Volunteer Programs in Rural Areas, South Africa

Volunteer with rescued big cats at a sanctuary in South Africa! These big cats have been rescued from breeding centers that stole them away from their mothers when they were cubs. Due to their captive upbringing, these cats cannot be returned to the wild. Help these cats live a more natural, enjoyable life at the sanctuary. Volunteers will prepare food for the big cats, make enrichment toys and educate visitors on the current threats to these creatures. Volunteers should be passionate about animal conservation and animal rights and be prepared to make a positive impact in the lives of these rescued animals.

Develop your skills and experience necessary to undertake a successful career in veterinary science or animal welfare in this volunteer program in South Africa. Enhance your practical skills and knowledge by working alongside local wildlife experts in different settings. Learn about conservation and animal management as well while assisting with the important issue of animal welfare in South Africa. Intern activities and topics may include: • Health and safety • Animal management • Animal behavior • Animal health and nutrition • Ecosystem support and biodiversity preservation The placement is available for students considering a career in veterinary science, or first-year vet students who are looking for a different experience. Interns are expected to be able to live under a variety of conditions, be flexible, and be hardworking.

Do you love horses? Then, volunteering at a Horse Ranch on the beach at one of South Africa's most beautiful landscapes is your dream placement! Tasks at the ranch include feeding, grooming, and caring for the horses, riding the horses, preparing rides, saddling and removing saddles, welcoming guests, and cleaning the equipment. The stables and paddock are also cleaned, plastic waste is removed from the beach and riding trails, minor repairs are made, and young and new horses are possibly trained. Before coming to the ranch, many of these horses were rescued from being mistreated by their previous owners. Their new owners at the ranch have over 30 years of practical experience in providing riding lessons, natural horse training, and rehabilitation for abused horses. Horseback riding tours with small groups of tourists are done daily, except when bad weather occurs. You can join tours along the beaches, dune forests, and typical fynbos landscapes of the Western Cape. You can learn a lot about the fascinating nature of the Western Cape. If you're lucky, you'll even spot Southern Right Whales while riding on the beach or swimming with the horses on warm days!

Veterinary internships abroad are perfect to gain work experience and discover new countries at the same time. Be it wild or domestic animals in Africa, Asia, Europe or Latin America, get ready to shadow experienced veterinarians and receive valuable training. Taking part in a veterinary internship is a great opportunity for pre-vet, college and high school students that have a love for animals and are interested in a veterinary career. Volunteers will benefit greatly from working with exotic wildlife and under completely different circumstances, so what are you waiting for?

The South Africa projects are dotted around several different reserves within the country, each focused on assessing the environmental impact of the game and large mammal species, especially elephants, within the reserves. The projects are two to six weeks in length, with some of them involving an additional week at our marine site in Sodwana Bay, where you can learn to dive. Operation Wallacea is a research and environmental organization working alongside university and college academics to build long-term data sets to put toward various conservation management goals. We recruit volunteers to help out with data collection, training them in the skills and background needed to help effectively. There's also the option to complete dissertations or senior theses at our sites.

These big, gentle giants are loved worldwide for their magnificent stature and playful personalities. This programme allows volunteers to really get to know elephants and contribute to their welfare. Volunteers are critical for this programme, becoming part of a team who dedicate their time to understanding these animals better and to researching and monitoring their well being. As the first elephant research center in the world to focus solely on the welfare of these gentle giants, this truly is an exciting place to volunteer. Each day, you will be out and about in the park monitoring the elephant's behavior, as well as helping with data inputting, growing elephant food, and creating enrichments. Volunteers live right in the heart of the park, in a shared accommodation. There is a lounge area, laundry facilities, and internet access. By the end of your experience, you will have met some like-minded people and work towards a worthwhile goal - the most satisfying type of trip!