Description

A unique opportunity that allows you to contribute to important wildlife conservation research. You will be involved in collecting data which will be used to answer some very important questions which have the potential to change how game reserves are managed in the future.

You will be assisting field staff researching herbivore movement and behaviour, tracking and studying lions and assessing the effects of using contraceptives with elephants in order to control their population.

Furthermore, all this is in a Big 5 (elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion, leopard) area, which allows for unique encounters and photographic opportunities that the average tourist on safari can only dream of.

* A typical day:
Work usually starts between 6am and 7am. Morning activities are usually spent monitoring and collecting samples and collecting data for bird point counts. These activities are followed by lunch. Afternoon activities include developing rhino identikits, carrying out bird identifications, herbivore transect drives, dung counts of plains game, radio tracking lions and observing the behaviour of the contracepted elephants. Work usually finishes between 5pm and 6pm.

Highlights

* Amazing Big 5 encounters
* 1 week bush craft training course
* Live in a private game reserve
* Contribute to important wildlife research

By volunteering with us, you will be contributing to the knowledge base within wildlife conservation research. Your hard work enables the project to study important questions. The results of this research have the potential to be extremely influential for private reserves in Africa, for example by better understanding lion prey selection and the effects of contraception on elephant behaviour. Answering these questions is vital for effective conservation management of the reserve, and since the volunteer project began, they are now able to look at these issues in detail.

Private game reserves now collectively represent more land under conservation than national parks. These reserves often don't benefit from national government funding and are reliant on self funded conservation research projects such as this to create essential data from which to develop best practice policies for private reserve managers.

Volunteers are also involved in other essential hand on activities that are critical to conserving the environment on the reserve.

A large part of your fee is used for your on site costs such as transport, accommodation, meals and research activities. The local host conservation organisation also has normal operating expenses such as salaries, telecoms, insurance etc which are defrayed from your fee. A percentage of your fee goes directly to the reserve conservation fund from which the ongoing research project is financed.

Qualifications

There are no specific qualifications required for this role.

Languages

• English

Cost in US$:

1 month: GBP 1295, 2 months: GBP 2095, 3 months: GBP 2895

Cost Includes:

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

Program Fees Include:

* A comprehensive information booklet and pre-departure support
* Travel advice and assistance
* Being met on arrival at O.R. Tambo Airport (Johannesburg)
* Daily on site transport inside the reserve
* Training manuals, text books, field identification guides and research equipment
* Accommodation (shared permanent tents)
* All meals
* Return transfers to O.R. Tambo Airport (Johannesburg) at the end of your stay
* Ongoing support, help and advice from our local team

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

• Animal Welfare
• Conservation
• Environment
• Research
• Volunteering
• Wildlife Surveying

Age Range

18+

This Program is open to

Worldwide, American, Asian, Australian, Canadian, European, Kiwi and South African Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Other

Participants Travel

Independently

Typically Participants Work

in Groups of 4-9

Application Process Involves

• Written Application

Personal Overseas Development (PoD)'s Mission Statement

PoD is a leading non-profit organization arranging ethical, inspiring and supported volunteering opportunities around the world. Established in 2001, our aim is to support ongoing projects with our partners in Belize, Cambodia, Nepal, Peru, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand and Vietnam by providing passionate and committed volunteers. We work with long term projects that we know personally and where there is genuine benefit to local communities. A placement with PoD will not only develop volunteer's skills and confidence, get them out of their comfort zone and exploring incredible parts of the world but also the ability make a genuine difference. We currently offer gap year, career break, working holiday, volunteer projects and school expeditions from 1 week to 6 months with year round departures. We offer a personal and professional service drawing on years of experience from staff in the UK and overseas. Volunteers are needed to help work with disadvantaged children, communities, animals and conservation projects including: caring for elephants and wild animals; joining an Amazon jungle conservation project; scuba diving and marine conservation; community building projects; volunteering at orphanages and care homes; teaching English and running summer English camps. PoD believes in providing challenging, safe and fun experiences for individuals and groups to enjoy. We are passionate about giving volunteers of all ages the opportunity to use their energy, enthusiasm and personality where it counts.

Year Founded

2001