Save Africa’s Iconic Wildlife at Moholoholo

My volunteering experience with African Conservation Experience involved spending a month at Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre as an intern on the Wildlife Rehabilitation Placement. As soon as I arrived, it was clear that Moholoholo is an amazing place filled with passionate staff who are all dedicated to helping wildlife. During my time on the project, I was able to learn new skills and techniques for animal care and husbandry. I had such a variety of experiences, not only through conversations with the staff, but also in the hands-on experience I was able to do as well. Whether it was how to hold an owl during routine medical examinations, proper procedures for quarantine and animal releases, or new and interesting enrichment activities for animals. Beyond the volunteering, I was lucky enough to have amazing experiences like watching a giraffe be released, vulture feedings, as well as making great memories with the staff and my fellow volunteers. The sanctuary is also located beneath a beautiful mountain that is never tiring to wake up to, in addition to being near a small town with plenty of shops. The time I spent volunteering at Moholoholo is one of the most fulfilling and enriching experiences of my life. The work can be tiring, but for anyone and everyone who is interested in learning the correct and modern methods for wildlife conservation and care (or simply wishes to do work that directly helps wildlife), Moholoholo, with its knowledgeable and dedicated staff, is absolutely the best place to visit and volunteer.

When I first arrived at Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, there were impala, nyala and duikers running around, and because I come from Germany, I couldn’t believe it! My favourite moments at Moholoholo were either when a vet came in, and we got to hear the heartbeat of a cheetah or when I got to see a duiker being released after it had been rehabilitated! When that duiker was brought in, he had severe swelling, and it was amazing to see him become fully healed before releasing him! Before speaking with an African Conservation Experience (ACE) consultant, I thought I would be working with lots of sick and injured animals. After speaking with ACE, I learned that my responsibilities would be with animals at different stages of their rehabilitation. I’m glad I wasn’t only working with severely injured animals, because despite learning lots through my time at Moholoholo, that job should definitely be left to the qualified staff or interns. Instead, a lot of my responsibilities were with the animals that cannot be released, either due to severe injuries or because they had been rescued from being raised in captivity and wouldn’t have the skills to survive in the wild. They were residents there, and I really loved everything I did for them. The manager of Moholoholo gave us a talk when we first arrived about the rehabilitation they do there, and it was really powerful. He talked about what they’re doing with the animals, how they’re going to release them and the importance of minimising human contact. I learned that if the animals bond with humans, they cannot be released for their own safety and for the safety of the people around them. That’s the reason some of the resident animals are at Moholoholo, because they were rescued from people who tried to raise them like pets in captivity, and now they can never be released into the wild. It’s terrible that people do that, but it’s why Moholoholo are so careful with minimising human contact. An example where I saw this in action was when a baby giraffe needed to be fed. In order to feed her, there was a wall between the giraffe and me so she wouldn't see I was a human. Instead, all she saw was a wall that had a print of a giraffe. Moholoholo are doing a really good job and they really try to be as ethical as possible. Before I volunteered with ACE, if I ever saw an injured animal, I would think I needed to take it to the vet immediately and try to help it. But I’ve learned that sometimes the best thing you can do is leave the animal for a while to see if its mother returns, and only if no other animal comes back for it should you get help from a professional rehabilitation centre or veterinary clinic. Moholoholo are really trying to do the best job they can. They are always trying to find new ways to improve in every aspect of what they do. My favourite activities were definitely the enrichment. For the African wild dogs, we used a plastic ball with holes in it and stuffed meat inside, then threw it into their enclosure so they could play with it and figure out how to get to the food. For the honey badgers, we gave them a box filled with leaves for them to dig through. Later on, we gave them their dinner in a similar way but smothered in honey, and they went crazy because they love honey! During my time at Moholoholo, I really bonded with two of the girls in the same room as me. We are all into photography, and they taught me more about their skills and techniques. I learned a lot from them and left my experience with around 3,000 photos! That’s what was so great about Moholoholo, I loved all the people that were there because I learned so much from them. They even taught me how to braid my hair and how to sew, too! My trousers were really long, and they taught me how to sew them shorter. The girls were really crafty! The staff were really nice too. You could always go to them with questions or jokes, and they were always lovely, even when you could see how much work they had to do. During the excursion to Kruger National Park on my day off, we stopped for 20 minutes by the first elephant we saw. We thought it was amazing, but the guide told us there would be loads more. By the time we finished the safari, it felt like we had seen millions of elephants and giraffes! We saw so many baby elephants too, and they were so sweet! Even on the Kruger excursion, we learned so much from the guide. Because we had stopped so frequently to see the elephants and giraffes on the first excursion, when the opportunity to go again came the next week, I had to go for it! During the second safari to the Kruger, I got to see a jackal, hyena, leopard and lions too! The lionesses are beautiful, and throughout this trip, I felt like I was falling in love with them! I’ve never been on a trip alone before because I’m 16, so it really helped meeting the ACE team at the airport. I really like being independent, and I knew I wanted to do this alone. I did my own research, and when I had a call with one of the ACE consultants, she told me about Moholoholo, and I knew that’s where I wanted to go. My parents were a bit nervous and wanted to know the contact information of a staff member who they could call if they needed to, but when they realised ACE had already passed on that information, they relaxed a lot more. Even though I am someone who likes doing stuff on my own, one of the other volunteers on my travel buddies list texted me before I left Germany, so I had a friend before even arriving! It really helped to know that there was a person waiting for me when I landed and that someone I was meeting at the airport was going on the same project as me too. If my friends wanted to go to South Africa, I would definitely tell them to volunteer at Moholoholo. They would have the best time of their lives!

