Zululand Wildlife Conservation Volunteer

Volunteers choosing this project have a unique opportunity to work with a dedicated, professional team (supported by the WWF) on genuine conservation initiatives throughout Zululand in South Africa.  The main focus is on critical endangered wildlife species and volunteers will track and monitor animals like Cheetah, African Wild Dog, Rhino, Lion, Elephant and Leopard.  This vital conservation work is important across Zululand and the unique bonus in joining this project is that the work is conducted on a number of amazing National Parks and Game Reserves in the area, each with its own distinct eco-system, wildlife and landscape.  This project offers placments in multiples of two weeks which means volunteers can join for 2 / 4 / 6 / 8 / 10 or 12 weeks.  The opportunity to work on multiple reserves depends on the length of stay.  If a volunteer says for 2 weeks they will work on one Reserve, but for every additional 2 weeks they stay the better the chance of experiencing another Reserve. Since the naure of the work is dependent on the specific needs of the animals at any given time, specific placements are subject to change should the need arise.  It is hoped that volunteers will be understanding of this and will to help wherever there is a need.,The work is conducted in the stunning African bush and volunteers witness an ever-changing environment as they monitor these beautiful animals - this is a African wildlife experience of a lifetime!

This is not a safari: volunteers are out in the African bush with dedicated conservationists on planned and valuable wildlife tracking and monitoring activities.  It's not always pretty or easy but it is always exciting and wonderful to be out in the beautiful reserve, enjoying the sights and smells of the bush, and knowing that you are being part of something significant.  No prior skills are necessary, the most important thing for wildlife volunteering is the passion to make a difference, be in a reasonably good physical condition and of course, have a positive attitude. The days are full, the work is important and because only five volunteers are accepted on each of the reserves at any given time volunteers gain an insight into real conservation work.  

Project Locations 

• The iMFOLOZI SECTION of Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park
• The HLUHLUWE SECTION of Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park
• Manyoni Private Game Reserve (previously known as Zululand Rhino Reserve (ZRR)
• Mkhuze Game Reserve
• Tembe Elephant Park

Each reserve has a different focus in terms of the work being done.  Whlle the project does plan and follow basic schedules, the nature of the work being done dictates that the animals and their environment are the number one priority and therefore schedules may at times have to be altered due to unforeseen circumstances or incidents within this wild and dynamic environment.

Daily Activities

Volunteers will assist the wildlife monitor in all day-to-day aspects of monitoring including (where necessary):

• The daily tracking and locating of priority species wildlife in the wild, seated on qn open 4 x 4 vehicle, using radio telemetry equipment
• Mapping the sightings using GPS equipment - volunteers will be taught how to use this equipment
• Observing animal behaviour (eg wild dog pack dynamics) for research purposes
• Photographing and creating identity kits (for recently reintroduced relocated animals)
• Periodically setting up camera traps at watering holes and game trails
• Assisting with ongoing game counts if needed

Depending on the length of time and time of year of the project placement, volunteers could be fortunate enough to take part in one of the following activities, which occur strictly as and when the need arises:

• Radio collaring of animals
• Notching (identity marking) of animals such as Rhino
• Night tracking excursions - for example Hyenas
• Animal Call-Ups - for example Lion
• Relocation or re-introduction of endangered species
• Vulture counts and nest surveys
• Bird ringing and alien plant control

No activities can be guaranteed - volunteers help out wherever the Reserve Manager identifies a particular need.  The primary function is to provide vital monitoring on these reserves.

A Typical Day ...

Volunteers leave camp before sunrise, seated on bench seats on the back of the open 4 x 4 tracking vehicle.  The team will locate the endangered species animals that the wildlife monitor has earmarked for the morning using radio telemetry equipment that receives radio signals from the collars which are fitted onto the priority species animals.

Once the team has successfully sighted the animals, they will be observed for as long as necessary for volunteers to record the data and then move on to the next animal or species on the daily monitoring schedule.

