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Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Clinic

by: Volunteer International Adventures

Add first reviewVerifiedSince 2020

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.

Program Highlights

Support the recovery of birds, antelope, wild cats, monkeys, meerkats, and more by giving them a second chance at life in their natural habitat.

Prepare nutritious meals and enrichments for rescued animals to meet dietary needs and reduce stress during rehabilitation.

Assist in the care, treatment, and monitoring of animal progress while keeping enclosures clean and suitable for recovery.

Join the clinic team if you're studying or qualified in veterinary medicine and attend consultations with the private vet.

Enjoy your free time with trips to golden beaches, Big 5 wildlife reserves, Lake St. Lucia, and the vibrant, multicultural city of Durban.

Quick Details

Locations:
  • KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
Starts At: $300-600
Availability
Year(s) Offered: Year RoundDuration:
  • 1-2 Weeks
  • 2-4 Weeks
  • 5-8 Weeks
  • 9-12 Weeks
  • Winter
  • Summer
Age Requirement: 14+
Types & Subjects
Causes:
  • Animal Welfare
  • Conservation
  • Veterinary Science
  • Wildlife
Guidelines
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
See all program details
Last Updated: Oct 16, 2025

Program Details

Learn all the nitty gritty details you need to know

Locations

  • KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

Types and Subjects

  • Causes
  • Animal Welfare
  • Conservation
  • Veterinary Science
  • Wildlife

Availability

Years Offered: Year Round

Duration:
  • 1-2 Weeks
  • 2-4 Weeks
  • 5-8 Weeks
  • 9-12 Weeks
  • Winter
  • Summer

Age Requirement

14+

Guidelines

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

Starts At

$300-600

Program Cost Includes

  • Accommodation / Housing for Program Duration
  • Some Program Activity Costs
  • Wifi Costs
  • Weekday Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
  • Weekend Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
  • Airport Transfer (Pick-Up)
  • Airport Transfer (Drop-Off)
  • In-Country Transportation To & From Project
  • Some Equipment
  • On-Site / In-Country Staff Support
  • In-Country Orientation
  • Pre-Departure Orientation
  • Laundry
  • Training
  • Emergency Support

Accommodation Options

  • Group living

Qualifications & Experience

    Language Skills Required

  • English

    Accepted Education Levels

  • 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

Application Procedures

  • Resume
  • Online Application
  • Other

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

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