Volunteer travel guide
Volunteering abroad used to be a long term commitment for a highly qualified few. Today, opportunities have opened up for people of all skill levels, in virtually every country in the world.
Wildlife conservation holiday types
The love of all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man![]()
- Charles Darwin
Elephants
The elephant, undoubtedly one of the world’s most iconic species and the largest land mammal on earth, is distinguished by its enormous body – it can weigh up to eight tonnes! All African elephants, including females, have tusks – sadly, the defining feature for which they are widely poached. Both species of elephant —African and Asian—need extensive land to survive. Roaming in herds and consuming hundreds of pounds of plant matter in a single day, elephants require extensive amounts of food, water and space. As a result, they place great demands on the environment and often come into conflict with people in competition for resources.
Our Wildlife conservation Holidays
Wildlife conservation in Borneo
Conserve orangutans and elephants in Borneo's rainforests
From
£1285
12 days
ex flights
Borneo wildlife volunteer project
Encounter orangutans and elephants in the Bornean jungle.
From
£1295
12 days
ex flights
Thailand wildlife sanctuary volunteering holiday
Volunteering break at a wildlife sanctuary in Thailand
From
£739
7 days
ex flights
Conservation volunteering in Belize
Join an award winning research team in Belize
From
£895
7 days
ex flights
Endangered wildlife conservation in South Africa
Award-winning, Fair Trade certified wildlife conservation!
From
US $1544
14 days
ex flights
Namibia wildlife sanctuary volunteering holiday
Care for rescued animals in Namibia
From
£945 to £5445
15 days
ex flights
Volunteering with bears in Romania
Volunteer at an inspiring bear sanctuary in Transylvania
From
£925
7 days
ex flights
Volunteer with monkeys in South Africa
Help re-habilitate orphaned monkeys in beautiful rural South Africa
From
£769
10 days
ex flights
Elephant conservation holiday in Sri Lanka
Volunteer with elephants in stunning Sri Lanka
From
£845
7 days
ex flights
Lemur conservation project in Madagascar
Work alongside an award-winning NGO in Madagascar
From
£795 to £2495
14 days
ex flights
Orangutan conservation in East Kalimantan, Indonesia
Work with orangutans & sun bears in stunning East Kalimantan
From
£1295 to £1995
13 days
ex flights
Family volunteering with bears in Romania
Unique family volunteering holiday at a bear sanctuary
From
£925
7 days
ex flights
Mountain gorilla project in Uganda
Work towards conservation of the majestic gorilla in Uganda
From
£2995
14 days
ex flights
Namibia carnivore conservation & research project
Assist the team as a Big Cat Conservation Volunteer!
From
£1340
17 days
ex flights
Brown bear tracking in Northern Greece
Track wild bears & explore the wilderness with park rangers
From
€650 to €850
5 days
ex flights
Costa Rica wildlife conservation
Work with sloths and other wildlife in Costa Rica.
From
£803 to £1491
15 days
ex flights
Elephant & wildlife conservation volunteering in Sri Lanka
Help wild elephants and wildlife in Sri Lanka
From
£945 to £3105
7 days
ex flights
Wildlife orphanage volunteering in South Africa
Care for orphaned animals in stunning South Africa!
