Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Clinic
Program Overview
Join a passionate team of wildlife experts and volunteers, dedicated to giving sick, injured, and orphaned animals a second chance at life. This hands-on volunteer opportunity lets you assist with the daily care, feeding, and rehabilitation of a wide variety of wildlife until they are strong and healthy enough to return to the wild. It’s a deeply rewarding experience knowing your efforts contribute to their freedom and safety.
Ideal for students or professionals in animal physiotherapy or veterinary medicine, this project also offers the chance to support the clinic manager and staff in the onsite wildlife clinic.
● Help care for over 3,000 animals annually, including monkeys, reptiles, raptors, genets, mongoose, and antelope
● Work alongside a small, experienced team of local and international volunteers
● Gain practical experience in wildlife care and rehabilitation
● Animal species and numbers vary by season
Be part of meaningful conservation work and help protect wildlife for future generations. Visit our website to learn more and get involved.
Ready to dive deeper into this program?
Jump to the full breakdown of dates, costs, eligibility, and more.
Program Highlights
What's Included
Quick Details
- 1-2 Weeks
- 2-4 Weeks
- 5-8 Weeks
- 9-12 Weeks
- Winter
- Summer
- Animal Welfare
- Conservation
- Veterinary Science
- Wildlife
- American
- Andorran
- Angolan
- Antarctica
- Antiguan & Barbudan
- Argentinian
- Armenian
- Aruban
- Asian
- Australian
- Austrian
- Azerbaijani
- Bahamian
- Bahraini
- Bangladeshi
- Barbadian
- Basotho
- Belarusian
- Belgian
- Belizean
- Beninese
- Bermudian
- Bhutanese
- Bissau-Guinean
- Bolivian
- Bonaire
- Bosnian
- Botswana
- Brazilian
- British
- British Virgin Islander
- Bruneian
- Bulgarian
- Burkinabe
- Burundian
- Cambodian
- Cameroonian
- Canadian
- Cape Verdean
- Caymanian
- Central African
- Chadian
- Channel Islander
- Chilean
- Chinese
- Colombian
- Comoran
- Congolese
- Cook Islander
- Costa Rican
- Creole
- Croatian
- Cuban
- Curacao
- Cypriot
- Czech
- Danish
- Djibouti
- Dominican
- Dutch
- Ecuadorian
- Egyptian
- Emirati
- English
- Equatorial Guinean
- Eritrean
- Estonian
- Ethiopian
- European
- Fijian
- Filipino
- Finnish
- French
- Gabonese
- Gambian
- Georgian
- German
- Ghanaian
- Gibraltarian
- Greek
- Greenlandic
- Grenadian
- Guadeloupian
- Guatemalan
- Guinean
- Guyanese
- Haitian
- Hawaiian
- Honduran
- Hungarian
- I-Kiribati
- Icelandic
- Indian
- Indonesian
- Iranian
- Iraqi
- Irish
- Israeli
- Italian
- Ivorian
- Jamaican
- Japanese
- Jordanian
- Kazakhstani
- Kenyan
- Kittitian, Nevisian
- Kiwi
- Korean
- Kuwaiti
- Kyrgyzstani
- Lao or Laotian
- Latvian
- Lebanese
- Liberian
- Libyan
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuanian
- Luxembourg
- Macedonian
- Malagasy
- Malawian
- Malaysian
- Maldivian
- Malian
- Maltese
- Manx
- Marshallese
- Martiniquais
- Mauritanian
- Mauritian
- Mexican
- Micronesian
- Moldovan
- Monegasque
- Mongolian
- Montenegrin
- Montserratian
- Moroccan
- Mozambican
- multi
- Myanmar
- Namibian
- Nauruan
- Nepalese
- New Caledonian
- Ni-Vanuatu
- Nicaraguan
- Nigerian
- Nigerien
- Niuean
- Norwegian
- Omani
- Pakistani
- Palauan
- Palestinian
- Panamanian
- Papua New Guinean
- Paraguayan
- Peruvian
- Polish
- Polynesian
- Portuguese
- Puerto Rican
- Qatari
- Reunionese
- Romanian
- Russian
- Rwandan
- Saban
- Sahrawian, Sahraouian
- Saint Helenian
- Saint Lucian
- Saint Vincentian or Vincentian
- Salvadoran
- Sammarinese
- Samoan
- Sao Tomean
- Saudi Arabian
- Scottish
- Senegalese
- Serbian
- Serbian; Montenegrin
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leonean
