Wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centres play an important role in conservation across South Africa, researching and providing a sanctuary for endangered species to help support their populations. Animals are brought in by the public or rescued by the centre, these animals are cared for until healthy and ideally, returned to the wild or if not and in the case where injuries are too severe, given a loving forever home.

What you'll be doing
Volunteering at a wildlife rehabilitation and conservation centre means you’ll take part in a variety of important roles and projects to ensure the ethical standard and long-term health and happiness of the animals at the facility to support its conservation objectives... giving injured or orphaned animals a second chance, a species with an approx. population less than 7,000 worldwide.

Day-to-day planned nutrition and feeding, taking part in medical procedures, helping with site maintenance, researching and studying wildlife and educating the public through presentations and tours. Balance routine work with specialist projects relevant to your particular skills and interests to develop the centre.

Program objectives and duties
Rehabilitating, breeding and caring for wildlife
From regular health checks, planned veterinary work to responding to emergencies to treat injuries and diseases. Understand and apply how to care for and treat animals in a rehabilitation and conservation setting through hands-on practical experience.

Learn from and work with the experts to ensure endangered species or orphaned wildlife have a future.

Observe and research wildlife
Spending time in enclosures, you’ll build trust and work with specific animals to study them as part of ongoing research. Through observation, you’ll collect data and results that could be useful in the caring and support of individual animals or unlocking the behaviour of a species. 

Preparing food and cleaning enclosures
Each animal has a specific diet based on the nutrients it requires and its anatomy, learn about the adaptations of each species and prepare food accordingly. Equally as important is the cleanliness of enclosures, help clean and ensure old food is removed.

Design and provide enrichment for wildlife
There’s no debating it, a captive environment is very different from the natural environment wildlife should be in. Some animals like big cats thrive in captivity, others require support to promote good behaviour. Help design and implement environmental enrichment, toys for play to prevent boredom, structures to allow animals to hide or mimic natural environments.

Educational tours and presentations
The centre is open to the public and multiple times a day there are guided tours to allow people to visit and understand the challenges facing conservation and how the centre supports that. Once you’re comfortable and confident with your knowledge, help guide and showcase the incredible species you work with and educate others.

Centre maintenance and habitat management
From repairing fences, expanding facilities or building new enclosures to helping remove invasive species of plants to promote local biodiversity, support the centres growth and development hands on an practically.

Conservation work and camera trapping
The centre is based on a reserve teeming with wildlife including antelope, small mammals, reptiles and even wild leopard and hyena. Help monitor and understand the local species through conservation research.

Medical and animal care work
Sometimes injured or sick animals need extra care and support. This could be newly rescued animals from the wild or existing animals at the centre with their planned and scheduled procedures. Support the centre staff with their work, understand the medicines and techniques used and help protect wildlife. 

Optional activities and discover South Africa
The North West of South Africa known as the Waterberg is a unique UNESCO area of critical biodiversity, we want you to explore and get to know South Africa during your time with us.

In addition to the game drives and safari experiences you’ll have a chance for days out to discover key and iconic landscapes.