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AD WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
This project is a very
caring sanctuary set in a small private game reserve in the Eastern
Cape. It is a very popular and worthwhile placement where your work and
help is desperately needed. You'll assist in hand-rearing, feeding and
generally looking after many different animal species, including about
150 different species of birds, most of which you will never have seen
before.
The sanctuary receives
many abandoned, abused, injured or orphaned animals that all need love
and attention to help prepare them for life back in the wild if
possible, or at least a worthwhile and safe life in the sanctuary. Many
animals breed there, so there are often young animals to care for that
need regular feeding and attention. It is a very hands-on experience
and one that will, without doubt, leave you with an unbelievable feeling
of satisfaction. If this type of placement appeals to you, it really
will be a life changing experience.
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►SUMMARY
FACTFILE |
| Start Dates |
All year round - you choose your
start and finish dates! |
|
Duration |
Minimum stay 2 weeks and up to 1 year, subject to visa
requirements |
| Requirements |
No qualifications needed, just a
big heart and a desire to provide care and support to threatened
animals. |
|
Price |
From £895 /
US$1,345 for 2 weeks, ranging to £2,595 / US$3,895 for 12 weeks.
Full Price List and other
Currencies |
| What's included |
►Accommodation
►Food
►Meeting you at the Airport
►Transfer to your accommodation
►Full pre-departure support
►Local in-country team support
and backup
►24-hr emergency support
►Two free T-shirts
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|
What's not included |
Flights, Insurance, Return transfer to
airport, Transport to and from your
project. |
|
Who can do this Project? |
All our projects are
open to all nationalities.
Unless otherwise stated, you need to be aged between 17 and 70+ |
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Sanctuary and Wildlife Park is situated 50
km south west of the city centre of
Port Elizabeth,
on the Eastern Cape’s
sunshine coast, in a malaria-free area. Set on 1000 hectares of
superb bush and grassland, the sanctuary was started by
Percy, who was originally a farmer on the current piece of land
and has lived there for over 25 years. Having always had an interest in
the rehabilitation of orphaned and injured animals, he decided to
retire from farming and concentrate on building a larger sanctuary
where he could take in and look after animals who
needed a home.
"The
Park itself is absolutely beautiful, set in between rolling hills and
forest, with dams laden with a colourful array of waterbirds and the most
professionally built - and kept - aviaries I have ever seen ...
enormous, squeeky clean, with an interior that closely resembles a natural
environment for the birds."
There
are the most incredible animal
enclosures and aviaries in which he houses the many species
brought to them by the public.
Nearly all the
baby animals in the sanctuary are orphans that have been rescued from
elsewhere and brought to the sanctuary for safety and, where possible, to be
released back into their natural habitat in the wild.
WHAT YOU'LL GAIN FROM DOING THIS PROJECT:
-
An exciting, never-to-be-forgotten adventure into
Africa and the many diverse cultures in South Africa
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The enormous satisfaction of helping abused, orphaned or threatened
animals and
knowing that you made a difference to them.
-
New skills, more confidence, a greater understanding
of a different culture, invaluable personal and professional
development.
-
An entry on your CV or résumé that will put you head
and shoulders above most others in the job market
-
And best of all ... an unforgettable experience!
WORK CONTENT:
As the
Park is rather large, there
is always a very wide
variety of activities that you will be involved in. All
volunteers are expected to “muck in” together,
making the work fun and rewarding. Work ranges from hands-on with the animals, to
helping and guiding the tourists or assisting in the restaurant and bar. Some of
your work will also include general chores in the Park itself. Briefly, your
responsibilities will include some or all of the following:
- Food preparation for all
the animals and birds. You'll learn
which animals eat what food, how to prepare it and and how much to give them.
- Hand-rearing of orphaned wildlife, including birds.
- Nearly all
the baby animals in the sanctuary are orphans that have been rescued from
elsewhere and brought to the sanctuary for safety and, where possible, to be
released back into their natural habitat in the wild. These animals need lots
of care and attention.
- Mucking
out and tidying enclosures,
and, when necessary, helping to expand existing enclosures or constructing new
ones.
- Collecting data
on wildlife within the game reserve section of the park.
This will include, for example, monitoring the
movements of wildlife and
occasionally doing game counts.
Besides spending time with the animals and birds, there are other areas of
the Sanctuary and Wildlife Park needing attention as
well:
- Helping with tours around
the sanctuary. You'll learn a lot about the animals so that
you can convey this information to tourists or school groups that visit the
Sanctuary.
- Assisting with general
duties in the restaurant, bar and kitchen, possibly even
helping with the preparation of meals.
- Helping unload supplies
when they arrive.
-
Some
admin work may be required while you're there.
- General clearing of
the Park to eliminate alien
vegetation, for example.
This makes a more "user-friendly" and safer environment for the free-roaming
animals (and is in line with government policy of limiting alien vegetation
wherever possible).
- Also
checking for and
clearing any rubbish on the property, because litter can cause serious
injuries to the animals
- Bush clearing and road
construction (with tractors)
- Assisting the
small permanent staff with any project or
maintenance work (i.e. painting fences, repairing etc) that
may be needed while you're there. (See
photos
of volunteers
helping in the construction of enclosures.)
Hours of duty and Work Schedule
The average
working hours are from 07h30 until 16h00, inclusive of tea and lunch breaks,
and you'll work 5 days a week.
Two days
can be taken off in a weekly rotation system. Some volunteers utilize this time
to stay out overnight to enjoy the nightlife in Port Elizabeth
or Jeffrey’s Bay, or they stay on the grounds
and relax with a good book, or go for walks
and explore the enormous park.