- Singaporean
- Slovak
- Slovenian
- Solomon Islander
- Somali
- South African
- South Sudanese
- Spanish
- Sri Lankan
- St. Barts
- Statian
- Sudanese
- Surinamese
- Swazi
- Swedish
- Swiss
- Syrian
- Tahiti
- Taiwanese
- Tajikistani
- Tanzanian
- Thai
- The Vatican
- Tibet
- Timorese
- Togolese
- Tongan
- Trinidadian, Tobagonian
- Tunisian
- Turkish
- Turkmen
- Turks and Caicos
- Tuvaluan
- Ugandan
- Ukrainian
- Uruguayan
- Uzbekistani
- Venezuelan
- Vietnamese
- Virgin Islander
- Welsh
- Yemeni
- Zambian
- Zimbabwean
Updated Oct 16, 2025
Program Details
Learn all the nitty gritty details you need to know
Locations
- KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
Available Terms / Availability
- Years Offered
- Year Round
Eligible Nationalities
- American
- Andorran
- Angolan
- Antarctica
- Antiguan & Barbudan
- Argentinian
- Armenian
- Aruban
- Asian
- Australian
- Austrian
- Azerbaijani
- Bahamian
- Bahraini
- Bangladeshi
- Barbadian
- Basotho
- Belarusian
- Belgian
- Belizean
- Beninese
- Bermudian
- Bhutanese
- Bissau-Guinean
- Bolivian
- Bonaire
- Bosnian
- Botswana
- Brazilian
- British
- British Virgin Islander
- Bruneian
- Bulgarian
- Burkinabe
- Burundian
- Cambodian
- Cameroonian
- Canadian
- Cape Verdean
- Caymanian
- Central African
- Chadian
- Channel Islander
- Chilean
- Chinese
- Colombian
- Comoran
- Congolese
- Cook Islander
- Costa Rican
- Creole
- Croatian
- Cuban
- Curacao
- Cypriot
- Czech
- Danish
- Djibouti
- Dominican
- Dutch
- Ecuadorian
- Egyptian
- Emirati
- English
- Equatorial Guinean
- Eritrean
- Estonian
- Ethiopian
- European
- Fijian
- Filipino
- Finnish
- French
- Gabonese
- Gambian
- Georgian
- German
- Ghanaian
- Gibraltarian
- Greek
- Greenlandic
- Grenadian
- Guadeloupian
- Guatemalan
- Guinean
- Guyanese
- Haitian
- Hawaiian
- Honduran
- Hungarian
- I-Kiribati
- Icelandic
- Indian
- Indonesian
- Iranian
- Iraqi
- Irish
- Israeli
- Italian
- Ivorian
- Jamaican
- Japanese
- Jordanian
- Kazakhstani
- Kenyan
- Kittitian, Nevisian
- Kiwi
- Korean
- Kuwaiti
- Kyrgyzstani
- Lao or Laotian
- Latvian
- Lebanese
- Liberian
- Libyan
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuanian
- Luxembourg
- Macedonian
- Malagasy
- Malawian
- Malaysian
- Maldivian
- Malian
- Maltese
- Manx
- Marshallese
- Martiniquais
- Mauritanian
- Mauritian
- Mexican
- Micronesian
- Moldovan
- Monegasque
- Mongolian
- Montenegrin
- Montserratian
- Moroccan
- Mozambican
- multi
- Myanmar
- Namibian
- Nauruan
- Nepalese
- New Caledonian
- Ni-Vanuatu
- Nicaraguan
- Nigerian
- Nigerien
- Niuean
- Norwegian
- Omani
- Pakistani
- Palauan
- Palestinian
- Panamanian
- Papua New Guinean
- Paraguayan
- Peruvian
- Polish
- Polynesian
- Portuguese
- Puerto Rican
- Qatari
- Reunionese
- Romanian
- Russian
- Rwandan
- Saban
- Sahrawian, Sahraouian
- Saint Helenian
- Saint Lucian
- Saint Vincentian or Vincentian
- Salvadoran
- Sammarinese
- Samoan
- Sao Tomean
- Saudi Arabian
- Scottish
- Senegalese
- Serbian
- Serbian; Montenegrin
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leonean
- Singaporean
- Slovak
- Slovenian
- Solomon Islander
- Somali
- South African
- South Sudanese
- Spanish
- Sri Lankan
- St. Barts
- Statian
- Sudanese
- Surinamese
- Swazi
- Swedish
- Swiss
- Syrian
- Tahiti
- Taiwanese
- Tajikistani
- Tanzanian
- Thai
- The Vatican
- Tibet
- Timorese
- Togolese
- Tongan
- Trinidadian, Tobagonian
- Tunisian
- Turkish
- Turkmen
- Turks and Caicos
- Tuvaluan
- Ugandan
- Ukrainian
- Uruguayan
- Uzbekistani
- Venezuelan
- Vietnamese
- Virgin Islander
- Welsh
- Yemeni
- Zambian
- Zimbabwean
- This Program is also open to Couples, Families, Group
Education Levels & Language
- Language
- English
- Education
- University Freshman (1st Year)
