What You Can Expect
The animal sanctuary's vast size offers a wide variety of areas where you can contribute. Volunteers work together as a team, and the duties are both rewarding and allow for special moments with the animals. You’ll join groups to complete daily feeding routes, ensuring all animals are well-cared for. The schedule is 5 days on, with 2 days off, giving you ample time to explore nearby Jeffreys Bay, South Africa’s surfing capital, visit wildlife reserves, or enjoy other local activities. You can also hike the adjoining nature reserve, where you might spot giraffes, zebras, and other free-roaming antelopes while bird watching or wildlife viewing.
The Sanctuary
Currently, the sanctuary is home to around 250 bird species, including Ostriches, Emus, Hawks, Owls, Pygmy Falcons, Blue and Crowned Cranes, Flamingos, Macaws, African Greys, Cockatoos, Amazons, and many other exotic parrots and garden birds.
In addition to the diverse avian population, the sanctuary and the adjoining nature reserve host a variety of wildlife, such as Servals, Caracals, Ground Squirrels, Meerkats, Marmoset, Tenrecs, Grysbok, Steenbok, Blue and Common Duiker, Suni, Springbok, Goats, Rabbits, Tortoises, and various reptiles including Bearded Dragons, Snakes, and Crocodiles. Larger animals like Giraffes, Kudu, Zebras, Bushbuck, Blesbok, Impala, Nyala and Waterbuck roam freely on the nature reserve. Please note, the giraffes, particularly protective after the recent birth of a baby, are currently staying deep within the bush. Volunteers may hike the nature reserve in the free time to take in all the wonderful free roaming wildlife.
Morning feeds start early at 07:00 and the day normally ends at 16:00 with lots of little breaks in-between. Volunteers may be asked to help out with "seed duty" on a weekly basis which is until 17:30.
Your duties may include:
- Food preparation- you will receive instruction on how to do this and what each animal's diet is and how much to give them
- Feeding routines through designated areas around the sanctuary
- Checking the fences of the nature reserve
- Cleaning, tidying and repairing animal enclosures
- Building new enclosures and expanding existing enclosures
- Assist with the rehabilitation and release of rescued wildlife
- Animal enrichments
- Removing alien and invasive vegetation
- Data collection on the nature reserve
- Guiding tourists around the sanctuary and helping with tours
- Cutting firebreaks- this has helped save the sanctuary during wildfires in the past
- Assisting with general duties in the restaurant
- Unloading deliveries
- Administration work and any other general maintenance or project