The Rewards:
This placement is definitely for nature loving enthusiasts who are willing to
work hard and aren’t afraid of getting their hands dirty, but the rewards are
well worth it. There are usually some small scrapes and scratches that go with
the job, but nothing serious. The park itself is a lovely and a very safe place
to go walking after work - it has beautiful indigenous
forests of yellowwoods and milkwoods, and small
savannah grassland.
This is truly a wonderful project that is
both rewarding and unforgettable.
"I got lots of different experiences and so many different
impressions about life and work in an organisation which works with people and
cares for animals ... I can recommend this project to all people who love nature
and animals and who enjoy working with people. ... I promise you, you will have
a great time!"
Whilst volunteering is rewarding in itself, time spent at a project
such as this is an excellent springboard for traveling around South Africa.
Meeting other volunteers from around the world, and listening to their stories
and recommendations can give you the confidence to travel and experience more.
You'll also have the opportunity to visit
the Addo Elephant Park plus other game parks in the region. A popular trip with
our volunteers is to go in Jeffrey's Bay (a big surfing centre in South Africa)
and visit the Billabong factory.
"I would
definitely recommend this placement to anyone who has a passion for wildlife and
caring for animals and who does not mind hard work and getting dirty. I would
also recommend this placement to anyone who wishes to have a work experience
that is very manual and has many opportunities to work outside." Timothy Fulfitt
ANIMALS IN THE SANCTUARY:
The sanctuary currently accommodates some wild cats, crocodiles, impala,
kudu and other buck species, marmoset monkeys, emus and wallabies, and
even some giraffe. There are also over 150 species of birds, including
some Spotted Eagle Owls. Apart from the wildlife, there are also
domestic animals (rabbits, tortoises, etc.) and the owner has seven dogs
and 2 cats who have the run of the property.
The park has purchased six cheetahs (three males and three females) who
hav e reached maturity. They had their first 6 cheetah cubs born and are
keeping 2 of the hand reared kittens, Bertha and Kiera.
There has also been 2 baby lynx born at the sanctuary, which volunteers
helped to look after.
The
most recent members of the Sanctuary family is an orphaned Blue Crane
found on a potato farm, several calves who are bottle fed by volunteers
and a baby lynx who was born at the sanctuary in February this year. The
park has purchased six cheetahs (three males and three females) who have
just reached maturity and if all goes well they are hoping to have our
first cheetah cubs before too long.
"Having
completed my three month placement, I feel I have gained a greater sense
of independence living and working away from family and friends. I am
also more confident to explore new places on my own. Having worked at
[the Centre], I now understand better, the huge responsibility that goes
with caring for animals and the importance to protect individual species
for future conservation. Over the three months, I had the wonderful
opportunity to care for and handle animals that I otherwise would never
have seen in England. [The Centre] has also allowed me to experience the
full range of duties associated with working on a wildlife sanctuary and
game park. This has included animal husbandry, agriculture and farming,
retailing and catering. This truly is a perfect placement for those
looking for a diverse work experience." Timothy Fulfit
Some
animals are able to be returned to the wild, like some of the buck,
raptors and birds, but unfortunately most will need to stay in the
Sanctuary for the rest of their lives. When animals have been in the care
of humans for too long, they are no longer able to survive in the wild. In
the Sanctuary, though, they have a safe haven for the rest of their lives!
Birds in particular are often put down if their injuries are such that
they would have difficulty surviving in the wild. However, in the Park
they're
cared for and continue to live in safety.
Tourism and Education: Percy found that the cost of
feeding and caring for such huge numbers was enormous.
In order to financially support the animals, he opened
the Sanctuary to the public as an education
centre and tourism destination.
All funds
raised from the tourists go back into the Sanctuary to take care of the
animals and expand the animals' natural living habitats.
ADDITIONAL
ACTIVITIES YOU CAN DO WHILE ON THIS PROJECT:
- 5-DAY OR 7-DAY SAFARI from
Cape Town up the renowned Garden Route: taking in Dolphin and Whale
Spotting, visits to many tourist attractions, such as a visit to a
brewery(!), the Bloukrantz Bungy Jump (reportedly the highest in the world),
and a guided tour of the Cango Caves.
- 1 WEEK WHALES, SHARKS AND DOLPHINS
Project: This is
an extraordinary and exciting project in a beautiful location, surrounded
by white beaches and blue ocean. And two hours from the world's third
favourite city - Cape Town.
What more could anyone want?
- SURFING COURSES: In the buzz
city of Durban.
-
PARAGLIDING COURSE: Soar over the impressively beautiful Drakensburg
Mountain. You'll get a licence at the end of the course which qualifies you
to do solo paragliding around the world.
Percy, the staff and volunteers all
helped with the building/painting of the clinic. We have needed a
purpose built building for all the injured/sick animals that are brought
to us and somewhere where we can rear the babies.It has cages of
different sizes to suit all the different shapes and sizes of the
animals brought to us from the little kittens to blue crane babies that
seem to grow at such an alarming rate. Each cage has a heat lamp, and
there is an outside run for when the animals are ready to take the move
to living outside. There are still a few finishing touches needed which
will be funded by future Travellers volunteers!
The volunteers are rotated on to clinic duties which include looking
after any in-patients, cleaning them, feeding them, administering any
medication etc. This is done twice daily. The kittens are fed 3 hourly
at first and you may be able to help with this. |
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A Volunteer looking after an
orphaned animal that was rescued and brought to the Sanctuary
Wildlife Sanctuary Newsletter!
A tiny buck with a better chance at life!
A Volunteer holding a baby Lynx - how awesome is that?!
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
OPTIONAL ADD-ONS
A photo of volunteers at the new animal clinic at the Wildlife Sanctuary |
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