Wildlife Conservation Research Internship

COME EXPERIENCE AFRICA AT ITS BEST, WHILE YOUR CONTRIBUTION WILL HELP WITH NAMIBIA'S RHINO CONSERVATION..

Muller Stud is a private game reserve, 32 427 acres, located close to the World-renowned Etosha National Park, Namibia, aiming to convert old cattle farmland to a game reserve, and thereby to conserve  large game.

The introduction of indigenous Game and Predators back into their natural habitat is a step towards our goal in creating this Wildlife Sanctuary.

Want to experience some real "live" African Adventures?

 Be part of this exciting wildlife development and join our team for an unforgettable adventure in beautiful Namibia.

By volunteering at Muller Stud, you contribute to the conservation of Namibia's endangered white rhino.

You will be working alongside our permanent staff and assisting them and even doing tasks on your own.  Students/Interns should be open minded, have a willingness to learn new things and help out where needed.  On a reserve/farm, especially where we work with animals/wildlife it is sometimes difficult to keep to a planned schedule, but as far as possible we try to keep to it.

No special equipment is needed to bring with, although we greatly rely on sponsors for some equipment, for example:

• AA Rechargeable battery's
  
• Camera traps
  
• Game capture ropes
  
• Wildlife tracking collars
  
• Telemetry
  
• Feeding buckets 5 & 10 kg
  
• 1 ml, 2 ml,5 ml, 10 ml, 20 ml,
  
• 60 ml syringes
  
• 18 g needles long-pink
  
• 21 g needles long&short-blue
  
• 12 g needles-yellow
  
• Red Top, Yellow top, vacuum tube
  
• Swabs
  
• Measuring tapes
  
• Old towels
  
• Microscope covers
  
• Magmaster slides for counting
  
• Faecal ova 3 step-Egg flotation fluid
  
• Surgical equipment
  
• Pneudarts
  
• Microchips
  
• Range finders
  

Feces & Pregnancy

In 2008, there has been a research on a field test which can predict pregnancy in wildlife, by using feces.  Now we take blood (during immobilization of the animal) and send these samples to South-Africa.  This is both time-consuming and costly. We would like to try these field tests, and compare it to the blood results to find out whether this would be a better method for us to determine pregnancy in our wildlife.  During feeding we regularly see them defecating, so collecting feces should not be a problem.   

Behaviour

We have started a Lucerne field in one of our wildlife camps. It seems that this has affected the movement and breeding of the animals in at least one camp. We would like to know how large the effect is. What is the effect on breeding and distribution? We have data on where the animals have been feeding, who walked with who, who has calved and from who.

Parasite & Worm Burden in Wildlife

We would like to know how high the worm burden of our wildlife is. This can be done by examining worm eggs in the faces under a microscope.Does the worm burden differ per camp?  According to literature, what is an acceptable burden and when should you deworm?

Nutrition

In the dry season, our wildlife is supplemented with a specially mixed food and Lucerne.  We would like to compare the contents of the food with literature.  Do the animals get what they need? How does this differ with the wild vegetation?   

Field Survey

Grass analyzing, bush encroachment and weeds as well as poisons plants all needs to be managed.

 The carrying capacity of the 32427 acres need to be done on a yearly basis to ensure that the correct number of species and species diversity is held.

Fences

We would like to receive advice about our fences. What can we do to make sure small antelope or other animal for example Hyeana can go through, but  large game not?

Is there also something we can do to prevent them from getting the poles out? Is there something to deter them, besides electricity?

Any other ideas or projects from students or the university are more than welcome!

Besides the project which the student will do, he or she will also be involved in every aspect of the farm; husbandry (game and horses), maintenance, game management, administration, practice darting, possibly assist in capture immobilization, veld management.