Zululand conservation project

Environment

Wildlife monitoring is an essential part of keeping track of animal movement patterns, habitat utilization, and population demographics. More importantly, it provides early identification of snaring and poaching incidents involving endangered wildlife species. This valuable information, which volunteers are essential in helping to gather, has numerous management applications such as planning successful introduction and removal strategies for endangered and priority species.

The Zululand Wildlife Conservation project undertakes vital monitoring of endangered species in collaboration with local conservation authorities and NGO’s, including Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority, the WWF, Wildlands Conservation Trust, the Endangered Wildlife Trust, the Black Rhino Range Expansion Project and the KZN Wild Dog Management Group.

The project's staff are highly qualified, focused and dedicated, working tirelessly to ensure the protection of endangered species. This project is unique in that it actively advances conservation by initiating, implementing and managing monitoring projects on reserves which do not have existing monitoring programs in place, in addition to taking over existing monitoring projects on reserves that can no longer fund or manage them.

Community

This project strives to adhere to the strict Responsible Travel policy and has been developed so that it benefits locals and has the community’s needs at heart. Understanding and respecting the host community is paramount to the success of any project, as long term commitment, support and the adoption of sound environmental, economic and social practices is the best way to create a sustainable future for all. This project employs many local people as another way of supporting its host community.

Volunteers should be aware that some organisations operate the fulfil the needs of people wishing to take part in projects such as these which causes an influx of volunteers in some areas which can be detrimental to the host community. We can guarantee that all volunteers taking part on this project will be operating and working responsibly.