Namibia wildlife sanctuary volunteering holiday

Description of Namibia wildlife sanctuary volunteering holiday

Spend two memorable weeks volunteering at a working wildlife sanctuary on the Namibian savannah, a vital refuge for orphaned and injured animals and ‘halfway station’ for those being carefully reintroduced to the wild. Your role? To care for and create a positive environment for these creatures, often threatened by human activity, and help with their rehabilitation.

After settling in to your accommodation and getting to know your fellow volunteers, you’ll get started on a range of tasks, but mostly around feeding, maintenance, basic construction and creating stimulating enrichment activities for the animals.

It’s important to note that on this Namibia wildlife sanctuary volunteering holiday you will usually not have any physical contact with animals that are going through the rehabilitation process prior to release into the wild. The exception is orphaned Chacma baboons, some of which are only a day or so old when they arrive at the sanctuary. As they need to be hand-reared, they will likely spend the rest of their lives at the sanctuary. One of the most enjoyable parts of your volunteer work is likely to be taking the baboons out for long walks in the bush so they can play and socialise in a more natural habitat.

Other unforgettable activities during your stay may include patrolling the reserve on horseback, looking out for giraffes and zebras and other wildlife, and simply spending time with other volunteers. You’re all pulling together in a sociable and supportive atmosphere, and your evenings are free to socialise.

One of the most important things you’ll learn during your stay at this sanctuary is the need to balance the concerns of local communities with the conservation of wildlife. Many of these animals, from baboons to cheetahs, have been injured or orphaned due to conflict with humans. Relocating the animals to places they will be safer helps, but the role of the volunteer is also to demonstrate that these animals have value and that there are alternatives to simply killing them as pests.

This Namibia conservation project is ideal for enthusiastic volunteers looking to make a real, practical difference where it’s needed, and gain valuable experience too.

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