Travellers voluntary projects overseas for gap years, career breakers, grownup gappers, mature gappers and retired people.

+44 01903 502595
Email Us
Get a brochure

  You are here >

Where would you like to go?

 

Search this website

 

Travellers Sponsorship Beneficiary Wins 2007 International Children's Peace Prize! - Click here to read more...

 

Tembe Elephant Park conservation in South Africa

Situated in Maputaland,  the north-eastern region of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and adjoining the Mozambique border, Tembe Elephant National Park is home to over 220 African elephants and a rich diversity of wildlife - including the black rhino, white rhino, buffalo, hippo, leopard, lion and various antelope species.

This project involves working with elephants (for which the Park is famous) and lions - an excellent project.  If you want exciting and rewarding conservation work, you’ll love this placement. Your work will be varied and fascinating and a large part of it is devoted to collecting data.

SPECIAL!  September 9-11, 2008, you can be part of a Rhino Capture and Darting initiative. This is a very rare and exciting opportunity to observe and assist in a Rhino Capture, so if your project time covers these dates, you can be part of this unbelievable experience! More details are given below

On this page:

This project mainly involves research on aspects of elephant (for which the Park is famous) and lion ecology and more recently the beautiful very small but highly endangered antelope called Suni. If you want rewarding conservation work, you’ll love this placement. The work can be fascinating and varied and a large part of this work is devoted to collecting data from a vehicle.

As with all Conservation projects, your work will depend on what is required at the time your project takes place. Conservation projects are frequently governed by uncontrollable factors, such as the weather, season habits of species, conservation priorities and logistics in operating research projects in a remote area. From time to time the focus of projects are adjusted depending on the results achieved through the research and small adaptations in program activities may take place. Visiting specialists and researchers often add value to existing programs and your project may interact with other research activities when possible.

    .

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
the list of all our projects in South Africa

Return to List of Conservation Projects
in South Africa

Download and print additional
information on this project
 
in .pdf format
 in Word format

ABOUT YOUR WORK
This project involves mainly research on aspects of elephant (for which the Park is famous) and lion ecology and more recently the beautiful very small but highly endangered antelope called Suni. If you want rewarding conservation work, you’ll love this placement. The work is fascinating and a large part of this work is devoted to collecting data from a vehicle.

As with all Conservation projects, your work will depend on what is required at the time your project takes place, Conservation projects are also governed by uncontrollable factors, such as the weather, season habits of species, conservation priorities and logistics in operating research projects in a remote area. From time to time the focus of projects are adjusted depending on the results achieved through the research and small adaptations in program activities may take place. Visiting specialists and researchers often add value to existing programs and your project may interact with other research activities when possible.

The work involved on this project is varied. Generally, you may be involved in some or all of the following:
  • Collecting information on the number and density of various species.
  • Plant growth and phenology monitoring on a seasonal basis.
  • Collecting dung of various species.
  • Photographing elephants and identifying elephants from an existing identification kit. Photography is used to identify specific animals, which can then be monitored.
  • Monitoring and recording the types of feeding done by elephants and/or lions.
  • Generally assisting with elephant and lion monitoring.
  • Rhino monitoring using motion sensor cameras.
  • Butterfly monitoring involving setting and baiting the traps, collecting and photographing the butterflies, gps the locations and identification of the butterfly
  • Entering the data collected during each week into a computer. The accurate and complete processing of data is often one of the MOST VALUABLE contributions you make to a placement. Remember, having gathered the information contributes nothing to the successful conservation of a species unless that data has been captured, analysed and applied to inform management practices. Often data sets need to be completed in order for your researcher to move on to the next exciting bit of field work. If you do not complete the data work allocated to you during your placement you will be delaying the fieldwork and research.

A typical day would be getting up fairly early in the morning (around 5.00 a.m. to start about 6.00 a.m.) to go out into the field to do Lion monitoring. You will usually return from Lion monitoring at around 10h30 and refresh, pack lunch and head out elephant monitoring. The best times to see elephants are during the hot midday times, especially at pans and hides.