In February, I took part in a volunteer project at Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. It was my first experience in animal conservation work, and I was struck by how clearly defined and meaningful the volunteer roles and responsibilities were. My favourite part was preparing meals for the servals and owls. The process was surprisingly labour-intensive: a nearby farm donates chicks which have been humanely killed and are used to feed the centre’s larger birds of prey. We had to carefully deyolk and wash the chicks before they could be fed to the birds. It felt really rewarding to see the larger birds eagerly finish their food the next morning. Beyond the hands-on care, the project broadened my perspective on wildlife rehabilitation. I was inspired to learn that the most effective way to prepare an animal for release is to minimise unnecessary human interaction. The team at Moholoholo is really passionate about rehabilitating and releasing as many animals as possible, and you can feel their genuine care and dedication coming straight from the heart. What surprised me most, however, was discovering how limited the availability of suitable habitat is in South Africa. This is mainly due to agricultural expansion and urbanisation. Some rehabilitated animals never get the chance to return to the wild simply because there isn’t enough space left for them. Every decision, whether to release or provide lifelong sanctuary, is made with the animal’s long-term well-being in mind. This experience not only allowed me to contribute directly to the animals’ care but also left me with a deeper appreciation for the complexities and quiet commitment behind conservation work. On top of the excellent experience at Moholoholo, African Conservation Experience (ACE) did a fantastic job organising the entire volunteer placement. They provided us with very detailed project information well before the trip, and the airport pickup was smooth and hassle-free. What touched me the most was their thoughtful messages during the project and even after we returned home. The whole ACE team genuinely made sure we felt supported, valued, and safe throughout our time in South Africa. If you’re considering volunteer work in South Africa but don’t have a travel partner, don’t hesitate to go alone. It’s absolutely fine, you’ll quickly make friends along the way, and ACE does an outstanding job of ensuring you feel secure from arrival until you leave the country!

During my time with African Conservation Experience, I visited Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. This was an incredible experience as I had the chance to work and spend time with a bunch of different animals. One of the most memorable animals that I was able to work with was a baby hippo! That was a really special experience. I also helped look after the lions and cheetahs every day and that is something that I never thought I would be able to say! I think it's an experience that you wouldn’t get anywhere else. I loved my time at Moholoholo so much that I extended my stay from two weeks to one month! Because of this, I was able to help out with a very special case at the centre where I got to be the sole volunteer responsible for that animal. I learnt so much from the staff in my time there and it felt great they trusted me with this responsibility. Another thing I loved about Moholoholo was that I felt like I had worked hard at the end of each day and all for a good reason. The animals are being looked after because of you. It's clear that without the funding from the volunteers, and the extra pairs of hands that you are providing, the work and care for the animals wouldn’t be happening. Things like their enclosures getting repaired and the food that they eat wouldn’t be possible without the volunteers, so you feel like you are making a difference. It’s great seeing animals in the wild and it's very special, but being able to work up close with animals that you wouldn’t ever think that you would be up close with is really amazing. Seeing first-hand the amount of care and attention that the team give to each animal and how tirelessly they work is extraordinary. Being part of this team was phenomenal!

ACE made my trip so much easier. It was my first time out of the country and traveling alone I was super nervous but they really made it stress free. Every detail I most likely wouldn’t have thought of ACE handled such as the small travels to and from places, they helped me set up a hotel that had travel to and from the airport. When I thought I was lost in the airport I made a quick call to them and they helped me find the right way. Truly made the experience so much better because of their support. Thank you so much ACE! I went to Moholoholo for my Conservation experience and it was absolutely amazing being hands-on and helping staff care for these amazing animals.

