Duties

FEEDING AND CARING FOR THE ANIMALS
• You will be responsible for preparing the food, feeding the animals and maintaining the animal enclosures: Preparing and feeding vegetables, fruit and mieliepap to the baboons and farm animals including duiker, steenbok, sheep, goats, rabbits, foxes, ducks and chickens.
• Cutting and throwing meat to the lions, leopards, semi-tame and wild cheetahs, African wild dogs and hand feeding the meerkats.
• Clearing out old food, bones, cleaning waterholes and fixing any holes or damage to the animal enclosures.
ANIMAL TIME
You will get to spend part of each day playing with and looking after some of the animals on the farm:
• Taking a walk across the beautiful veldt with the baby and junior baboons (or carrying more like!).
• Taking a walk with the gorgeous caracals - walk alongside them through the lush grass and watch as they stalk small prey.

• Spending time with the semi tame cheetahs where you can sit and stroke them while they purr loudly with contentment!
• Spending time with the wild dogs in their enclosure, feeding them and capturing fantastic photos of them jumping high to catch their meat.
• Babysitting the orphaned baby baboons - as they're too young to sleep at night outside, you will bottle feed them before bed and sometimes get the opportunity to sleep overnight with them in your bedroom.

BIG CAT CONSERVATION WORK
You may also get to spend time at one of 3 of the centres' release sites with the expert carnivore research team:

• Placing and collecting camera traps around the reserve - this latest form of technology captures wildlife in their natural habitat by taking photos on detection of movement.
• Learning about wildlife immobilisation and watching the reserves experts dart big cats for medical procedures. You may also get the chance to practice your own darting skills (not on live animals though!).
• Undertaking game counts where you'll drive around the stunning reserve and check for box traps on nearby farms if any problem animals need removing.
• Assist in the gathering of cheetah footprints as part of our development of footprint ID software system for global monitoring of cheetah.

PROJECT WORK
The growing sanctuary needs constant repair and building work. Project work varies depending on what is currently needed on the farm:

• De-bushing - removing dense patches of black thorn (an invader bush) so that game on the farm can move freely and be seen, and other vegetation can grow.
• Breaking down fences on our land and that joining our neighbours - the aim is to create a large fenceless reserve in central Namibia allowing game and wildlife to roam freely for the benefit of conservation.
• Building new enclosures as new animals arrive - assist the San Bushman workers with the preparation of materials, digging foundations and waterholes and the erecting of the enclosures.

WILDLIFE EDUCATION
• You will receive a daily talk on various topics such as the local game, individual species such as baboons or leopards, and the science of wildlife immobilisation for example.

Itinerary

You can choose a 2 to 12 week volunteer experience. Below gives you an indication of your daily activities. You will be split into working groups with your fellow volunteers to ensure variety and equal opportunity when carrying out your duties; duties rotate daily.
7.00am Breakfast
8.00am Morning meeting with the volunteer coordinators to plan the day ahead
8.15am Morning activity 1 (varies daily - caracal walk, enclosure patrol, food prep, cleaning enclosures, project work)
10.30am Tea and muffin break
10.45am Morning activity 2 (varies daily - junior baboon walk, cheetah and wild dog time, carnivore feed, project work)
1.00pm Lunch and free time
2.30pm Afternoon activities (varies daily - baby baboon walk, project work, food prep)
5.00pm Educational Talk
5.30pm Dinner and free time
7.00pm Baboon babysitting (each night 1-5 volunteers may, depending on number of baboons, works on rotation)

Volunteers should be prepared for the daily schedule to change at short notice to meet the needs of the project and animals. Volunteers also need to be ready to take on any tasks that may be required of them, and to get dirty in the process!

FUN ACTIVITIES & FREE TIME
During the project, you will have the evenings to relax from approximately 5.30pm, Saturday afternoons and Sundays all day. However, the farm animals still need to be fed on Sundays!
During your time based at the sanctuary, you may enjoy activities such as a nature walk across the farm, swimming in our pool, playing football against the bushman workers, climbing the nearby mountain or an eco challenge competing in groups against your fellow volunteers, followed by a braai (barbeque)!

OPTIONAL EXTRA ACTIVITIES
Saturday activities - extra activities including paintballing and abseiling may take place during your time at the sanctuary for an additional cost of approx N$200
Sunday town trip - we offer a transfer into town for N$150pp, where you can visit the mall to pick up supplies and have a leisurely lunch at the famous Jo's Beerhouse (cost of lunch and drinks not included in the transfer cost). We always need some volunteers to help out with feeding the animals on a Sunday and there are a limited number of places so please note you will not be able to go every week.
Stay at the luxury Guest Lodge - why not treat yourself to a bit of luxury during your time with us. You can book a 1 or 2 nights stay at our Lodge at a special volunteer rate. Here you can sleep in luxury, relax with a drink, take a swim in the pool and enjoy the tranquil and stunning surroundings.

Volunteer evening at the lodge - occasionally we host volunteer lodge nights where we enjoy a buffet dinner and drinks all together.
Sunday lunch at the lodge - enjoy a delicious Sunday buffet at our beautiful lodge and spend the afternoon relaxing by the pool with a cool drink.

