The Lion Project's second base is 5 miles from the magnificent Victoria Falls. Victoria Falls is one of the world’s greatest natural spectacles. This is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, and has also been declared a World Heritage Site. The Falls and much of the town of the same name lie within a 23,4 square km National Park that neighbours the 573 square km Zambezi National Park.

"I had an amazing time and it is truly a wonderful experience! I would recommend it to everyone and everyone at home is very jealous! The whole time I was there is was well organised and all the staff were so friendly and brilliant, especially when I unfortunately became ill. From beginning to end, it has been a worthwhile and fulfilling adventure that I will never forget so thank you to Travellers and to the guys in Victoria Falls!"  Lisa Deathe

Also on this page:

• Work Content

• Project Location, Victoria Falls

• A Day in the Life of a Victoria Falls Volunteer

• Accommodation & Facilities

• Travel, Visas and Support & Backup

PLACEMENT OVERVIEW

Location: Gweru Start dates: Available all year round, you choose your start and finishing dates. Duration: From 2 week to 4 wweks, subject to visa requirements Requirements: No qualifications needed. You should be willing to muck in with anything. NOTE: You must be a minimum of 1.55 metres (5 feet 1 inch) tall to participate on this project. Minimum age 17. Compensation: Unpaid Price: £1,245 for 2 weeks, ranging to £2,195 for 4 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/station ►All accommodation ►Food ►Transfer to the placement site ►In-country team support and backup ►24-hr emergency support ►Certificate of Completion. What's not included: Flights, travel insurance, cost of visa.

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS: Join the conservation education team in local schools giving you a wonderful insight into the community, as well as giving you a chance to help save the future of the Zimbabwean environment by educating the local children. Enjoy the many adventure activities available from white water rafting on the mighty Zambezi River; bungee jumping from the Victoria Falls Bridge or taking to the air for a helicopter flight over the Falls giving a bird’s eye view of this natural wonder. WORK CONTENT Your primary task whilst on placement will be to assist management and the team of guides, handlers and scouts in all aspects of care for the animals in their charge; giving them the opportunities to develop their natural instincts in preparation for their release into the next stage of the program.  You may also be involved in research work, but this is dependent upon what is required at the time and can be seasonal. This may involve collecting data not only on the development of the lions, but also joining our research team in the Zambezi & Victoria Falls National Parks.   You will also help us with our various community programs that may include conservation or health education as well as a number of other projects that you will told about on arrival.   To give you an idea of how your time will be split between the different aspects of the program, the following should be taken as an approximation: 75%Lion Rehabilitation & Release into the Wild Program  20% Conservation work within the National Park  5% Conservation Education & Community Development Your daily tasks may include: Lion Walks.  Spending time with the lions in the wild each day is an essential part of the cubs upbringing. If the cubs are to be successfully released it is important that they spend time out in a natural environment. They need to adapt to it, learn from it, understand, observe, feel and smell the wild. Alongside the walks you will be involved in the care of the animals which overnight in enclosures.  They need feeding, cleaning, and occasionally will need veterinary care to ensure that they are kept in the best of health. Research.  As part of the program we conduct a number of research activities to better understand lion behaviour and ecology.  The lion walks offer unique opportunities to observe lions close up in their natural environment with the data collected assisting us to make the best decisions for the animal’s welfare and eventual release.  Volunteers will assist our research technician in gathering and analyzing this vital data.  The research studies being undertaken whilst on your placement will vary depending on the needs of the project at the time but may include looking at hunting development, character traits, spoor sizes or mane growth.  You will receive all the training you need in order to ensure that you are able to provide valuable input to this program regardless of previous experience. Work in the National Park. There is a vast amount to do to keep a National Park ecosystem healthy, and this project is blessed by having two unique parks right on its doorstep. As a volunteer you will work with the research team and National Park rangers on any number of conservation activities that may include some or all of the following, based on National Parks needs at the time of your placement: Assisting in the development of a new waterhole (please note that this is dependent on funding). Carry out snare sweeps to remove the wires set by poachers to illegally catch the animals that inhabit the reserve. Work with local communities to mitigate lion/human conflict. Victoria Falls Rain Forrest: Volunteers will be involved in the removal of Invasive Alien Plant species as and when required by the Park Warden. *Please note: Research activities will be conducted on a case by case basis in collaboration with the National Parks team and their needs at the time as well as seasonality and accessibility to the bush based on the time of year. Please understand that whilst we have made every effort to be as accurate as possible in our explanation of what conservation and research activities you will be involved in during your placement, it is essential that you are flexible and accommodating during your project visit, and that you understand that our team on the ground will make every effort possible to maximise your involvement in these areas. Teach a conservation class.  Volunteers will join our conservation education program visiting local schools to garner support for conservation through education.  The syllabus was originally devised under the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) “We Care!” project and adapted to Zimbabwe by The Curriculum Unit of the Zimbabwe Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture.  Lesson plans are designed to offer children a full understanding of their environment and to build an appreciation for the need to conserve what remains of the wild areas of Zimbabwe.  NB. With the lion breeding programmes, you'll also  take part in meat preparation, stuffing the raw meat with vitamins and minerals to feed to the lions; this is a compulsory activity.   Back to Top

