Wildlife Research Volunteer

Position Overview: 

Volunteer in South Africa for 2, 4, 6, 8 or 12 weeks to track lions, observe and record their behaviour, study elephants and rhinos, look for and collar new leopards, learn about conservation research techniques, assist with data processing, learn about the African bush and qualify with the Field Guide Association of South Africa.

This Yomps responsible volunteering adventure gives volunteers the opportunity to aid the conservation of a unique and spectacular part of South Africa; making it a fantastic and worthwhile way to spend a gap year, sabbatical or wildlife conservation holiday. Whether you are looking for a career in conservation or just want to go on the trip of a lifetime, being a volunteer in South Africa will provide you with the memories of a lifetime. For anywhere between 2 to 12 weeks, volunteers live deep in the heart of the South African bush seeing awe-inspiring sites, enjoying exciting activities and having fantastic adventures volunteering in South Africa.

The volunteering is located on a huge 30,000 ha game reserve teeming with an amazing array of game that includes rhinos, elephants, lions, leopards and antelope. The base is located 50 km from the largest game reserve in South Africa, Kruger National Park, making it the perfect place for anyone who wants to volunteer in South Africa and see the full variety of amazing wildlife it is home to. Working alongside professional researchers, we will observe elephants and rhino as well as track lions to record their behaviour in the aid of an intensive predator wildlife monitoring programme.

Responsibilities: 

Each day, we'll go on 2 game drives to track lions using telemetry equipment, following their trail for many hours collecting valuable data. Volunteers are also involved in projects that habituate and develop identification kits for elephant populations, monitor conditions of white rhino populations, and habituate resident leopards.

Anyone staying 8 weeks or longer can become a member of FGASA (Field Guide Association of South Africa) and sit a written exam to gain their Nature Site Guide theory certificate. As well as looking impressive on any CV, this certificate will provide participants with fantastic knowledge, being of special interest to anyone who wants to pursue a career in conservation. There are lectures on subjects such as ecology, trees, grasses and mammals, and participants are given access to a reference library to study towards the exam.

Evenings are a time for relaxation and eating under the South African stars as we're surrounded by the amazing sounds of the bush. When the sun comes to set on the whole of our spectacular safari, we'll be dreaming for years to come of the life changing experience we enjoyed in South Africa.

To Apply: 

For more information, please click here.