You’ll probably return to camp mid or late afternoon. After a siesta (or exercise) and afternoon tea/coffee, you’ll input data onto the computers or generally update notes and pictures on what you’ve been doing and the information collected during the morning. Later, you may go out again to do additional monitoring; however, this depends on the movements of animals or other factors. Dinner is usually a social affair where ideas are shared and plans are made.

A typical day, during the month of your stay at Tembe, may not be exactly as described above. Your work will be dictated by what is required at the time and work schedules and content can change from one day to the next. You should therefore be prepared to be adaptable and patient because conservation projects do not always work to time or a date calendar and interesting opportunities often arise which are unique and will add to your lifetime experiences!

SPECIAL: SEPTEMBER 2008 ONLY - RHINO CAPTURE AND DARTING:
This is a very rare and unique opportunity - don't miss it if you can possibly be there!

Phase 1 – (Day -7) Daily foot patrols at first light to determine the habits of certain targeted individuals Rhino.
Phase 2
– (Day -1) Game Capture arrives, set up camp and await helicopter.
Phase 3
– (Day -1) Helicopter arrives.

Day 1 – Field rangers out at first light to find the targeted Rhino. They radio in as soon as contact is made and dart team move in with helicopter, chase rhino towards nearest road and dart. Game Capture units rush to the scene and immediately roll rhino onto chest/stomach position and place earplugs and eye cloth to minimise stress by depriving those senses. Various innoculations injected and samples extracted and microchip inserted. Ears notched if necessary. Transport crate unloaded and placed directly in front of Rhino. Rhino administered antidote and “loaded”. Progress to next rhino while crews keep crate in cool area for evening transport.
Day 2
– Same as day 1 until quota is reached.

A NOT-TO-BE-MISSED OPPORTUNITY!






Rhino Capture & Darting

ABOUT TEMBE ELEPHANT PARK

This untamed African Game Reserve in the Kingdom of the Zulu offers the Big Five (Lion, Elephant, Rhino, Buffalo, Leopard) plus excellent birding with more than 340 bird species recorded in the park

HISTORY AND IMPORTANCE OF TEMBE ELEPHANT PARK
The area now known as Tembe Elephant Park until recently was relatively wild, with very few people and no major fences around it except the northern international border fence. This fence was no obstacle for the elephants and they crossed freely into Mozambique. Very few people lived in the area mainly because of the scarcity of surface water. What water there is, is seasonal and the more permanent waters of the northern sections of the Muzi swamp are saline, and therefore not suitable for cultivation. The soils are poor for cultivation except along the Muzi swamps and the elephants destroyed any crops that did manage to grow.

The park falls within the Tembe Tribal ward and Chief Mzimba Tembe donated the land for the formation of this game reserve. The reasons for the establishment of Tembe Elephant Park and primary objectives are:

  • Protect the lives and property of the local people from damage and injury by free roaming elephant.
  • Preserve the last naturally occurring population of African elephant in KwaZulu-Natal.
  • Conserve and protect the unique Sand Forest.
  • Protect one of the largest populations of suni antelope in southern Africa.

Tembe Elephant Park was proclaimed in October 1983 and the south, west and eastern borders were fenced with game proof and electric fences. This still allowed free movement of elephant and game north into Mozambique. Later, in 1989, the northern border with Mozambique was fenced, stopping any elephant movement north. This was necessary due to poaching of elephant.

Tembe Elephant Park is a reserve that is managed by KZN Wildlife with strong community links, community and management working together to develop conservation based tourism in the area. Besides a conservation objective, the reserve is also intended to provide a stimulus to the local economy, through a viable ecotourism industry. Lion are considered essential to the success of ecotourism in Tembe. Accordingly, following the Tembe Tribal Authority’s backing and local Boards support, KZN Wildlife’s Executive Management Committee’s granted authority, for the introduction of between six and eight lions into Tembe Elephant Park (Tembe) on a test case basis, which will be for the benefit and improved feasibility of eco-tourism opportunities in Tembe as well as other eco-tourism ventures linked to land consolidation / potential expansion and links between reserves.