I am extremely grateful for the opportunity I had to volunteer in southern Africa, and I want to give special thanks to African Conservation Experience for being amazing. My time with ACE has been truly life-changing. I was in a dark place, and my experience in Africa has brought a whole new light into my life. It has shown me how amazing our world is and made me realise that we can save it as long as enough people can see conservation's importance. I don't know if I can even put into words how important my time at Moholoholo was. For those of us who are compassionate about conservation and wildlife, it's such a powerful and emotional project to be a part of. Being a small part of an animal's rehabilitation and helping them survive and get back out into the wild, there are no words to describe it. The dedication that the Moholoholo staff showed every day, through their diligence and hard work for the animals in their care was inspiring. A typical day at Moholoholo is quite diverse. We work six or seven days a week, starting at 6:30 in the morning. We begin by checking on the specific animals that have been assigned to you and your group, making sure they are healthy, eating well, and maintaining a good weight. We also clean their enclosures to ensure they have a clean place to rest. In the afternoon or late morning, we regroup and take care of any additional tasks that have come up during the day. We try to rotate tasks to give everyone a variety of experiences, but if someone is particularly interested in working with a specific animal or in a certain area, they will usually get a chance to do so. After our lunch and free time, we go out for afternoon rounds, where most of the larger animals like the big cats get fed. It's a fulfilling feeling, despite the hard work, to know that what we're doing means something. One of the most memorable aspects of my experience was the connections and respect I formed with the animals. I developed strong relationships with the staff at the project, but it was the bonds I created with the animals that stood out the most. I had an amazing experience volunteering with ACE and would do it again in a heartbeat. They were incredibly organised, and there was always someone available to assist me at every step. I felt fully supported, whether it was through in-person assistance or easily reaching them by message or phone. They guided us through everything and answered all our questions - I never felt lost. Before volunteering, I did a lot of research into other companies and the ethics of volunteering. I can honestly say ACE truly exceeded my expectations.

African Conservation Experience made possible and helped to navigate me through one of the most interesting journeys in my life - from my day to day job in front of the computer screen to a wildlife rehabilitation centre, Moholoholo. Not only did the crew personally ensure the trip was safe, they've also shared some in-depth knowledge about life in South Africa: its' wonders, as well as the complex difficulties around it. Working with animals and learning from the clinic staff has been an inspiration (and hard work of course, but the kind that feels very right). The environment that consists of nature, animals and people with golden hearts can do wonderful things. To anyone considering becoming a volunteer through ACE - this can be a life changing individual experience, but it may also motive you to continue your wildlife education and open up new opportunities ahead of you. I'm happy to recommend ACE as a professional guide for volunteers.

Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre is a dream place to be. I had the most wonderful experience, volunteering here for two weeks. The staff made me feel at home and welcomed me from the very first day with open arms. They gave me the chance to work with the very diverse wildlife that they rehabilitate there. The staff at Moholoholo were very trusting of the ACE volunteers and wanted to include us in every single activity that they were doing. They went above and beyond to create meaningful and unforgettable wildlife experiences. I even got to participate in vaccinations and babysit the orphaned wildlife that was coming in through the door. A highlight was bottle-feeding the baby bushbaby! As a volunteer, you felt like you were having a real impact on those animals' lives. The work at Moholoholo can be a challenging experience. You may find yourself doing things you never thought you would, such as prepping vulture food, cleaning bird enclosures, and cleaning up after lions and leopards. However, at the same time, it is an incredibly rewarding experience. You will work alongside like-minded individuals who are all collaborating towards the same goal of giving these animals a better life. While also spreading the word about animal conservation to the thousands of visitors that they receive every year. I can only recommend going to Moholoholo and experiencing it for yourself because it's going to make a difference in how you see things. It's going to bring many new exciting experiences into your life, and you're going to grow a lot through the stay! You will be surrounded by amazing wildlife and really admirable people.

