PLACEMENT OVERVIEW

Location: Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Start dates: All year round, you choose your start and finish dates. Duration: From 2 weeks to 1 year, subject to visa requirements Requirements: No qualifications needed, just a big heart and a love of animals and their conservation. Minimum age 17. Compensation: Unpaid Price: £995 for 2 weeks, ranging to £3,295 for 12 weeks. Full Price List and other Currencies      What's included: ►Arranging your Programme, ►Full pre-departure support and assistance, ►Payment Protection insurance ►Meeting you at the nearest airport ►Transfer to the Project ►Accommodation ►Food ►Free T-shirt ►In-country team support and backup ►24-hr emergency support ►Certificate of Completion. What's not included: Flights, travel insurance, cost of visa, return transfer to the airport

This project is based in a Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in KwaZulu-Natal. It's a wildlife hospital that cares for injured and orphaned wild animals and birds, and is the only centre of its kind in the Province. Any wild animal, (not domestic or agricultural), that has been injured, rescued or abandoned, is admitted free of charge. Almost 90% of animals admitted to the Centre have sustained injuries due to human negligence. It takes time and dedication to rehabilitate these animals and to prepare them to be re-introduced in their natural environment. Animals that come into the Centre are cared for and helped to recover. During this recovery time they are given a lot of hands-on attention, but once they are better, time has to be spent dehumanising them so that they can be successfully reintroduced into their natural environment and fend for themselves. The Centre also has a public education programme that serves to spread awareness of these animals' plight. Your responsibilities will be linked to the level of your experience and abilities, so there is something for everyone. Work can include feeding and caring for the animals, assisting nurses in the clinic, grounds work, cage enrichment and assisting in the construction and improvement of enclosures to raise the quality of the daily lives of the animals. You'll also go out on rescues and releases and you'll monitor the released animals to ensure that they cope with their first week back in the bush. Also on this page: Work Content Baby Animal Season The Rewards! What you gain from the Project Accommodation Travel, Visas, Support and Backup Back to Top

WORK CONTENT:
This is a superb project. Here your work with the animals has the direct result of improving their quality of life, of "rescuing" them from death or a life of misery. You'll assist in preparing food and feeding, assisting the clinic staff with injuries and generally looking after the many species in the Centre, as well as assisting with the maintenance and improvement of the grounds and enclosures.

There are times of the year when your work could be hands-on and other times when you may not get hands-on contact with the animals. Working with the different types of animals varies throughout the year ... as with any Sanctuary and Rehabilitation Centre, no-one can predict when or if certain types of animals have been rescued and are in their care.

There are approximately 300 - 400 animals under the Centre's care at any given time, all of which are wildlife indigenous to KwaZulu Natal (called KZN for short). Animals range from birds and mammals to raptors and reptiles, and many many monkeys. They also have a very busy Educational Program, so if education 'is your thing', you will be able to assist with school tours and edutainment events at the education centre.

Whenever possible, animals who can survive in their natural habitat are released. This is a particularly satisfying time! See photos and write-ups of a recent vervet monkey release, a mongoose release and a pelican release - events enjoyed by everyone at the Centre! Also see photos of a recent gosling release

LATEST ANIMAL CHATTER: Bugsy, the Bushbaby Undoubtedly one of the cutest admissions here at the centre this Spring, Bugsy, the baby Bushbaby arrived at the Centre in early November having been found in a residential garden in Empangeni. Crying piteously for his mother who was nowhere to be found, Bugsy was bundled up and brought down to the Centre where Mabel Watts, the Centre’s Primate Manager, was anxiously awaiting his arrival.  Read more...

BABY ANIMAL SEASON
From around September to March every year the centre experiences a large influx of baby animals.  These range from mongoose, antelope like little duikers, to newly hatched birds.  Some years, there seem to be a larger number of baby monkeys and other animals than others.  You may or may not therefore be at the centre during a baby boom year.

The babies need to be fed frequently and, as with a human baby, all feeds are essential to ensure that these “children” are safe and don’t go hungry.

There may be times when we have more volunteers than babies, and in such situations please abide by the decision of your supervisor at the centre as to who gets to "mother" the baby, or whether one baby can have two volunteer "mothers". If you are not chosen to mother a baby, please accept it gracefully. In situations like this where we work with orphaned animals, we have to deal with the demand nature throws at us, which neither Travellers nor the centre can control.  What we can say is that you will have some hands-on care of wild animals that need to be rehabilitated, and your efforts will be of direct benefit to the animals.

