Info

Work on the Reserve is diverse, and therefore daily activities vary, but participants may be assured of a close and personal experience with the African Bush, and some of its wild life.

Do You Want To Help Rehabilitate The Cheetahs Of South Africa?
The conservation and rehabilitation farm is an enormous reserve that has one main goal; to help nature restore itself and transform back to its original state. This is a very lengthy process and after decades of excessive maltreatment by farmers it can take many years for flora and fauna to re-establish itself. The founders of this amazing project are Will and Sharon who have worked together at several parks including the Kruger National Park and Amakhala Private Game Reserve. Their main objective is to rehabilitate and conserve bordering farms (which they have attained over the last couple of years). They both possess an immense passion for the big cats e.g. Cheetahs, Caracal, and Leopards, and have been safeguarding their existence these last few years. Currently they have three domesticated Cheetahs and four wild Cheetahs in their care, which require daily training to, once again, become independent and skilled hunters and eventually return to their natural habitat. Besides the Cheetahs, the reserve offers home to Hyena’s, Giraffes, Zebras, Vervet Monkeys, Baboons, 350 different bird species and several types of buck e.g. Kudu, Nyala, Red Hartebeest, Springbuck, Duiker, Blesbuck, Waterbuck and Blue Wildebeest. The newest addition to this family is a Meerkat named Maya which was found wounded and brought to the Farm. She hopefully will be the new partner for Milo, the resident Meerkat who has been running the place for some time now. A Caracal kitten named Zakumi has also been brought in by a vet after the mother was killed by a trap on a neighboring farm. In November 2010 the first 13 water buffalo will be introduced to the reserve. There are plans to hopefully introduce Elephant and Rhino to the area as well. Normally there are several African Wild Cat kittens running around and other orphaned animals being treated and getting care at the volunteer home.

Volunteer Activities
Work on the Reserve is diverse, and therefore daily activities vary, but participants may be assured of a close and personal experience with the African Bush, and some of its wild life. Activities that participants are involved in may vary and not all activities are done during each volunteer’s stay.

Animal Rehabilitation

* Cheetah release and breeding program

* Walking of cheetah, during their release program

* Release and monitoring of other endemic animal species

* Feeding, monitoring, and behavioural enrichment of any animals undergoing rehabilitation

* Cleaning of camps

* Assisting wildlife veterinarians, if the need arises

* Daily monitoring of released species


Conservation Management

* Erection of Fences and boma’s (holding encampments)

* Fence Patrols

* Road Maintenance, and building

* Control and removal of alien vegetation

* Reserve clean–up

* Game counts, and individual identification profiles for game

* Erosion control

* Monitoring of waterholes

* Game capture, and game transportation

* Game introduction

* Identifying of mammals, birds, insects, reptiles and plant species

* Filming & Photography

Other Activities

* Bush walks and game drives

* “Sleep outs” in the Bush, under the African Skies (mainly in summer)

* Community work / Outreach Projects in the village of Steytlerville

* Star-gazing

* Tracking course

The Required Skills
For this project you need to be physically fit, be enthusiastic about working with animals and be prepared to roll your seelves up and get dirty. You will be working with other volunteers so as long as you get along with people you will be absolutley fine.

Local Facilities
The conservation and rehabilitation farm is located close to the Baviaanskloof Mega Reserve, which is a huge nature reserve situated in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, which is a world heritage site. The Baviaanskloof Mega Reserve is a unique area in South Africa and almost unique in the world, for it boasts an unspoiled natural habitat for leopards. As a result, these magnificent creatures have been spotted on numerous occasions in the area. The farm is situated a mere 2.5 hours drive from the coastal town Port Elizabeth, the 5th largest city in South Africa, and only 20 km away from the historical Karoo village of Steytlerville. The conservation and rehabilitation farm lies in between the Baviaanskloof Mega Reserve and the Karoo Nature reserve, which extends all the way to Cape Town. During volunteers stay fun activities are offered on the Reserve, such as:

* Camping out under the stars

* Game Drives, and game walks

* Tracking courses by master tracker Erik, who lives on site

Trip Highlights
You are given the opportunity to make a real contribution and help change lives of Cheetahs in South Africa. Experience what it's like to live on a safari ranch in South Africa with the African wilderness all around you.

Duration

No duration restrictions

Start Dates

Contact for more information

Costs / Benefits

You will gain a life changing experience working in the Rainbow Nation, South Africa! You will be given certification by the placement and company you have participated and completed a voluntary placement working on a conservation project in South Africa.

Requirements

Must be over 18 years of age & have a valid passport which must be valid for at least 6 months upon departure from your project country.