African Wildlife Researcher Assistant

Situated in Northern Limpopo, the African Wildlife & Research Project will give you a unique opportunity to assist with the protection of endangered animals and the restoration of the reserves ecosystem. This Project is an enriching and unforgettable experience for people that truly desire an up-close and personal experience in the world of conservation.

As a volunteer at this project you will contribute to the reserve in a meaningful way by assisting the reserve in essential research, important species monitoring and reserve tasks.  This creates a rewarding experience for the reserve, volunteers and staff.  Volunteering at this project will not only provide an unforgettable experience in the wilds of Africa but also provides biological students with vital field experience for their future careers.

All activities are ethically minded for the protection of the community and the fauna and flora of the area.

Employees

You will work with qualified field guides, a conservation manager and the resident scientist. 

Other volunteers

This project is specifically selected to give you a unique and personal experience. Khaya believes in smaller projects with a limited number of volunteers to guarantee this uniqueness. Volunteer numbers therefore differ from 1-10 and as volunteers come and go numbers can differ. Most volunteers are from the UK, USA and Western Europe.

Need for Volunteers

The project is in the process of rewilding the land to create optimum biodiversity and to be a centre for endangered species conservation.  We need volunteers to assist in all forms of research and monitoring of important species, without whom we would not be able to know whether the ecosystem is healthy and sustainable.  Volunteers will provide baseline data on the species, ecology, interactions of all organisms in the area.  The baseline data is essential in knowing that we are creating a safe, enriching and efficient space to protect endangered species.

Volunteer Tasks and Activities 

As a volunteer you will have adventures in all aspects of conservation such as:

• Researching leopard population

• Cheetah and elephant monitoring

• Bird and ecological surveys

• Analysing game transects

• Possibly translocations and releases

• Hands-on work projects of restoring fauna

• Recording and evaluating data

• Sustaining the habitat

Survival Course

Experience the raw, untamed South African bush when you take part in a hands-on survival training course.

Learn what it takes to be like the original San people in the area!  Throughout the centuries the San people kept alive by having a close relationship with their natural environment and mastered the skill needed to survive in the harshest of conditions.  You will be taught skills to exist in the wild without any modern conveniences.

You only need a backpack with essentials:

• Learn how to track animals

• Learn how to navigate your way to your camp site

• Locate the rock art of the San people and be inspired

• Eat the traditional foods of the area, including mopane worms

• Find water

• Find firewood

• Light a fire with a flint (no matches or firelighters allowed)

• Create shelter for the night by making your own rope from the plant fibres

• Camp out under the stars

• Learn hunting and gathering skills

• Cook your food on the fire

• Take turns to be on guard during the night to protect all from dangerous animals that may approach the camp.

You will be supervised by qualified and experienced staff at all times for your safety, but all survival activities are up to you! Once complete, you will be rewarded with a certificate of achievement proving you have the skills, experience and mental strength to make it on your own in the wild.

Course available.

• Basic survival level: one night, two days training

NB:  Please not that this course is subject to weather conditions, number of volunteers and staff.