SanWild Sanctuary & Reserve

Volunteering at SanWild was a transformative experience. I have visited Africa before, but to experience it “behind the scenes” of wildlife conservation was wonderful. I was able to experience a hand reared (and rescued and rehabilitated) Cheetah sitting next to me as I scratched her between the ears. I was there, in the bush, when the rangers placed a radio collar on a rhino. I heard him breathe next to me as they worked. I learned about the challenges of keeping the animals safe from poachers and the damage caused by illegal mining. I fed Lions and Hyenas and got to know them by name. I met a Rhino named Josh while cleaning out a water hole. I saw so many animals, including an aardvark! I went on amazing excursions, and probably the best hike I have ever done. I was only there 1 week! And, to top it off, I met amazing people. This was my first solo travel experience since I lost my husband and I didn’t know how I would fit in. The people in my volunteer group became friends. The rangers and staff at the Lodge made me feel welcome and safe. I felt like I... Volunteering at SanWild was a transformative experience. I have visited Africa before, but to experience it “behind the scenes” of wildlife conservation was wonderful. I was able to experience a hand reared (and rescued and rehabilitated) Cheetah sitting next to me as I scratched her between the ears. I was there, in the bush, when the rangers placed a radio collar on a rhino. I heard him breathe next to me as they worked. I learned about the challenges of keeping the animals safe from poachers and the damage caused by illegal mining. I fed Lions and Hyenas and got to know them by name. I met a Rhino named Josh while cleaning out a water hole. I saw so many animals, including an aardvark! I went on amazing excursions, and probably the best hike I have ever done. I was only there 1 week! And, to top it off, I met amazing people. This was my first solo travel experience since I lost my husband and I didn’t know how I would fit in. The people in my volunteer group became friends. The rangers and staff at the Lodge made me feel welcome and safe. I felt like I was part of a family. My accommodation was wonderful, the food was great. I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed my time there. Now I just have to figure out when I can go back! (Show More)

We had a wonderful and unforgettable weeks at SanWild in May 2026. A huge thank you to the owner Didi, sanctuary manager Lukas and all the Rangers who ensured we were involved in a truly immersive experience with the beautiful animals at SanWild. We got a good understanding of the challenges and resources needed to keep the animals safe and living their best lives in the sanctuary. We had a very busy few days with a Brazilian film crew staying to make a documentary about veterinary dental work on carnivores. Some of the Lions & Hyaenas had root canal work done! We were involved with carrying them once sedated and assisting as able with what was going on. The day to day activities as volunteers were varied but always dictated by the most pressing needs of the animals and could change suddenly if needed. We cleaned & refilled water troughs, dug holes looking for a leaking pipe in the lion enclosure, cut very spiky trees down, fed dead chickens & chunks of Zebra meat to the Lions, and went on anti poaching activities with the rangers. We were lucky to be involved with dehorning a Rhino & placing a tracking... We had a wonderful and unforgettable weeks at SanWild in May 2026. A huge thank you to the owner Didi, sanctuary manager Lukas and all the Rangers who ensured we were involved in a truly immersive experience with the beautiful animals at SanWild. We got a good understanding of the challenges and resources needed to keep the animals safe and living their best lives in the sanctuary. We had a very busy few days with a Brazilian film crew staying to make a documentary about veterinary dental work on carnivores. Some of the Lions & Hyaenas had root canal work done! We were involved with carrying them once sedated and assisting as able with what was going on. The day to day activities as volunteers were varied but always dictated by the most pressing needs of the animals and could change suddenly if needed. We cleaned & refilled water troughs, dug holes looking for a leaking pipe in the lion enclosure, cut very spiky trees down, fed dead chickens & chunks of Zebra meat to the Lions, and went on anti poaching activities with the rangers. We were lucky to be involved with dehorning a Rhino & placing a tracking collar on an elephant but these things only happen when needed and the sanctuary has sufficient resources/funding/sponsorship for the vet & helicopter. The Lodge and staff who cooked, cleaned & washed were fantastic. The food was really good and we enjoyed several delicious Braiis. The accomodation was quite comfortable in the standard tent we stayed in and the monkeys jumping on the roof every morning were nature's alarm clock! We were very sad to leave SanWild and all the friends we made there, hopefully we can return one day. Until then we have many many fond memories of our time at SanWild and of course hundreds & hundreds of photos!! (Show More)

I had an amazing time. This was my 5th Great Project and I’ll be going on my 6th the end of June. San Wild was amazing. We had the privilege to be part of some unique activities. One was we welcomed a Lion from France. He was held in a small container on wheels in a circus for many years. We also saw them dart a cheetah to remove sutures from an injury she had and another cheetah to collar him so they can track him to make sure they’re doing OK out and about in the sanctuary. I love learning new things and having new experiences. I upgraded to the deluxe tent and loved it. All the staff were awesome. The are very easy to work with and informative. I’m a little bit picky about food, but the food was awesome.. We helped with various projects, especially to get ready for the lion like clearing the habitat and some of the areas around it. We also did things like check fences, and some other projects for the upkeep of the habitat and sanctuary. I really enjoyed my time there and I plan to return next year. I took lots... I had an amazing time. This was my 5th Great Project and I’ll be going on my 6th the end of June. San Wild was amazing. We had the privilege to be part of some unique activities. One was we welcomed a Lion from France. He was held in a small container on wheels in a circus for many years. We also saw them dart a cheetah to remove sutures from an injury she had and another cheetah to collar him so they can track him to make sure they’re doing OK out and about in the sanctuary. I love learning new things and having new experiences. I upgraded to the deluxe tent and loved it. All the staff were awesome. The are very easy to work with and informative. I’m a little bit picky about food, but the food was awesome.. We helped with various projects, especially to get ready for the lion like clearing the habitat and some of the areas around it. We also did things like check fences, and some other projects for the upkeep of the habitat and sanctuary. I really enjoyed my time there and I plan to return next year. I took lots of photos and I’ll try to pick a couple :) The video is of the lion going from the container that he flew in from Air France into his temporary habitat. He’ll stay in there until he gets used to surroundings, the staff and new environment, and then he’ll eventually go into a much larger area. Sometimes when animals are confined to small spaces, it takes them a while to just to large spaces. (Show More)