Baby Monkeys in Specific – Special needs
Due to the climate and vegetation of the Province, many of the cities and towns still have a small population of monkeys. During the summer months when monkeys give birth, many newborn baby monkeys are either abandoned or taken away from their mothers by ignorant humans who would like them as pets.  When people realize they do not have the skills to care for these animals, they are dropped off at the centre. 

These baby monkeys require 24 hour care, regular feeding and cleaning, Due to recent KZN Wildlife legislation only volunteers who are on the placement for 8 weeks or longer from the day the baby arrives may be asked to become foster mothers. The babies need to be carried against the chest as the mother would have done.  It is vital that these monkeys get the sense of security and care from their foster moms in order to be able to integrate and socialize within a troop structure when they are older.

You may be asked to assist with the care of vulnerable baby monkeys but there are many other young animals that also need tender nurturing where your help will be necessary.

"Adjacent a nursery enclosure teems with baby vervet monkeys, wide-eyed, chattering and clinging to one another for comfort. They are all orphans. When they are first brought to here, volunteers have to act as their surrogate mothers, 24 hours a day, until they are old enough to go to “creche” and eventually into a troop structure.

One of the baboons next door, having suffered brain damage after being battered by some insensitive human from its past, sadly stares out at nothing, scratches its tummy and rocks its head, twitch-like, as a result of that cranial injury. He may not be that lucky."

Got any questions? Please email us: info@travellersworldwide.com

Autumn and Winter Months
South African autumn months are March, April and May which are still quite warm due to the subtropical climate of most of Natal. The winter is from June to August.

During the late summer and autumn those animals that have suitably recovered and been rehabilitated (weaned from their dependence on their human caregivers) are reintroduced to the wild. In addition to caring for those animals and babies that are not suitably recovered yet, you are likely to participate over this period in the release and monitoring of animals that are being returned into the wild. This will involve going out to game reserves and farms where animals will be allowed to go back into the wild.

This is done specifically to give the animals a chance to adapt to their new homes, establish a territory, find the best food sources and water, etc before the cold winter months set in and adequate access to food and shelter become essential to their survival. Those animals that are not ready to be released remain in the centre over the winter and require ongoing care throughout the winter. This is also the time that the centre readies itself for the next influx of babies. Baby buck usually arrive in the early winter and will be in need of a lot of TLC so will offer a relief from the mundane daily tasks.

Preparation of food, feeding and caring for those animals that have remained in the centre is ongoing, but there is also a strong focus at this time to repair and improve the grounds, clinic, education centre, enclosures, the cages and transport boxes.

Rescues are ongoing throughout the year and you may go out with the staff to help capture and secure injured animals that need to be brought back to the centre for medical attention and care.

Duties throughout the year may also include painting and construction, landscaping and removal of alien vegetation, as well as enriching the cages with structures and equipment to keep the monkeys entertained and stimulated.

THE REWARDS OF DOING THIS PROJECT:
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:

• You'll get a wonderful and varied experience with many different species of animals.
• You'll get to experience the headiness of looking after animals that are totally helpless and reliant on you take care of them.
• You'll leave feeling very proud of yourself for having contributed to the quality of life and well-being of previously abused and battered animals.
• You'll learn much more than you can imagine, particularly about the importance of conserving wildlife, and hopefully you'll help to raise awareness by talking to friends and colleagues on your return home.
• This project will be an excellent entry on your CV, demonstrating your initiative, adaptability, your unique working experience and your concern for nature.

To give you a feel of the fulfilment that you can get from the project, here's an excerpt from Mabel, our Volunteer Liaison at the Project, from her report about what the volunteers have been doing recently:

"Everyone is sad to see Helen leave. She really did an outstanding job here and was loved by all. Olivia went with Dr Fitchat to set up the cage for the monkey release on the 7th January at Pakamisa Private Game farm. She work very hard in the sun all day and never once complained about the heat. Early on Monday morning all the clinic staff, assisted by the volunteers, caught and packed the monkeys to be transported to Pongola. It was very wet but all the volunteers did what they could to help make this go fast.

Rebecca went with Estie and Medi to Pongola to release the monkeys. They stayed on the farm for 2 nights and the monkeys were released on the Wednesday morning very early. Olivia and Rebecca had a wonderful time seeing the monkeys run for freedom. When they returned, they couldn't stop talking about what they had seen and how happy they were to see the little ones free and not in a cage.

We had a mother monkey with a baby come in that was bitten by dogs. Baby was fine but mother had some very bad head and arm injuries. Rachel and Bethan took it on themselves to make sure the baby got fed and was not too stressed because the mother was not well at all. The girls really did a good job with the baby. Mother and baby are doing well now and we hope that we could put them back with the troop soon.

