters, die je nach gewünschter Unterkunftsart und optionalen Zusatzleistungen variieren können.
Alle Details zum Projekt?