I have travelled to Africa solo before, so I was excited about the prospect of travelling with a friend this time around. Unfortunately, they were unable to make it last minute. However, I was not worried as I knew African Conservation Experience (ACE) was going to be incredibly supportive. I was greeted at the airport arriving and departing and at each transportation facility. I have never experienced this level of support before while travelling and I felt that it was very considerate to be met on arrival. It also allowed me to learn wonderful things from the in-country ACE team and meet the other ACE volunteers who were coming and going that day too. The people I volunteered with at Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre were all wonderful and from different backgrounds and ages. From this, I was able to experience new things and broaden my knowledge of Africa from different perspectives. Moholoholo was up close and personal work caring for a variety of animals, an opportunity I never dreamed I would experience. There is always so much to learn and maybe some people think travelling solo at 78 is brave, but age is just a number! If you still feel young at heart volunteering is for you. Mind over matter. I do not think I came across a single activity while volunteering that I did not feel comfortable joining in. There is something magically magnetic about Africa that keeps drawing me back year after year. I feel that ACE was an incredibly supportive company to work with, and I would not hesitate to work with them again. I'm looking forward to hopefully travelling with ACE next year.

Will be eternally grateful for the experience of a lifetime - from the first phone call with an adviser to Martin meeting you at the airport both sides; a first-rate service. As an individual, you're matched with a centre to suit your interests, aims and experience: my time at Moholoholo Conservation Centre will stay with me forever. Thank you, ACE!

I spent 1 week at Moholoholo, and I loved this project and the help I received from Martin whilst I was in South Africa was outstanding. Unfortunately, I injured myself at the end of the week but Martin helped me out with everything (transport to the hospital, contacting travel insurance, snacks + waiting with me at the hospital) so I didn’t have to stress. I would recommend booking through ACE. Genuine conservation work and an amazing experience. Wish I could’ve stayed longer.

The experiences surpassed my expectations for sure. I went to Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. At the centre, I was able to be a bit more intimate with the animals. A highlight from me was standing less than a foot away from a hyena, and looking at them so closely was a pretty insane experience. There was a great group of people who were very keen to work and had a very similar mindset. This made you feel united with what you were doing here. It's been a great first experience in terms of venturing into the conservation world. I'd certainly come back and I'd always use ACE and any of their recommendations! They were perfect.

Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre was amazing. They took care of me as well as they did the animals. We got to go to the Kruger National Park for the day on safari, which was great, and something I've always wanted to do. The guide used all of his contacts to work out where everything was. We also spotted a cheetah ourselves, which ended up walking right towards us and crossed the road in front of the car which I think was really, really special. My highlight was just working at the centre, where you understand the human impact on wildlife, and I got to feel like I was contributing. I wanted to work on a project that wasn't just about tourism, with a facade of conservation, and ACEs projects fulfilled what I was looking for. I can't recommend them and ACE highly enough.

I have volunteered with African Conservation Experience (ACE) twice over the last two years, and each time has been amazing! I have been fortunate enough to volunteer at three different projects so far, and I have to say every time has been an unforgettable experience, and it definitely won’t be my last. I have recently returned from a month at Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. My days at both projects were filled with a range of responsibilities from feeding, cleaning, providing enrichment, and general animal care. I even got involved in veterinary work and a honey badger release at Moholoholo! Each day was so different and I met the most amazing people during my time at both projects. The staff at the centres treat you like family and you begin to really feel like it’s your home. To any potential volunteers thinking about it, do it! It’s the best thing I’ve ever done in my life, and you might even make friends for life. By volunteering with ACE, I’ve been able to build my confidence so much, and it’s given me a huge amount of knowledge to help me with my university studies. I could not recommend it enough!

I spend 2 weeks at Moholoholo Animal Conservation Center. I had the most amazing time ever! I went with a friend and we loved every second of it. We met the most amazing people, learned SO MUCH about wildlife and got to experience a true adventure. For anyone thinking about committing to this: I highly recommend it. Get out of your comfort zone and have the experience of a lifetime. I do recommend going with a friend, but most people I met at Moholoholo did Solo travelling which they also really enjoyed. The animals are all kept under really professional conditions, I was so overwhelmed with joy by how hands-on the process is and how much responsibility we received. The staff are all truly interested in making your time there worthwhile. I started planning my trip in January (so around 7 months in advance) and the lovely people at ACE made it so easy. Thank you to everyone! This will forever be something I carry with me!

I have dreamed of coming to Africa to work with animals for quite some time so when I heard about African Conservation Experience (ACE) I knew I had to go! No matter who you are or where you are from, if you love animals and want to experience a wonderful part of this world, this is the company for you. Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, where I worked with the other ACE volunteers to care for the animals at the sanctuary. While I was there I was able to help with different projects such as cleaning a new serval enclosure and remodeling a mongoose enclosure. At Moholoholo I was able to work with amazing animals and incredible people. My daily work was feeding and caring for species such as lions, cheetahs, owls, eagles, hyenas, leopards, and many others. There was never a moment in my entire experience where I felt unsafe or unsure of what to do, I constantly had a guiding hand supporting me and helping me contribute to conservation. When I left for my ACE experience I thought this would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, I now know this was the first of many experiences I will have in conservation and animal care in Africa. Thank you so much to Moholoholo and the amazing friends I made along the way! And of course a massive thank you to the ACE team for making this happen!

