02/09/2010

Elephant & Black Rhino Conservation Volunteer Programs in Africa

Travel to Zimbabwe and take part in an elephant & black rhino conservation project! Be a part of a world renowned programme to save this ancient animal from extinction.

The Story Behind The Project?

Black Rhinoceroses have been on this earth for 40 million years. So numerous were they and so magnificent was the mighty Zambezi Valley of Zimbabwe, that the United Nations declared the Valley a world Heritage site in 1984. It became a place where the black rhino would survive forever amid awesome scenery. In 1975 some thousands of black rhino roamed the valley of Eden. By 1980, 3000 black rhino had survived the liberation war. A poaching onslaught ensued…By 1987 the black rhino became extinct in the Zambezi Valley.

During the late 1980’s, at the peak of the rhino poaching era, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife decided to remove the remaining 120 black rhino out of the danger zones of the National Parks and into Intensive Protection Zones of Conservancies. The Safari Ranch offered their expertise and was awarded 7 baby rhino aged between 4 and 6 months; 3 males Noddy, Fumbi, Sprinter and 4 females Cuckoo, Mvu, D.J. and Amber. All 7 calves were hand-raised on a bottle for at least 8 years. The rhino were kept on the milk formula for that length of time to continue the human contact and of course as a comforter. They have been raised together as a semi-domesticated herd.

Why The Needs Of Volunteers?
The Safari ranch is in need of volunteers to help with the nurturing and upbringing of their Rhinos & Elephants. It is important for volunteers to work alongside the ranch to help eliminate poaching which is ravaging the animal population in Zimbabwe. The ranch also needs your assistance in teaching the local community about the importance of the local wildlife. Without volunteers the ranch would find it difficult to help all of these animals and keep the poachers away.

Volunteers Activities

The Black Rhino Programme
Be a part of a world renowned programme to save this ancient animal from extinction. You will play an important role in rehabilitating these endangered black rhinos back into their natural environment. It will be an experience of a life time and a chance to make a massive contribution to our African Heritage.

Your duties as a volunteer includes
• Learning to handle the rhino
• Cleaning out pens and gathering the evening browse.
• Walk with the rhino and spending quality time with these wonderful animals in order to collect valuable data on their behaviour and ecology.
• Interaction with the baby rhino, providing the contact and security they need during this important time in their lives.
• Feeding and walking with the rhino orphaned calf, and orphaned warthog…pure magic!

You will be playing a vital role in the fight to save the black rhino from extinction.

The Elephant Programme
You will love your time with these magnificent animals…it is a privilege to be in the company of elephant and to work closely with them and their handlers. Makuvusi, Toto and Mundebvu, known as the 3 Musketeers, add colour and humour to Imire. Nzou, our 35 year old elephant, is the matriarch to a herd of buffalo, and she has great wisdom and is loved and respected by us all. Nzou’s presence is grand and her size is mighty.

Your duties as a volunteer will include
• Handling and checking on the training of the elephant.
• Cleaning the pens and assisting with daily feeding.
• Chores such as, wood collection, ploughing, and farm work using the elephant.
• Elephant patrols and snare sweeps.
• Observing the elephant in their natural habitat and spending valuable time in their company...
• Gathering research and data regarding their interactions with the ecosystem on Imire.
• Elephant back safaris - camping out in the bush – a treat for you at the end of your stay

Working with qualified elephant handlers, the ranch offers you endless opportunities to learn about and interact with these amazing animals.

Daily Volunteer Duties

• Anti Poaching - Searching the ranch for poachers, Travel by foot or on horseback
• Animal Monitoring - Mapping, photographing herds of animals, Plant & tree identification
• Boma Duties - Lion/Hyena/Crocodile feeding along with handling orphaned animals
• Community Involvement - Teaching & helping out in the local primary school.


The Required Skills
You will need to be hard working and have a love for animals. You need to be committed to your placement and embrace the local community. You will require patience and good entrepreneurial skills along with good initiative. You are sometimes required to work long days so you must prepare for this.

Local Facilities
You will be located on site within the reserve, everything you need as your day to day requirements will be available to you on site. All food, water and plenty of activities. The ranch is located 100kms east of Harare so it is possible to travel to and from at weekends.

Trip Highlights
The Safari Ranch is offering to the outside world a truly unique opportunity: to live amongst and share in the daily experiences of an African Game Reserve. You will live in close contact with black rhino, elephants, buffalo and all the other species of wild animal on a 10,000 acre Conservancy: witnessing incredible animal relationships, hearing their sounds, recording vital ecological information, and learning to appreciate true simplicity from local communities. What more could you ask for.

More Information: www.subsaharanadventure.com

Sub Saharan Volunteers & Adventures

Elephant & Black Rhino Conservation, Zimbabwe