Tembe is surrounded by communities, and a primary concern is to ensure that the lions do not leave Tembe. In addition, there are a number of potential ecological consequences to this proposed introduction. Lion are a part of the savanna ecosystems, and will have an impact on the ecosystem in Tembe. The habitat and prey composition is different to that found in other reserves with lions. The amount of prey available needs to be assessed and monitored. More importantly, we are continually assessing the impact that the lion have on key potential prey species such as suni. Conservation of the threatened suni antelope is one of the primary objectives of the Tembe Management Plan.

Accordingly, we have developed a strategy to maximize the potential of meeting the ecotourism objective, and minimize the risks to either the ecology or the surrounding communities. Thus a slow approach to the introduction of lion to Tembe has been embarked on. The four animals introduced in June 2002 (now 15 in 2008), are closely monitored and behaviour assessed.

THE BIODIVERSITY IMPORTANCE OF TEMBE ELEPHANT PARK

Southern Mozambique and the northern part of KwaZulu Natal have been recognised as an INTERNATIONAL CENTRE OF PLANT DIVERSITY, namely the Maputaland centre. High levels of endemism and biodiversity (not only in plants) have being highlighted for this region, of which Tembe Elephant Park forms a part.

At least 2 500 species of vascular plants occur in the Maputaland centre; of these at least 225 species are endemic (an endemic is a plant or animal predominately confined to a particular area). Other endemic groups are 14 mammals (mainly of subspecies rank), 23 reptiles, 3 frogs and 8 fresh water fishes. The area also abounds in insect life, on which there is a shortage of information.

The Maputaland centre also corresponds with the southern part of the South-eastern African coast Endemic bird Area (EBA). Of the more than 472 species of birds in the Maputaland Centre (almost 60% of South Africa’s total), 5 species and about 43 subspecies are endemic / near endemic to the centre.

Not only does Tembe Elephant Park lie in the centre of this Maputaland centre and contain many of these interesting and important species, it also contains a unique and very rare habitat nl. dry forest (referred to as Licuati forest in Mozambique and locally as Sand forest). A significant number of endemics (plants and animals) are associated with Licuati (Sand Forest), perhaps the most remarkable plant community in the Maputaland centre.



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

 

ACCOMMODATION

You'll live in the Research Camp in the Game Reserve, in a comfortable wood cabin (maybe sharing with one other volunteer). There are communal shower facilities, an equipped kitchen/dining area and a large outside barbecue area. Each wooden cabin has a small balcony as well as air-conditioning.

The camp is electric fenced and has a gate that is closed at night to keep elephants and lions out. The setting is beautiful, as you can imagine in a Game Reserve, and you'll feel very much in tune with the African bush ... elephant and lion sometimes roam around the camp and at night you can often hear them eating and breaking branches off trees nearby or the Lions roaring in the morning mist.

Food will be provided for you and you will be expected to self cater on a rotation basis. You will prepare your own meals in the equipped kitchen and if you need any advice from your project leader on how to cook, he's always there to help you with tips and advice.

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.
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.

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!

You will usually fly into the Airport in Johannesburg where you'll transfer to Ladysmith by bus. Alternatively you can fly into Pietermaritzburg or Durban from where you will be met at the airport and get a private transfer to the project.

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.

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 A PROJECT, PLEASE CLICK HERE

Back to Top

   

 

Travellers is a Founder Member of the Year Out Group

Suite 2A, Caravelle House, 17/19 Goring Road, Worthing,
West Sussex, BN12 4AP, England
Tel: +44 (0)1903 502595    Fax: +44 (0)1903 708179

Email: info@travellersworldwide.com

     
   
 

 

Web site designed by ITDesigners: www.itdesigners.com
Copyright © 1999-2007 TravelQuest Limited;
Last modified: July 08, 2008