Description

As a volunteer, you will mainly work with orphaned, injured, neglected, abused and abandoned wild animals and help to create a stable environment for them at the sanctuary. Along with caring for wildlife, you will help with maintenance, assist the local field guides and learn how to guide project tours. Volunteer duties include some of the following:

- Feeding cheetahs and baboons (twice a day)
- Feeding and meal preparation for other wildlife (4-5 times per day)
- Caring for, hand rearing and cleaning baby animals
- Night duty of infant animals (surrogate parenting in bed)
- Cleaning the enclosures
- Assisting with repair and building of structures on the farm
- Building wildlife camps
- Erecting fences around the sanctuary
- Assisting in the clinic with injured animals (qualified veterinary experience required)
- Training to assist as Field Guide for daily tours of the sanctuary
- Assisting at the local bushman clinic

At the end of each day, the volunteers will meet with the supervisor(s) to discuss daily progress, any problems that have occurred and how best they might be resolved and to forward plan.

This wildlife sanctuary gives volunteers the opportunity to care for and handle African wildlife in the beautiful desert landscape of Namibia. Over the past 30 years, the family-run sanctuary has been involved in the care, rehabilitation and housing of orphaned, injured, neglected, abused and abandoned wild animals, including lions, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs, meerkats, baboons, various antelope species and other animals.

Wild animals are often regarded as "problematic animals" in Namibia due to the considerable damage that they cause to livestock and agriculture. Local farmers often resort to shooting and trapping to reduce the problem. The sanctuary works to educate local farmers, provide positive solutions to the incessant problems between farmers and wild animals, and give a safe haven to vulnerable wildlife. Furthermore, the sanctuary has established a trusting bond with the indigenous bushmen in the surrounding areas (including the aptitude to speak their native language) and draws upon this understanding of their customs and needs to help promote conservation goals.

This volunteer project offers the opportunity to get some real hands-on experience assisting many different species of Namibia's wildlife. The sanctuary operates a guiding principle of never turning an animal away so if you want to contribute during your stay in Namibia, this is an ideal project with which to get involved. Not a week passes without a new occupant arriving, thus you will have many opportunities for hands-on work with animals.

Highlights

Volunteering overseas is a great way to travel and contribute to our planet's environment.

As a volunteer you will be able to experience first hand indigenous wildlife, work along side local communities and discover fascinating cultures world wide. Based on years of practice and in-depth volunteer reports, GoEco presents you a careful selection of excellent yet affordable wildlife, education and development volunteer opportunities in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and Latin America.

Travel Types

• Eco Tours
• Ecology
• Safari
• Volunteering

Languages

• English

Cost in US$:

1,810 for 2 weeks, and 680 for each additional

Cost Includes:

• Food
• Housing
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Registration fees
• Written materials pre-departure

Program Fees Include:

- Accommodation: Wood cabin for 4 volunteers
- Food: 3 meals a day
- Orientation kit: Full project details will be sent following registration
- Training: Pre-departure preparation and In-country orientation
- Support: Local in-country team and 24hr emergency support

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

• Animal Welfare
• Conservation
• Environment
• Food
• Painting
• Wildlife Surveying

Age Range

18-40

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Group living
• Guest House

Participants Travel

Independently

Typically Participants Work

in Groups of 20+ international volunteers

Application Process Involves

• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Other
• Phone/Video Interview

GoEco - Volunteer Abroad's Mission Statement

(1) Encourage ecological and volunteer tourism that promotes sustainable development (2) Enable travelers to experience different and more rewarding kinds of tourism. (3) Encourage travelers to volunteer for the benefit of others and thus to serve as a good-will ambassador to other countries in the world. (4) Encourage travelers from all over the world to come to Israel for ecological and community-based projects, in both the Arab and Jewish sectors, and experience firsthand the unique cultural and natural diversity in this region. (5) Support environmental and humanitarian projects that promote understanding and good will between ethnic societies in Israel. (6) Conduct further research in the field of ecological tourism, such as the 'Ecological Footprint' as a tool for sustainable tourism development. (7) Establish an in-depth and up-to-date data base of the relevant projects worldwide. (8) Create a platform from which to explore the various organizations that support the environment and actively encourage volunteering.

Year Founded

2005