Felidae Centre

  Verified by Volunteer World
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rating

4.9

Outstanding


22

Reviews


14

Years in business

A family owned facility who strive to care for any animal in our facility or new animals by making sure that they receive the best medical care, diet and shelter.

Felidae Centre strive to provide a safe haven for  all wildlife that cannot be released back into the wild. 

We aim to:
* Secure the conservation of various wildlife species 

* Educate schools and the community about African wildlife

* Educate volunteers about animal conservation practices 

* Care ...

Review Description

Felidae Centre strive to provide a safe haven for  all wildlife that cannot be released back into the wild. 

We aim to:
* Secure the conservation of various wildlife species 

* Educate schools and the community about African wildlife

* Educate volunteers about animal conservation practices 

* Care for sick, injured, and orphaned animals 

* Preserve wildlife heritage in Africa and eradicate the destructive practice of breeding African big cats for tourism purposes and end the process of Canned Hunting 

Felidae Centre was founded in 2010 by the Burger family when we had the opportunity to adopt 2 animals from a previous project. Around this time, the Burger family heard about Canned Hunting (a method of hunting in which an animal is kept in a confined area - such as a fenced enclosure - to vastly increase the likelihood of the hunter obtaining a kill for trophy purposes), which sparked the desire to work towards the eradication of this process and rescue African cats from hazardous environments. 

Our predator farm is located in the well-known Free State province, South Africa, situated only 30km from the historical town of Kimberley with over 1000 hectares of pure Free State farmland available to expand the project and ensure the wellbeing of the animals in our care. We are constantly working to expand the enclosures on our farm mimicking a natural area for playing and shelter. Each enclosure accommodates the specific species’ needs. 

The farm is home to an abundance of animals; lions, cheetahs, leopards, servals, caracals, African wild cats, bat-eared foxes, jackals, meerkats, vervet monkeys, capuchin monkeys, warthogs and more. We’ve taken in our animals for various reasons. Some cannot live in the wild on their own, some were ill or abandoned and many were rescued from unethical processes like canned hunting and breeding for tourism purposes. Where possible, we strive to release our animals back into the wild where they can live freely without any human interaction. 

At Felidae, we put the needs of each animal first, ensuring they love their best possible life. We will never take an animal out of the field or away from its mom for entertainment, and will ensure that every animal at our facility will have the option to return to the wild if they are physically healthy and fit.   

The volunteers at Felidae will get to work hands on with the founders of Felidae on a daily basis caring and assisting for every animals, making sure that we respect nature and every species and allow every person coming into the project to feel the difference that they make for the animals, and form part of the big Felidae family to care for the animals. 


Contact Person

Tercia Burger

  Excellent response rate

Felidae Centre reviews

Twane Blignaut rating5.0

2024 at Big Cat Sanctuary and Rehabilitation

I recently had the incredible opportunity to volunteer at Felidae Centre, and the experience was nothing short of transformative. The sanctuary serves as a safe haven for rescued animals, offering them a second chance at life and a safe, loving environment to thrive in From the moment I stepped ...
Ilse van der Wolde rating5.0

2024 at Big Cat Sanctuary and Rehabilitation

The only word to describe Felidae is FAMILY. From the moment that i arrived, it was amazing. I felt right at home and it was just incredible. The people were very nice and helpful. There is enough work to be done and while working there is room for fun. During the weeks I learned a lot of new things ...
Sara Waldschmidt rating5.0

2023 at Big Cat Sanctuary and Rehabilitation

When I first signed up to travel abroad and volunteer at the Felidae Centre, I never imagined that it would so quickly become a second home to me. Despite being almost 10,000 miles away from my family and friends, I never once felt homesick due to the welcoming atmosphere that the Felidae Center ...
Laura Steenberg rating5.0

2023 at Big Cat Sanctuary and Rehabilitation

My experience at Felidae is truly something I will never forget. You become a part of the Felidae family; everyone there is equal - no matter if you have been the three months or 2 hours. It is truly incredible to meet people with their passion. They care for the animals to the bone. And they care ...
Emilie Westring rating4.8

2023 at Big Cat Sanctuary and Rehabilitation

Felidae is the greatest Project! When you come to Felidae, you quickly become a part of a family, the staff on Felidae does everything to make you feel safe and make sure that you have a great time there. You will have new experiences everyday, and you will experience things you Never thought of. I ...
Sofie Hviid Rasmussen rating4.6

2023 at Big Cat Sanctuary and Rehabilitation

My 14 days volunteering was quite spectacular! I travelled with a group of 9. We got our rooms and some of us stayed with other volenteers, so we also got to know them quite well. The staff at the farm was caring if wanted to do everything in our best interest, they drove us around showed us ...

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UN Sustainable Development Goals

  • Life On Land