Big Cats Sanctuary

Our Unique Volunteer Program

Panthera Africa is an environmentally friendly sanctuary for any captive bred big cats, where they will be protected and prosper for the rest of their lives. We have found our 40 hectare paradise with a beautiful home for the animals, the owners and the many volunteers visiting. The land is filled with lots of large trees, a natural spring and an amazing 180 degree mountain view. Panthera Africa believes in the connection between both environmental and wildlife conservation, and aims to become the first "green" big cat sanctuary in South Africa, and run solely on solar energy.

One of Panthera Africa's main purposes is to be an educational platform where we create awareness about conditions big cats face in captivity, and how animal welfare and enrichment play a vital role in giving them the best captive life possible. We are a true sanctuary where no cub petting, breeding or trading takes place. We are a blue print of how a non-profit sanctuary, focusing on animal welfare, can become self-sufficient, and we aim to change all breeding facilities into sustainable ethical programs. 

We believe in the equal importance of both humans and animals, and we will do our absolute best to give you the experience of a lifetime. We know from personal experience that this includes both quality time with animals, as well as with staff and the other volunteers. Hearing a lion roar up close, getting love and recognition from a leopard, hearing the chuffing of a tiger, or seeing them appreciate and love the toys you make to enrich their lives = BLISS.

In addition to the indescribable bonds you will form with the animals, friendships will be formed and together at the end of the day we all can share stories, hopes and dreams around the bonfire with a cold drink watching the famous African sunset.

The international volunteer program will offer you the unique opportunity to be involved behind the scenes - daily tasks will include:

• Cleaning and maintaining enclosures
• Creating enrichment for our big cats
  
• Preparation of food and observing feeding
• General farm work, including alien clearing
  
• Assisting to educate visitors
  

You will work together with our staff throughout the day, who will guide and supervise you so that you will learn as much as possible from their experience.

Our Pride

Our pride consists of 28 big cats and a jackal, namely:

• Pardus  (Black Leopard)
  
• Arabella and Rays (Tigers)
  
• Oliver, Obi, Jubatus, Neptune, Elsa, Zakara, Lei-ah, Jade, Achilles, Chaka, Baguira, Karlos, Ivana, Alpha and Cora (Lions)
  
• Pema (Cheetah)
• Maya (Jackal)
  
• Amy, Max and Jack (Caracals)
  
• Mahaba, Kamagelo, Lakanya and Balozi (Servals)

(Plus our little house pride consisting of our dogs Buddha, Orion, Kira and Leo and our cat Tarzan).

All of our animals have been rescued from breeding facilities, and most of them have been taken away from their mothers to be hand-raised by humans for the profit of money. The whole Panthera Africa pride is now living the rest of their days with us given love, respect and the best life possible in captivity.

Home Sweet Home

During your stay you will enjoy our modern, yet cozy home. The house consists of 3 bedrooms with 3 bathrooms, a spacious and fully equipped kitchen for everyone to cook, a big living and dining room area where we enjoy dinners together, games nights, film evening or just relaxing with a nice book. Outside we have a traditional South African braai (BBQ) area, and a natural dam!

So can we start to look forward to meeting you in beautiful Stanford? Are you ready for that life changing experience? We can promise you a lot of fun and magical moments – both with animals and your new friends from all around the world! 

Being situated close to many of South Africa's top tourist attractions - Cape Town with its Table Mountain, Robben Island, Cape Point to mention some, Hermanus with its unbelievable whale watching cove and wine tasting, and some of the world's most amazing beaches on your door step, we and our passionate staff will do our upmost best to make this experience the best holiday of your life!

Bookings

We request bookings to be made at least 30 days before the intended arrival date, although due to the popularity of the project, we recommend further in advance. However, should you have an immediate booking request, please just send us your wish and we will do our best to accommodate you. 

We would recommend that your stay will be a minimum of 2 weeks to ensure a full experience. Shorter or longer stays can be arranged and price varies accordingly.

Our start- and end dates are on Saturdays, so please arrive and depart at Cape Town International airport between 10am and 2pm on the specific date.  

Please find below a general outline of your days with us. We believe in not having a fixed schedule for everything, and have also learnt that plans can change every day, so the days with us are varied. There will be a difference between summer and winter months due to temperature and hours of light during the day. 

We have a morning meeting where we go through every day's schedule so everything will be planned and set up for you. There will be plenty of breaks during the different tasks, and flexibility for off sight activities, so you can expect a good variety of work and relaxation! 

Daily Schedule

6/7:00 Breakfast – Make your own with food provided

7/8:00 Morning Meeting

7/8:15 Morning Tasks

12-2:00 Lunch – Meal provided by Panthera Africa

2:00 Afternoon Tasks

6:00 Dinner – Make and purchase your own food for meal, then leasure time!

Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays are normally your days off. Thursdays are your activity days, where you might do some small work on the farm, but most of the days you will be enjoying the amazing Overberg area together with the other volunteers and staff. Saturday and Sunday you are free to explore some of the area alone or with other volunteers - this includes a night in Cape Town, a visit to a safari park...or lots more!