Volunteer at a wildlife rehabilitation centre, South Africa
| country: | South Africa |
| location: | South Africa wildlife reserves |
| departures: | Tailormade departures available throughout the year |
| price: | From £1199 (2 weeks) - £3699 (12 weeks) excluding flights. Cost includes accommodation, transfers to and from the reserve & food. |
the amazing things you'll be doing
The Moholoholo Rehabilitation Centre plays a crucial role in conserving many endangered species of Africa. The work at Moholoholo involves rehabilitating injured and poisoned wildlife, the facilitation of breeding programmes, and endangered species monitoring.
Wildlife is brought to the centre from all corners of South Africa, and once healthy enough are re-introduced into their natural environments. Those creatures who cannot be returned to the wild due to the nature and extent of their injuries, are cared for at the centre and are used to educate the many people who visit us each year, both from across South Africa and abroad. Moholoholo strives to conserve what man is fast destroying through the rehabilitation of African wildlife. The main projects that are undertaken by the Moholoholo team are:
Wildlife is brought to the centre from all corners of South Africa, and once healthy enough are re-introduced into their natural environments. Those creatures who cannot be returned to the wild due to the nature and extent of their injuries, are cared for at the centre and are used to educate the many people who visit us each year, both from across South Africa and abroad. Moholoholo strives to conserve what man is fast destroying through the rehabilitation of African wildlife. The main projects that are undertaken by the Moholoholo team are:
- A very successful breeding programme for Serval Cats (a very rare feline species, which feeds mainly on small rodents and reptiles). Over 50 of these animals have been bred and released back into areas where they were previously abolished, such as Shamwari Game Reserve, where they are still successfully filling their niche and breeding.
- The Taita Falcon Project. The Taita Falcon (one of the rarest Falcon species in Africa) is to be bred at the centre. The conservation efforts of Moholoholo make a huge difference to many species, including raptors.
- A breeding programme for the endangered Crowned Eagle. Moholoholo is the only facility in Southern Africa to have successfully bred this Eagle species.
a day in a life of a volunteer
As a volunteer at Moholoholo Rehabilitation centre you will take on the responsibility of the care and protection of the sanctuaries wildlife. Animals are brought from all over Africa to Moholoholo – Some of which are rehabilitated and re-released into the wild whilst others are sanctioned at the centre unable to be re-released. Your day to day responsibilities will see you cleaning and feeding your dedicated animals whose welfare will be your responsibility. volunteer travel - what's it all about?
Are you are looking for an adventurous trip with a purpose, or on a gap year or career break? If you want to make a difference in some of the world’s most important conservation areas - and in community projects - then volunteer trips are for you! Volunteers tend to have a sense of adventure, and come from a range of different backgrounds and from all over the world. Edward Abbey said 'sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul'.
how this holiday makes a difference
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A proportion of the costs paid by the volunteers are injected back into the sanctuary. Donations are made to the Born Free Foundation, Wilderness Foundation and Save the Rhino, all actively involved in conservation work in South Africa. The reserve makes a conscious effort to employ local staff from the community. This help put funds back into the area. Moholoholo is a non-profit making organisation and relies entirely on donations and volunteer efforts. When you are there you really become involved in the running of the centre and you can see how you make a difference through caring for the animals. Without the volunteers, Moholoholo would not be able to do all their good work.
Volunteers are educated on the importance of conserving our wildlife on the reserve, and through their continued support they bring about a positive change in the environment. Through continual interaction with the local communities, volunteers are exposed to all elements of life in a 3rd world country.  All volunteers are given a full responsible travel orientation upon their arrival. The reserve takes this seriously and is very aware of their impacts on the environment around them. Children may benefit from simple interaction by the volunteers, or simple gifts donated to them. This allows them to better integrate themselves into the work and breeds cultural respect in themselves as well as those they meet. Co-ordinators follow detailed guidelines on acceptable behaviour and practices of both game reserves and local communities. This may involve cultural considerations and protection of endangered wildlife. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |