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AD WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

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.

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South Africa, Sun, Surf and Sea, where you can do voluntary projects in teaching, care work, work experience, conservation, sports, and much more!

Return to the South Africa Home Page and
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ABOUT THE PROJECT
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 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.

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.

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A Volunteer looking after an orphaned animal that was rescued and brought to the 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. (See photos 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

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MINI PROJECTS & ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Bush Survival 5-day Course
Surfing 7-day Course
Paragliding 7-day Course
Extras Application Form
Photo Galleries
Volunteer Feedback
South Africa News

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 and consists 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:

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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 extensive Support & 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.

Return to the South Africa Home Page and
the list of all our projects in South Africa

TO APPLY FOR THIS PROJECT, PLEASE CLICK HERE

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