Do you have a passion for animals and caretaking? Are you looking for an immersive wildlife care program but is unsure of where to search? Then your search is over as we have for you our Wildlife Caretaker program done in Namibia!
This program is designed for volunteers whom may wish to learn and experience the caretaking of animals. Said caretaking may range from the small and helpless to the big and mighty of animals. The program is geared to give the volunteer the ability to care for infant animals, injured animals, abused animals as well as the healthy and large animals. Volunteers will be involved in many of the core activities as wildlife volunteers with the added layer of responsibility and oversight. The caretaker volunteers are intensively trained in the daily care for animals in a wildlife sanctuary. Part of the training will include educational tutorials by Marieta van der Merwe (owner of the project) as to the standard of care for each animal. Caretaker volunteers will be responsible for overseeing the standard of care for their assigned animals and will be required to keep detailed records of the wellbeing of animals in their care. It is also important to keep in mind that this program is based on the Wildlife Conservation program and joins the activates some of the time. The difference is, that the caretaker is the one taking care of the baby animals and would most work on this.
Volunteers will be required to commit to a minimum of 4 weeks! The work with the wildlife at the project is physically demanding, yet very rewarding. Seize this amazing opportunity to do something worthwhile!
Medical & health
You are responsible to ensure you have adequate health insurance along with any necessary vaccinations needed for your trip. Please seek advice from your local doctor or travel clinic for any requirements. The project has an on-site clinic stocked with extensive first-aid supplies, as well as other basic necessities such as antibiotics etc. They recently installed a defibrillator and a nebulizer. Volunteer Coordinators and other staff are trained in First Aid and CPR. There is a hospital with full facilities just one hour away. There are also physicians available in town for less urgent concerns. Should a volunteer require a visit to the doctor for any reason, the project can coordinate transport for that volunteer into town to obtain care. We urge volunteers to please inform us of any medical information/condition they might have such as: allergies, prescribed medication and any known medical conditions.
There may not be much time for any leisure time activity. The volunteers work every day, because the animals need feeding and caretaking every day, this means 8-9 hours per day. But Saturdays and Sunday are a bit slower and on Sundays there are no activities besides feeding. That way the volunteers can get some time to rest and recharge. Any activities you'd like to do such as hiking, sightseeing, etc. we recommend doing so before or after completing the project.
Volunteers will be placed in the project’s volunteer village. There are several wooden cabins, communal showers, toilet facilities, and a bar/eating area where you will have all your meals. There is also a small swimming pool. You will share a cabin with up to three other volunteers of the same gender. Bed linen is provided as well as a towel. You will have a shelving unit for your clothes and other stuff. Toilet and showering facilities are located in the middle of the cabin area.
You will receive three meals per day which include breakfast, lunch and dinner. Meals are generally basic but tasty and filling. Breakfast can be porridge, cereal, eggs or pancakes. Common dishes for lunch and dinner include burgers, goulash, pasta with meat sauces, rice, sauce and potatoes. There is also an afternoon snack/cake and juice. Namibia is a meat-eating country and this you will notice as many of your meals will contain meat. However, we can accommodate vegetarians, as well as other dietary requirements. We have experience catering for lactose-free and gluten-free diets, as well as for other intolerances. Please be aware though that the project is located in a relatively remote part of Namibia. If you have extensive dietary requirements, please coordinate with us in advance to ensure that we are prepared for your arrival and we are aware of exactly what you require.
The project prefers applicants starting on Fridays so they would need volunteers to arrive a day before as pick ups are done early Friday morning, do keep in mind that we would not be arranging your stay for the night in Windhoek. The airport that volunteers would need to fly to is in Namibia, Windhoek. The airport is called Hosea Kutako. We will arrange pickup and drop off from the airport or from the accommodation in Windhoek to the project. Contact us for recommendations!
Wildlife and Animal Caretaker
Do you have a passion for animals and caretaking? Then your search is over as we have for you our Wildlife Caretaker program done in Namibia!
$807/week
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