Volunteer at a lion sanctuary in South Africa

Planet

Animal welfare
The project is run by a well-regarded international charity which focuses on rescuing animals kept in cruel conditions. All the lions at the park have been confiscated from sub-standard zoos and private game hunters. Most have chronic health and emotional problems. The animals receive expert veterinary care on arrival and follow a carefully planned introduction programme which encourages them to join a social group and re-discover their natural instincts. Strict protocols are adhered to, in order to ensure the best possible environment for the cats, as well as the safety of staff.

Although the animals are now unable to survive alone in the wild you will still have the chance to see them behaving as they would do in their natural habitat. The sanctuary places an emphasis on encouraging them to live in prides and roam as freely as possible. You can be part of the important work taking place and help to monitor their behaviour which allows the team to develop new measures and practices to provide a life at natural as possible for the big cats.

Protecting the world
We are passionate about encouraging our travelers to be kind to the environment as they travel. Each participant receives advice about how to care for the environment whilst they are away. This includes water usage, how to avoid single use plastic and electricity usage.

We insist that all participants bring their own water bottles when they travel with us, and clean free water is always available. We have even created a water bottle that can be purchased before departure and encourage people to use it at all stages of their journey including at the airport, on flights and whilst on their project. We are striving for all of our projects to be free of single use plastic.

People

Meeting local needs
As well as helping to protect big cats, the sanctuary plays an important role in protecting the local economy. The ‘big five’ wild animals are a key source of tourist income for South Africa and protection of these species is vital for poor rural areas, who badly need responsible tourism to sustain them.

By volunteering at the sanctuary, you will be helping to meet an important local need. You will also contribute directly to the area’s economy, creating jobs for domestic staff at the sanctuary, buying and eating locally-sourced food and making use of shops and leisure facilities in the town. You will not be taking jobs away from local people. The charity employs as many local staff as it can afford, but relies on volunteers to support them.

Cultural sensitivity
We emphasise the importance of showing respect for local people and their customs in our briefing material. You will work alongside permanent staff, forming close bonds and getting an insight into real life in rural South Africa. Our policy is to send people oversesa in small groups or individually. This minimises the environmental and social impact that the participants have on the destination and helps them to integrate into the local community.