The girls are looking after the baby buck everyday and do all the bottle feeds. Rachel and Miranda are going with me today to take a young Blesbuck to a bigger facility. Rachel, Beth and Miranda went on a tour to Sani Pass in Lesotho. They said it was the best day ever. They had a lot of fun and enjoyed all the stuff they did. They're also going on a 2-day safari to Hluhluwe Game Reserve on Saturday and Sunday. Other than that, the volunteers are kept busy and they enjoy every day. Mabel "

The Rehabilitation Centre itself is a lovely and a very safe environment. This is truly a wonderful project that is both rewarding and unforgettable.

Got any questions? Please email us: info@travellersworldwide.com

Feeding time for Joey! This duiker was found as a baby and it's  suspected it’s mother was killed by poachers.


 
Got any questions? Please email us:
info@travellersworldwide.com

Volunteer Joanne with baby Meerkat

Enhance your Programme with some exciting activities:

Very new baby Vervet Monkey

Latest Photos on a Day in the Life of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre!

Read our What's Happening at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre Diary

Savannah and Jaz (Jazz is the male), Lions who were rescued and subsequently released back into the Wild


Volunteer feeding a Baby Zebra


A new arrival at the Wildlife Centre, Mia, the Baby Black Backed Jackal, Click here to read more…


This is our new born baby springbok we are mothering. During a recent game capture effort a mother gave birth and left her baby behind. It came to us with the umbilical cord still attached. She has now found out what her very long legs are for and is taking walks around


Volunteer holding an Injured Mongoose that appeared to have dislocated it’s shoulder probably in a territorial fight


This is Moses, a 10-day old water-mongoose. It was found in the reeds at a river by someone having sundowners and he was named Moses!

• Click here to see an interview with Jenny during her placement at the Sanctuary

• Click here to see an interview with Helen during her placement at the Sanctuary (Video may take a few seconds to load)

• Click here to read feedback by Kate Davies about her placement early this year.

NEWS! Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre helps Abused Monkey. Click here to read the story of how the Centre really does make a difference to animals...

YOUR ACCOMMODATION & TRAVEL

We have 2 types of accommodation: We have a fully furnished volunteer house that accommodates up to 10 volunteers at a time. There are four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Volunteers share rooms. The house is within the security of the sanctuary and surrounded by an electric fence.

For couples or groups of volunteers who would like some extra privacy, we have a log cabin situated next to the main volunteer house, nestled under huge indigenous thorn and fig trees. It comfortable sleeps 4 volunteers in two bedrooms and has a veranda, small kitchenette and sitting room. Ablutions consist of a shower, toilet and hand basin. Meals will still be cooked with the rest of the volunteers in the main house. Allocation to this accommodation will be made at the discretion of the Project.

Sufficient food is purchased for the house on a weekly basis to provide 3 meals per day. Volunteers advise Mabel, the volunteer coordinator, of any special requirements i.e. vegetarian, and these are met within reason. Volunteers cook their own meals out of the food provided. In addition to the stove in the house, there is also a braai (barbeque) area to cook outdoor meals.

A safe is available at the main office should you wish to lock away your passport, money or any valuables. Mobile phones do operate with full reception on-site and it is recommended that you bring one with you.

To read about the excellent Support & Backup we provide before you leave and during your programme, please click here.

Support & Backup: To read about the excellent Support & Backup we provide before you leave and during your programme, please click here.
.

Not so for us – one day is just like the next, and this year, on December 25, a call came in from a farmer who had seen a bush baby falling out of a tree. When he had a closer look he could see that it was dead, but then he saw movement and discovered a tiny little baby clinging on to it’s Mum – and it was very much alive, but way too small to survive on its own. So Operations Director, Helena, dropped everything and immediately went to collect the baby. 

He was probably about a week old and absolutely terrified, having spent the first few days of his life where he should be – in the wild with his Mum. We do not know what happened to her but think that it was either a snake bite or poisoning. Christened Tuli, we set up a basket for him and tried to bottle feed him but he was having none of that – eventually we discovered that he would rather lap his milk, and that he was happy to take little pieces of banana.

The first few nights were tiring to say the least – bush babies sleep all day and play all night!!! And Tuli was no different – he kept calling in the night and was quite happy to have someone awake to socialise with!. I thought my days of night feeds were long gone – no such luck!

After a few days he became very lethargic and stopped eating which was a huge worry as he was such a featherweight anyway. We had to put him on a course of antibiotics and just feed as often as possible in the night and fortunately he recovered. He is now in a big cage outside, next to another bush baby called Gizmo, and he is growing in ‘leaps and bounds’ – for a bush baby that is! He still fits in the palm of your hand but has now become quite a handful, hopping all over the place, and he certainly has a mind of his own and objects loudly if you try and tell him what to do.