Three puff adders, one very special three-legged cheetah and an off-the-cuff flight over the Okavango Delta. Tracey Turner’s three weeks volunteering in Namibia gave her plenty of unforgettable memories and lots of laughs.
In May 2026, Tracey spent three weeks experiencing Namibia's wildlife, landscapes, and conservation work, beginning at the Namibia Wildlife Sanctuary. She also spent a week at TimBila Nature Reserve before a surprising invitation took her north!
From preparing food for rescued wildlife and joining anti-poaching work to tracking rhinos and watching elephants cross a river, Tracey experienced several very different sides of wildlife conservation in Namibia. There were also outdoor showers, some unbelievable sunsets and, rather unexpectedly (and rare!), recurring encounters with puff adders.
Here’s what her three-week adventure looked like:
Arriving at the Namibia Wildlife Sanctuary
As Tracey recalls: "For three weeks, I was very privileged to experience the very best of Namibia and its people. Each volunteer is placed into a Team for the duration of their stay (mine was Team Meerkat!) with up to 6 other volunteers. Each day then brings a roster of morning and afternoon activities, undertaken as a group."
Tracey’s days were a real mix of activities, from preparing food for baboons, meerkats and carnivores to helping care for vultures and African eagles, checking camera traps and getting involved with the Anti-Poaching Unit and its trained dogs. The sanctuary also has some pretty memorable activities on the roster, including the baboon enrichment walk, rhino rangers and the cheetah enrichment walk. The walks give the cheetahs a chance to exercise, explore their surroundings, and engage with their environment, while volunteers get to observe them behaving in a more natural way. For Tracey, it was clearly a highlight: “literally walking near cheetahs!!"
The baboon enrichment walk was memorable for reasons Tracey probably hadn’t anticipated. Volunteers spend a couple of hours with mischievous young baboons, walking them to and from the local waterhole and allowing them to explore and move as a troop, as they would in the wild.
“Baboon enrichment walking wasn’t particularly my thing, as it turns out, not helped by seeing the back half of a puff adder snake slither into the bushes while walking. Hmmm puffadders.”
It was an encounter that would prove prophetic.
Life at the Sanctuary
After busy days working with the animals, volunteers stay in tent-like structures built on solid wooden frames, raised off the ground and equipped with comfortable beds. Tracey describes the accommodation as “glamping”, with each tent given an African-themed name.
Her tent was called “Puffadder”, which she notes: “Didn’t think much of that at the time, maybe a hint of apprehension at the name, given I’ve not been a fan of snakes, thus far in life.”
The bathroom made an impression: "The outdoor bathroom making for a stunning view of the African night sky, for that middle-of-the-night pee!", although she did note the availability of hot water could be a little unpredictable: "but all part of the adventure. A cold shower never killed anyone, right?”
For general life at the sanctuary, Tracey notes, "Food is ample, tasty and varied. There’s a ‘coffee shop’ which opens for about an hour each day; coffee is via pods, cold soft drinks and a small selection of chocolates and ice creams. A bar serves a small selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages."
A week at TimBila
After her time at the Namibia Wildlife Sanctuary, Tracey headed to TimBila Nature Reserve for an add-on week at one of their other sites, which she'd pre-booked with us. With a smaller group of no more than 10 volunteers and one dedicated guide, the experience had a real safari feel to it.
"TimBila, dubbed ‘the place of second chances’, was stunning. The animals have been relocated there after they had (typically) made themselves unwelcome on farmers’ lands, destroying crops and the like."
Days were spent out tracking wildlife, with rhinos, elephants, giraffes and impalas among the animals Tracey encountered. There was some project work too, including emptying, scrubbing and refilling a wildlife waterhole!
For Tracey, though, the wildlife and scenery really made the week. She describes the sunsets as being “of the most breathtakingly dazzling calibre”.
There was one less welcome visitor, though: "One unexpected afternoon was spent relocating the puff adder snake (count them – that’s number two) that decided to visit me outside my bedroom, back into the wilderness. Fortunately, our able guide was confident with snakes and all ended well, for reptiles and humans alike.”
An impromptu flight to the Kwando River
The final part of Tracey’s trip took a spontaneous turn when she was offered the chance to join an overnight trip to Lianshulu Lodge. Located on the Kwando River, which forms part of the border with Botswana, Lianshulu Lodge offered a very different side of Namibia.
The Namibia Wildlife Sanctuary founder is also a pilot, so when he made an impromptu visit to the lodge with a few team members, volunteers were offered the chance to join them on their journey north.
“How could I turn it down? Still can’t quite believe I was the only volunteer to take up the opportunity.”
The journey north gave Tracey a completely different view of Namibia: “Seeing the changing landscape of Southern to Northern Namibia was truly amazing, especially flying over the Okavango Delta.”
At Lianshulu Lodge, Tracey also had the chance to experience the Kwando River from the water: “While at the Lodge, we were treated to a cruise on the river, getting up close with yawning hippos and frightening crocodiles and even watched a herd of elephants cross the river, just unforgettable experiences.”
After spending so much time using outdoor bathrooms, the indoor facilities at the lodge also made quite an impression on her too: "And the indoor ablutions were a special treat! Talk about an everything shower lol.”
Lucky, Tracey’s favourite cheetah
Of all the animals Tracey encountered during her three weeks in Namibia, one stood out above the rest. As she puts it: “My absolute favourite animal: Lucky, the 18-year-old, three-legged cheetah, with leukaemia. At the sanctuary since she was six months old, rescued from a farmer’s gin trap, her leg was amputated after a valiant effort to save it.”
Tracey describes Lucky as "a bit of a celebrity; she featured in a VW advertisement a few years back. She’s living her best life, treated like the princess that she is."
Sadly, Lucky has since passed away, but she clearly left a lasting impression on Tracey and remains one of the most memorable parts of her time in Namibia.
Three weeks in Namibia
By the end of her three weeks, Tracey had experienced several very different sides of Namibia, from the daily routine of volunteering at the Namibia Wildlife Sanctuary to tracking wildlife at TimBila and exploring the Kwando River.
She had close encounters with wildlife, practical conservation work, spectacular landscapes, cold showers, and an unexpected flight over the Okavango Delta. She also somehow managed to encounter one species three separate times, which we can assure you does not happen often, especially if you’re an ophidiophobe (someone who's scared of snakes)!
Reflecting on her time in Namibia, Tracey says, “The animals, humans and wildlife, have all gained a special place in my heart. Namibia is a wondrous place on this planet, full of friendly people and stunning animals.”
Even the third snake encounter became a fond memory: “Even the puff adder, number three!!!, on the road, literally on my drive to the airport for my flight home, will always be remembered fondly.”
Lucky may have been Tracey’s favourite animal of the trip, but she jokes:
“Second place goes to the puff adder.”