Each day there will be free time during the midday period when it is hot and most animals are inactive (resting in the shade).  During these few hours over the midday period volunteers are welcome to read, sleep, eat, play cards or board games, or simply enjoy the animal and bird activity within and around the accommodation.

Volunteers head out again on the vehicle between 2 - 3 pm to follow up on those animals which were not located in the morning, arriving back in camp shortly after sunset to start preparing supper and sit around the fire listening to the sounds of the bush and discussing the day's events.

At least once a week there will be a day set aside for administrative work (data capture and analysis).  This is a vital part of the monitoring process, as this valuable information gathered by the team has numerous management applications, including the planning of successful introduction and removal strategies of priority wildlife species, as well as supplying information to the local conservation authorities.

Every day in the bush is different.  There is  saying;  "This is Zululand, not Disneyland"!  Some days it might be difficult to find certain animals and not see them - other days the team might see all the "Big Five" in one morning.  There are no guarantees.  Some days can be a stretch and even laborious at times, such as tracking one animal for a whole day, and covering large distances without success.  But it is important.

LEOPARD CONSERVATION CENSUS

This project is officially contracted by the international wild cat organisation, Panthera. to conduct leopard population surveys within KwaZulu-Natal and a number of exciting, short-term surveys will be undertaken throughout the year, using remote camera trapping survey methods on various game reserves in the Zululand region.  This was started in response to the high hunting levels outside of the game reserves causing the leopard populations within protected areas to decline.  Legislation regulating the trophy hunting has been rewritten to allow Panthera and the provincial conservation authority Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife to enter local communities surrounding the protected areas to help to control the trophy hunting of leopards. This project continues to ensure that the new regulations are adhered to and are sustainable for years to come.

With the use of camera-trap surveys it is possible to estimate the density and gauge population trends over time.  At specifically chosen reserves the project sets up a minimum of 30 camera-trap stations, each of which has two camera traps (to capture the left and right hand side of the animal).  The stations are set up along the roads, animal paths and other areas (such as river beds or drainage lines) which leopards may frequest.  The surveys are spread across an area that covers 100 - 120 km squared and each survey runs for 50 days before moving to a different reserve.  Estimates of leopard population size in any given area are determined using capture-recapture models, hence this survey will run within KwaZulu-Natal for up to 5 years.

Volunteer Activities and Schedule

Volunteers will be involved in helping the local monitors with a variety of tasks depending on the stage of the survey at the time.  It may be helping with setting up or taking down the motion sensor cameras to move the project to a different reserve or location.  The work mainly will be aiding with the downloading of images from the cameras, recording the captured data, managing the camera-trap sites as well as helping with identikits for each animal if necessary.  Volunteers will also collate the photographs of non-target priority species that may be present on the reserve.- depending on the location of the survey at the time and what species occur on that particular reserve - (for example species like Black and White Rhino, Elephant, Lion, Cheetah, Wild Dog) to the Reserve Management for monitoring purposes.

Location

Currently the survey is operating on various game reserves in Zululand including Somkhanda Game Reserve, the Eastern shores section of iSimangaliso Wetland Park, Ithala Game Reserve, Manyoni Private Game Reserve, Mkhuze Game Reserve and HluhluweiMfolozi Park.  Other sites are added annually for one off surveying. 

Free Time

Camera download days are usually only 4 days of the week.  The downloads take on average 4 - 7 hours on any given day.  Once the selected camera sites have been downloaded for the day, and the photographs have been correctly catalogued, there will still be some free time.  There will also be 2 days of the week that count as free time and during these periods volunteers can either do personal tasks such as laundry, catching up on some sleep, writing emails to family etc.  Depending on which reserve the survey is currently at it may be possible to visit a bird hide or engage in a community museum etc.

Most volunteers who spend more than 2 weeks on the conservation project will spend 2 weeks on the Leopard Census project and then complete their stay with 2 weeks or more on the other sites in Zululand.  

Volunteers can request to join the Leopard Conservation Census when booking as well as there preferred project locations.