Volunteer on a ‘big 5’ safari reserve
Experience life behind the scenes on a world-famous safari reserveDuration
Price
from £1700 including internal flights, transfers, accommodation, meals, meet & greet, 24/7 support and personal guidance
Location
Provider
In brief
Safari reserves generally require a “look don’t touch” attitude towards wildlife. But as a volunteer at Phinda, you’ll get the chance to discover the other side of this exciting and challenging world – and experience life behind-the-scenes on a world-famous safari reserve.
You’ll have to be ready to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty as you track lions, cheetahs, rhinos, elephants, and many other species through the bush. You will be helping manage Phinda’s thriving populations by recording their movements and behaviours, all while having countless opportunities to observe and work hands-on with some of Africa’s most iconic species.
As Phinda is owned by the local community, you will also be helping both wildlife and Africa’s rural communities thrive.
The dangers facing Africa’s animals
Today, South Africa’s wildlife faces threats from all directions. A growing population means there are fewer natural resources such as water and habitat to go around. Meanwhile, poachers continue to kill, injure, and orphan thousands of animals a year, adding to those killed by legal hunting.
The impacts of climate change are also being felt in many remote locations across southern Africa, as rivers which once provided a vital lifeline to wildlife, are reduced to little more than a stream.
Phinda is also involved in the WWF Black Rhino Range Expansion Project, meaning you can have the unique opportunity to monitor black rhino in the wild.
Typically, Phinda is home to up to five volunteers in a camp, which means you’ll be fully involved with all the day-to-day activities of the reserve.
How you can help
Volunteering at Phinda, you’ll be at the heart of a conservation project that seeks to create a self-sustaining ecosystem, where people and animals live harmoniously alongside each other.
To help achieve this goal, you’ll join the project team in monitoring the population dynamics of each species, how predator and prey species interact with each other and managing the available natural resources.
The African Conservation Team and Phinda locals have provided me with memories that will last a lifetime and an endless amount of stories that I will treasure forever.