I spent two weeks at Moholoholo there and fell in love with all of the animals. I was in the group that was responsible for taking care of three eagles, three spotted eagle owls and two servals. Later I was put in charge of two nyala and helped out with many other animals. The work wasn't easy and the days could feel long, but I loved every second of it because the animals and staff were amazing. Each week new volunteers came through, including a group of 18 university students the first week, and so I found it really special getting to meet so many new people. There were multiple presentations that I got to listen to, including a conservation talk from vet Dr Peter Rogers. There was also a talk about the terrible poisonings that are threatening many of Africa’s vulture populations by Dr Lindy Thompson, who works with the Endangered Wildlife Trust. I was privileged to be a part of Moholoholo’s release of 10 vultures, including the cape vulture (vulnerable), lappet-faced vulture (endangered), white-backed vulture (critically endangered), and hooded vulture (critically endangered). Another volunteer and I got to spend the whole morning helping the staff, Dr. Lindy Thompson and her partner prepare the vultures for release by taking measurements of each one and attaching GPS trackers or tags to them. This was an incredible experience. Leaving Moholoholo was not easy. ACE is a great company that I would highly recommend travelling with.

I helped the Moholoholo centre with their daily animal care tasks which were usually cleaning, feeding, and caring for the range of animals at Moholoholo. I got the chance to work closely with two pairs of honey badgers and four white-faced owls. My experience with ACE and the projects was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I could not recommend it enough to other people thinking of volunteering.I can not thank the teams at Moholoholo enough!

A truly great experience. ACE took care of all the heavy lifting while in Africa, all their programs are extremely informative and educational. Constantly working with great people and animals - Moholoholo was brilliant!

As an aspiring vet, I have always enjoyed watching documentaries about African wildlife and dreaming of seeing it all in person. So it was the chance of a lifetime when I was able to spend a month of my gap year volunteering at Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre and work with a fantastic variety of animals: lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, wild dogs, zebras, honey badgers, eagles, vultures and many more. Spending four weeks at Moholoholo could not have been better. The days were long, but the work was rewarding. Morning rounds began at 6.30 am, when each group of volunteers fed and cleaned the enclosures of the animals they were responsible for. Then we worked on communal “big jobs” for the rest of the morning. In the afternoon, we either relaxed or took part in an activity organised by the staff, and then we did afternoon rounds until dinner. At the start, I asked a lot of questions to try and get my head around the feeding charts, cleaning procedures etc., but I quickly settled into the routine and soon the newer volunteers were coming to me for help! When I was looking for a project, it was important to me that there would be a thriving and friendly volunteer community - this is certainly the case at Moholoholo. Meals are eaten together, often alongside staff members, and free time is usually spent chatting or playing cards. The common room and accommodation are at the heart of the centre, so you are constantly immersed. You fall asleep at night to a serenade of insects buzzing and whirring in the bush, the stillness broken only by the low rumbling call of a lion or the shriek of a hyena. In the month that I was there, I was involved in two releases: a genet and an endangered lappet-faced vulture, the latter of which had to be GPS-tagged. I also helped to trap and relocate a problematic honey badger who was destroying a local farmer’s livelihood. There were plenty of veterinary cases, both routine and emergency. At Moholoholo you quickly learn to be prepared for anything, as you find yourself being called away at a moment’s notice to help with some new and exciting case! Around the rehab, I bottle-fed a baby zebra and even taught a two-day-old baby bird how to eat. I learned a lot about conservation, by attending two talks. I was able to see how Moholoholo’s efforts fit into the wider world of conservation, which made my trip all the more eye-opening. My perspective shifted as I realised that there was a vast “grey” area between the black-and-white of conservation that I originally saw. The lessons I learned will last a lifetime. The staff at Moholoholo were amazing, to the extent that I have kept in touch with several of them since leaving. Everyone was helpful, kind and good-humoured, and this is what creates the wonderful atmosphere which makes the rehab so attractive to volunteers. When I left, it truly felt like I was leaving a home and a family. I am so grateful to ACE and the Moholoholo team for giving me such a memorable experience. I will be back, certainly to return to Moholoholo. It was humbling to be part of the incredible work Moholoholo does and I feel privileged to have been able to make a difference, however small, to the conservation of the magnificent African wildlife.