This excellent project with animals and birds of all ages is based in a
beautiful game reserve and wildlife park.
The sanctuary is home to many different wild and domestic animal species and
about 150 different species of birds. Most of the animals were taken in
because they had been badly injured, abused or orphaned, and some are
'unwanted pets'.
On this very worthwhile and necessary Project, your work will
assist in hand-rearing, feeding and looking
after the wildlife, as well as many other chores in the Sanctuary.
Location: 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, and is run 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 orphanedand 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.
The sanctuary currently accommodate some wild cats,
crocodiles, impala, kudu and other buck species,
marmoset monkeys, emus and wallabies, and even
some giraffe and zebra.
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 six dogs who have the run of the property.
The
most recent members of the Sanctuary family are some orphaned baby Jackals
that came from a farmer near Jansenville, a bat-eared fox and an orphaned
baby Grysbuck.
There is also a baby lynx that was born in the Sanctuary - Mother and
child are both doing well and one of our volunteers has devoted herself to
giving the baby lots of tender loving care! Some cheetahs who would have
been put down have been donated to the Park to live out the rest of
their lives
The
Sanctuary will also shortly be acquiring some cheetahs who are being
donated to the Park to live out the rest of their lives. This will
hopefully take place during December 2005.
"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.
See the
gallery
of animal signs
with photos & descriptions of the many animals found at the Wildlife Sanctuary
Read the latest
press stories about
the Wildlife Sanctuary
YOUR
WORK
A Volunteer holding a Lynx - how awesome is that?!
Two of the baby Jackals that orphaned and
rescued by theSanctuary
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 on this project 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. (Seephotos
of volunteers
helping in the construction of enclosures)
Hours of duty and Work Schedule The average
working hours are from 07h00 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
MINI PROJECTS & ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
YOUR
ACCOMMODATION
The
accommodation is in small cabins set in a
beautiful clearing in the woods. The cabins
consist of bunk beds and are very basic and are used
mainly for sleeping because volunteers use the restaurant area for
socialising after working hours. The owners intend to build an additional 'boma'
(social area) in front of the accommodation where volunteers will be able to
have barbecues and generally chill out in comfort.
There
is a very nice and very clean ablution block
with lots of showers and toilets.
The cabins
sleep up to six, so you will be sharing with other volunteers;
how many will depend on how many are there at the same time as you.
The accommodation has hot water and electricity.
The restaurant area is at you disposal after work
hours and proves to be quite a social place. There is a bar,
a stunning outdoor swimming pool and other
amenities, like TV with DSTV etc.
Food: Food is provided andconsists of a home-cooked meal every evening
- this is the time that the owners and volunteers all sit down together and
discuss the day and their various experiences. Breakfast and Lunch is "help
yourself" time. Sometimes volunteers take it in turns to prepare meals for
each other and some prefer to look after themselves.
You
will also have plenty of real South African braais (barbeques)
- and what a magic place to have them!
Internet: Internet facilities are not currently available (although they might be
in the future). You will be able to go to Jeffrey's Bay at least once a week
where you'll find Internet Cafes.
No
phone is available at time of writing, so you must take a
mobile/cell phone with you.
"Reflecting
upon my stay ... I had a thoroughly enjoyable time and left with many happy
memories. I would like to thank [the Sanctuary] and all the staff at
Travellers Worldwide for this wonderful opportunity and I wish the sanctuary
and all who work there a prosperous future."
TRAVEL:
You have the option to arrange your
own flights or we can assist you with your flight arrangements. If you would
like us to do this for you, we will liaise with you regarding available flights
and dates to suit you. All arrangements for your flight bookings/payments will
be fulfilled by Murray Rogers Travel Ltd., ATOL No. 6856. (Read more about Murray Rogers Travel Ltd.)
Where possible, we arrange for two or more people to travel on the
same flight and we will let you have the names and telephone numbers of other
volunteers on your flight, so that you can chat to each other or even meet up
before leaving for your placement.
We can also arrange your flight
dates to give you additional time at the end of your project for travelling
around and sightseeing - this is a fascinating and wondrous country!
Where possible, all flights we
arrange for you have changeable return tickets because many of our volunteers
choose to extend their stay once they are in their destination country.
Changeable return tickets enable you to do so, within the limits of your visa
and the level of your air ticket, of course. If you choose to book your own
flights, you should endeavour to get a changeable ticket. We meet you at the
airport regardless of whether you make your own travel arrangements or not.
VISAS:. In countries where visas or
immigration documents are required, we'll send you all the necessary forms and
information and make the process very easy for you.
You'll fly into Johannesburg Airport where
you'll change to a domestic flight to Port Elizabeth. Johannesburg is a very
modern and interesting airport with an exciting African feel about it. It is
possibly one of the nicest in the world - and a favourite with the Travellers
team.
In Port
Elizabeth you will be met by a member of the
Park staff and taken to your
placement and accommodation. There you'll
be introduced to everyone, given an orientation and an introduction to the
animals.
To read about the extensiveSupport & Backup we provide in our countries,
please click here.
PRICES:
To see the Prices of this project and all
our other projects in South Africa, please
click here
Prices
include
Food & accommodation while on your project,
unless otherwise stated,
2 T-shirts, if required
for your project
All support and backup
during your programme
Meeting you at the
nearest airport, where appropriate, but exclude international travel.
.
+44 01903 502595