From
£530 to £2590
7 days
ex flights
Shark conservation in South Africa
Conserve sharks, whales and penguins in South Africa
From
£829
7 days
ex flights
Orangutan conservation holiday in Borneo
Meet Iban tribes and encounter orangutans in Borneo
From
£1195
13 days
ex flights
Family volunteering with turtles in Costa Rica
Family turtle conservation volunteering in Costa Rica
From
£749
7 days
ex flights
Sailing & conservation holiday in Greece
A unique wildlife & sailing adventure
From
£683 to £759
7 days
ex flights
Malawi volunteering holiday
Volunteer at Africa's top wildlife sanctuary
From
£1370 to £4350
14 days
ex flights
Orangutan volunteering in Borneo
Volunteer at an award-winning orangutan rehabilitation centre in Malaysian Borneo
From
£795 to £1995
8 days
ex flights
Wildlife rescue volunteering in Costa Rica
Assist caring for rescued animals in Costa Rica
From
£695
7 days
ex flights
Volunteer with turtles in Costa Rica
Protect nesting turtles on Costa Rica's beautiful beaches
From
£989
7 days
ex flights
Wildlife photography and conservation in South Africa
Photography and conservation on a Big 5 game reserve
From
£3860
12 days
ex flights
Turtle conservation in Costa Rica
Help research and protect sea turtles and other wildlife
From
£495
7 days
ex flights
Ecuador wildlife sanctuary volunteering
Volunteer with amazing Amazonian wildlife in a jungle haven
From
£715
7 days
ex flights
Family elephant refuge volunteering in Thailand
Family elephant refuge volunteering in Thailand
From
£739
7 days
ex flights
Monkeys
Monkeys are mischievous, undeniably cute and very clever too – in fact, in 2014, a grinning female macaque made headlines around the world for taking the first monkey selfie. Jokes aside, they are also one of the world’s most orphaned, abused and neglected animals with destruction of rainforest and threats from hunting among posing their greatest challenges – there are 264 species of monkey in existence on the planet today, of which a whopping 52 are on the endangered list. Not cool.Lions
The most sociable of all big cats, the magnificent lion is a symbol of Africa. They live in prides, which usually consist of related females, their cubs, and dominant males that have an unmistakable mane of hair - a sign of fitness and virility. Powerful and majestic they may be, but they’re also incredibly vulnerable to loss of habitat and conflict with people. About 30,000-35,000 African lions remain in the wild today, and numbers have plummeted by about 30 percent in the past 20 years. The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies them as ‘vulnerable’, so they desperately need our help.
Our top Wildlife conservation Holiday
Volunteering with bears in Romania
Volunteer at an inspiring bear sanctuary in Transylvania
From
£925
7 days
ex flights
Tailor made:
Flexible departures available throughout the year, minimum stay 1 week
Flexible departures available throughout the year, minimum stay 1 week
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Wildlife conservation or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.
What animal life can you see & where
Johan Maree, from our supplier, Wildlife ACT, shares his opinion on what wildlife you can see where: “Zululand is recognised as one of the most biodiverse wildlands in Africa, with much of it declared a World Heritage Site. Our conservation volunteers work across six unique parks - most of them nationally proclaimed reserves and for every two weeks that you join us as a volunteer, you have the opportunity to live and work on a different park. Our work focuses on endangered and priority species including the African wild dog, cheetah, rhino, lion, elephant, leopard and vulture.”
Erin Sparks, from our supplier, PoD Volunteer, shares her knowledge of the wildlife you can work with in Belize: “Our Caribbean Wildlife Centre houses over 150 animals in their natural habitat, keeping only native animals of Belize which have either been orphaned, born at the centre, rehabilitated, or donated to the centre from other zoological institutions. The centre is set in 29 acres of Belizean tropical savannah and the land has been sensitively fenced and maintained to ensure that the animals live in an environment as close as possible to their natural habitat. You’ll get to work with jaguars, pumas, ocelots, tapirs, harpy eagles, crocodiles, howler monkeys, gibnuts, scarlet macaws, toucans, king vultures, boa constrictors, coral snakes and many more beautiful and incredible animals.”
More about Wildlife conservation
Find out whether wildlife conservation is for you and what wildlife conservation entails as you pour over our wildlife conservation guide.
From the vibrant culture of Thailand to the tropical savannah of Belize, sometimes choosing a wildlife conservation holiday can be as exciting as the world you’ll find once in resort.
If you want to know where to go on a wildlife conservation holiday then read on to discover what Responsible Travel recommends and typical daily timetables to get a glimpse of a day in the life.
Wildlife conservation activities usually include a bit of free time for local engagement initiatives and getting out and about. Read tips from our expert Erin Sparks on the low down.
From preparing food for rescued brown bears in Romania to remote research expeditions searching out endangered lynx in the Montenegrin mountains and more!
Here we reveal the best places to enjoy a responsible elephant conservation project, where you might be joining long-term researchers to monitor wild herds, or working in sanctuaries.
Turtle conservation projects from Costa Rica to the Seychelles offer opportunities for effective citizen science in idyllic beach settings. That makes them perfect for families wanting a worthwhile volunteer project to take on together. Read on for more information on what to expect on a turtle conservation project, and why we no longer support turtle hatcheries that use tanks.
From tracking leopards in South Africa to caring for rescued bears in Romania, the places a wildlife conservation holiday will take you are as varied as the work you will do.
Learn about accommodation, training and advice on seeing the bigger picture before you set off armed with advice on how to do wildlife conservation safely.
There are no excuses for not being able to travel right on a conservation holiday with the responsible wildlife conservation tours that we advertise on this website.
More relevant guides
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