What Makes this Project Great

This project directs all its efforts towards long term rehabilitation but sadly not all of the animals who find a home here are able to be released back into the wild. Only those that can’t, mostly for reasons of human impact, remain at the sanctuary. Many of the animals have been orphaned, hand raised from a very young age or have become too used to captivity and cannot safely be released.

Not only will volunteers get to help make these animals' lives as good as possible but they may also get the rare opportunity to work alongside the big cat experts and Bushman trackers in the conservation research programme. This may include getting involved with the monitoring and tracking activities of a number of leopard and cheetah within the local area, taking part in game counts or preparing for new arrivals. The research project fits captured big cats with a radio collar before releasing them back into the wild. This allows them to track their movements, check on their condition and gain a better understanding of their ecology for future conservation.

The aim is to provide volunteers with the wonderful opportunity to experience African wilderness in the knowledge that they are contributing to the conservation of this area.
Volunteers are key to the success of the wildlife sanctuary - participation in the programme ensures the rescue, survival and rehabilitation of the animals which have found a safe home there.

FAQs

What is the weather like in Namibia?
April to June is one of the best times to go to Namibia, with warm daytime temperatures of about 25°C, with slightly cooler nights. June to September is the driest time of year when daytime temperatures average above 20°, but night time temperatures in the desert and on the central plateau can be freezing during these months.
October is the hottest month in Namibia with temperatures above 40°C. November to February constitutes the rainy season which is incredibly hot and humid.
As is typical of a desert to semi-desert region, hot daytime temperatures in Namibia are often coupled with very chilly nights.

How do I get to Namibia?
The capital city Windhoek, is the main entry point into Namibia. There are several daily flights from the South African cities of Johannesburg and Cape Town into Windhoek. There are also direct flights into Windhoek from several international countries.

Is malaria a risk in Namibia
The majority of Namibia is free of malaria, with the exception of Etosha National Park, the Caprivi Strip and several close by areas in the north. Please consult your doctor or specialist before you go if you are considering traveling around Namibia.

What Kind of electricity plug will I Need
Namibia plugs have a voltage of 220V and a frequency of 50 Hertz. The plugs have 3 round-prongs.

What is the local currency
The unit of currency is the Namibia Dollar (N$), which is divided into 100 cents. This is fixed to the South African Rand.
The Namibia Dollar and the South African Rand are the only legal tender in Namibia and both can be used freely to purchase goods and services

For more FAQs please see our FAQ section here

Reviews

Thank God I found “The Great Projects”. What really appealed to me was the information that I found on their website and the friendly, knowledgeable staff in the office who had also been on these amazing trips. There was so much to choose from and some truly great causes to get involved with.

What did you enjoy about the Namibia wildlife sanctuary?
It seems I found the perfect place, The Namibian Wildlife sanctuary, I was there for 3 weeks and the project assisted in releasing Cheetahs, Leopards, Lions, Baboons etc back into the wild. Obviously there are alot of animals that cant be released due to being orphaned very young or injured in the wild so we had to look after these intensively too. By the end of my time there I took it for granted just how close we were to such great animals! I had such a great, unforgettable time, better than I could have ever imaged. Everything from the staff to the other volunteers, to the activities, the food, the animals, everything was absolutely spot on. I would strongly recommend any one going on this particular trip. They have a brilliant set up, brilliant vision and I am definitely going to go back soon.
Mike Hilder, 29

Important Information

Getting There
Volunteers should fly into Windhoek International Airport where they will be met on arrival and transferred to the project (approximately 45 minutes).

Accommodation and Facilities
There are two options of accommodation; volunteer rooms with up to three people (same gender) sharing each room, or large tents with a living and bedroom area to be shared by two volunteers (same gender or a couple).
Showers and toilet facilities are communal and hot water is supplied by solar energy therefore sometimes restricted. Electricity is freely available, however please be aware that sometimes it has been known to cut off during storms.

Power sockets for electrical items are available in communal areas.
Three meals are provided on a help yourself basis - Breakfast includes toast and cereal; Lunch includes pasta, wraps, burgers or stirfry; and Evening Dinners include meat, fish, vegetables, rice, potatoes and pasta. On weekends there is often a braai (barbecue). Tea and coffee are freely available throughout the day and other drinks and snacks can be purchased at the Sanctuary.
Please advise any special dietary requirements on arrival at the project. A vegetarian option is always available.

Accommodation Upgrades
If you would like to enjoy all the amazing activities that you can do at the sanctuary but would like to upgrade your accommodation then you can opt to stay at the Luxury Lodge. The lodge contains six luxurious chalets and a tranquil dining area with stunning views, a bar and a swimming pool. Alternatively you may also wish to stay at the lodge for a weekend or at the end of your stay. All can be arranged when your booking is made by asking one of our team.
For an image of this upgraded accommodation please see the main image of our tailor made page here .

Distance From the airport
This project is the closest to the airport of all of the Cheetah projects in Namibia at 2 hours in comparison of up to 5 hours.

What's Included:
• A contribution to the project itself including funding for items such as building materials, food, animal medications
• Transfers to and from the Windhoek International Airport or Windhoek City
• Full orientation and support from the project managers for the duration of your project
• Accommodation and meals

What's not included:
• Return flights to Windhoek International Airport
• Travel insurance to include cover for repatriation
• Visas (if required)
• Use of internet and telephone
• Soft drinks, wines and spirits

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