Conservation Research WCRS-SA

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9

Years in business

We provide volunteer experience and training in conservation research and wildlife management. Our focus is on human-carnivore conflict in the South-African Kalahari.

Who we are:

We are a team of conservation researchers and guiding professionals. Our experience and expertise encompasses safari-guiding, game-farm management, security & anti-poaching, university lecturing in the biological sciences, and academic research.

Having worked with large international ...

Review Description

Who we are:

We are a team of conservation researchers and guiding professionals. Our experience and expertise encompasses safari-guiding, game-farm management, security & anti-poaching, university lecturing in the biological sciences, and academic research.

Having worked with large international volunteer research experience companies we increasingly wished to get back to the root of providing a small-scale, personal learning experience for small groups of volunteers. We continue to work collaboratively with former volunteers, many of whom have gone on to further study in biological sciences and conservation.

What we do:

We aim to provide training in conservation and reserve management giving volunteers the tools to better understand South African wildlife and ecology and, if they wish, to pursue a career in conservation research.

Our training is based on field research and is focussed on private reserves in South Africa which make up the majority of wildlife and conservation land-use in the country. Our main themes investigate human-wildlife conflict and how human livelihoods can coexist with predators in the Kalahari.

Our vision:

Our vision is to provide a genuine volunteer experience in the Southern African bush where volunteers can contribute to understanding an under-researched region and participate in high quality learning and data collection across a range of species.

Our goals:

We aim to better understand leopard, cheetah, and brown hyaena ecology on private reserves and provide management information to better conserve large carnivores on private land.

Our first goal is to build comprehensive distribution and density maps for leopard, cheetah, and brown hyaena, along with game and livestock species within private game reserves in the Kalahari.

Our second goal is to implement a reporting system by which livestock loss is reported and monitored in the region.

Where we work:

Our field sites are located in South Africa’s North West Province bordering Botswana. The sites are on the southern-most fringe of the Kalahari desert region which is known for its beautiful, expansive landscape, magnificent sunsets, and wildlife, including exceptional game viewing and bird-watching.

We are located an hour’s drive from the town of Bray where basic conveniences may be found. We are only a 6 hour drive from Johannesburg airport, yet have a wonderful feeling of being off the beaten track. We love the pioneer spirit of this frontier region.

Health & Safety:

The UK FCO states that most visits to South Africa are trouble-free. Our sites are located on private game reserves accessed by dirt roads. Crime is not a major issue in the region that we operate due to its remoteness from large cities in which most crime occurs.

An airborne doctor serves the reserve meaning that we are well able to swiftly deal with medical emergencies. Our field team are all experienced in running field-sites and working for extended periods in remote regions. Any minor injuries and illnesses can be treated at the clinic in the nearby town of Upington. There is no malaria in the area (but you should consult your doctor before travelling).   

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for motivated individuals who are passionate about experiencing all the bush has to offer. If you are looking for a small, personalised research and conservation project in a beautiful, under-researched region then we would love to hear from you!

Our interests are wide ranging: from carnivore ecology and human-wildlife conflict, to vegetation dynamics and small-mammal ecology. We hope to have something for everyone.

Our programmes are by no means limited to those studying the sciences, and we believe that a wide range of backgrounds can engage with conservation learning and contribute meaningful research and management data. We believe our programmes are ideal not only for students seeking to further their knowledge and experience of their subject but also those who aspire to become involved with game-farm management, and those who wish to experience more of what the bush has to offer other than a tourist safari.


Contact Person

Hough Sounes

Spoken languages: English