- University Sophomore (2nd Year)
- University Junior (3rd Year)
- University Senior (4th Year)
- University 5th Year or More
- High School Freshman (1st Year)
- High School Sophomore (2nd Year)
- High School Junior (3rd Year)
- High School Senior (4th Year)
- High School 5th Year or More
- Some high school, no diploma
- High school graduate, diploma or the equivalent (for example: GED)
- Some college credit, no degree
- Trade/technical/vocational training
- Associate degree
- Bachelor’s degree
- Master’s degree
- Professional degree
- Doctorate degree
Accommodation Options
- Group living
Application Procedures
- Resume
- Online Application
- Other
Age Requirement
14+
Duration
- 1-2 Weeks
- 2-4 Weeks
- 5-8 Weeks
- 9-12 Weeks
- Winter
- Summer
Starts At
Program Reviews
Hear what past participants have to say about Volunteer International Adventures
Be the first to review Volunteer International Adventures
If you've participated in this program, your review helps future students decide.
Review this ProgramInquire
Inquire about this program
Have a question? Send us a message and the program team will get back to you.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers to all the most common questions about Volunteer International Adventures .
How are the South African seasons?
South Africa experiences four distinct seasons:
- Spring: September, October, and November
- Summer: December, January, and February
- Autumn: March, April, and May
- Winter: June, July, and August
Is it a good time to volunteer in the South African spring and summer?
During spring and summer, animals that have suitably recovered and been rehabilitated (weaned from their dependence on human caregivers) are released back into the wild. In addition to caring for new arrivals and animals not yet fully recovered, you are also likely to participate in the release and monitoring animals during this time. It’s also baby animal season, making it a particularly busy and rewarding period.
How many animals are there?
The Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Clinic volunteer project cares for anywhere between 200 and 600 different animals at any given time!
Is the project year-round?
Yes, the project runs all year round, as wildlife rescue and rehabilitation never stops. The focus of the work varies by season, depending on the specific needs and stages of recovery for each animal.
Can we volunteer as a couple?
Yes! If you apply in advance, we can arrange for you to stay in the couples' bedroom.
Related Programs
Browse programs you might like
![International Volunteer HQ [IVHQ] logo](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.goabroad.com%2Fimage%2Fupload%2Fc_pad%2Cf_auto%2Cw_100%2Ch_100%2Fv1%2Fimages2%2Fclients%2Flogos%2FMAIN%2Fb7aQwxqKkTQs1TCbQKDnmQAVGPjGCilE6Nj4ktx5.jpg&w=96&q=75){kind=small}
International Volunteer HQ [IVHQ]
4.68
831 reviews
At International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ), we unite people from over 96 countries who want to make a meaningful difference while exploring the world. ...
GoEco - Top Volunteer Organization
4.96
27 reviews
The ranch is home to over 90 species of animals and reptiles and is one of the largest cheetah breeding centers in the world. The ranch is intern...
Penda Photo Tours
4.75
8 reviews
Experience the power of visual storytelling during this unique humanitarian photography program in a town just outside Cape Town—Stellenbosch, So...
Have more questions?
We're here to help!
The GoAbroad team is here to support you as you choose the best program for you, and Volunteer International Adventures is also happy to answer any questions you have.
Trusted by millions of travelers worldwide since 1997