VICTORIA FALLS LOCATION:

At Victoria Falls, the project takes place in 3,000 acres of state-owned land next door to the Zambezi National Park. This unfenced game reserve has been classified as a Big 5 area (Big 5 comprises Lions, Leopards, Elephant, Buffalo and Rhino). The local wildlife also includes kudu, waterbuck, zebra, impala, wildebeest, eland, duiker, steenbuck, warthog, baboons and monkeys.

Victoria Falls claims the title of “Adrenaline Capital of Africa”, where it has a seemingly endless variety of adventure sports such as one of the world’s highest Bungee jumps (from a a railway bridge) and Africa’s premier white water rafting through the Batoka Gorge downstream of the falls (said to be the world’s most exciting stretch of rafting). However, the most spectacular thing about Victoria Falls is not just the picturesque town, but the immense sight of the falls themselves.

The locals have forever revered the awesome spectacle of the mist that the falls produce, and of which can be seen from as far away as 15 kilometres. They look upon this sight and proudly call it MUSI OA TUNYA – The Smoke That Thunders. The body of water that then flows downstream from the falls continues on as the Zambezi - Africa’s fourth largest River system (after the Nile, Zaire and Niger Rivers).

The Zambezi runs through six countries on its journey from central Africa to the Indian Ocean. Along the way the Zambezi serves as the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe when it thunders over the Victoria Falls and through the narrow, steadily deepening Batoka Gorge, which flattens out at the broad Gwembe Valley; a breathtaking sight to experience.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A VICTORIA FALLS VOLUNTEER... 
Every day is different as animals rarely operate to our schedule. Here is an example of a typical day on the project, as a guideline only:

• 6:15am You will be collected by your project manager and driven out to the lion project base at Masuwe lodge located within the Zambezi National Park. This is approximately a 10 minute drive.
• 6:30 – 9:00am Meet your guide and their clients and join them for a lion walk, taking cubs from 4 months to 18 months out into the bush. Watch and take data capture recordings as the cubs practice their hunting skills on the many game species they encounter.
• 9:00 – 10:00am Breakfast.
• 10.00- 12.00pm One group might head off to nearby Chamabondo school to begin the day’s Conservation Education classes – sometimes there are up to 60 kids in a class! Chaotic but fun! The other group will be cleaning or feeding the cubs, or driving into the National Park to conduct a game census.
• 12:30 – 2:00pm Lunch back in Victoria Falls town at our volunteer base.
• 2.30 – 5:00pm Your afternoon duties could include updating the species inventory in the Victoria Falls National Park or a lion walk at Masuwe.
• 6.45pm Briefing by your project manager about the following days activities.
• Evening The volunteers socialize at dinner at 7.00pm at cosy Hunters Lodge. On some nights volunteers venture off into Victoria Falls town to experience the night life of this tourist Mecca. For others you may be camping out at a water hole to watch the African Bush come alive at night – you may spot the rarely seen Aardvark, known as the “earth pig”.

 
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Accommodation at Victoria Falls

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