Volunteer travel guide
Volunteering abroad used to be a long term commitment for a highly qualified few. Today, opportunities have opened up for people of all skill levels, in virtually every country in the world.
Wildlife conservation vacation types
The love of all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man![]()
- Charles Darwin
Elephants
The elephant, undoubtedly one of the world’s most iconic species and the largest land mammal on earth, is distinguished by its enormous body – it can weigh up to eight tonnes! All African elephants, including females, have tusks – sadly, the defining feature for which they are widely poached. Both species of elephant —African and Asian—need extensive land to survive. Roaming in herds and consuming hundreds of pounds of plant matter in a single day, elephants require extensive amounts of food, water and space. As a result, they place great demands on the environment and often come into conflict with people in competition for resources.
Our Wildlife conservation Vacations
Orangutan sanctuary volunteering in Borneo
Care for stunning endangered orangutans in beautiful Borneo
From
£1195 to £1895
13 days
ex flights
Namibia wildlife sanctuary volunteering vacation
Care for rescued animals in Namibia
From
£995 to £5395
15 days
ex flights
Family volunteering with turtles in Costa Rica
Family turtle conservation volunteering in Costa Rica
From
£1302
7 days
ex flights
Big five conservation in South Africa
Volunteer with the Big Five in South Africa.
From
£595 to £5995
8 days
ex flights
Wildlife photography & conservation volunteering in south Africa
Enjoy amazing wildlife photography while giving back!
From
£2595
4 weeks
ex flights
Balkan Lynx wildlife conservation vacation in Montenegro
Hiking expedition to discover the fauna in Montenegro
From
€2000
10 days
ex flights
Monkeys
Monkeys are mischievous, undeniably cute and very clever too – in fact, in 2014, a grinning female macaque made headlines around the world for taking the first monkey selfie. Jokes aside, they are also one of the world’s most orphaned, abused and neglected animals with destruction of rainforest and threats from hunting among posing their greatest challenges – there are 264 species of monkey in existence on the planet today, of which a whopping 52 are on the endangered list. Not cool.Lions
The most sociable of all big cats, the magnificent lion is a symbol of Africa. They live in prides, which usually consist of related females, their cubs, and dominant males that have an unmistakable mane of hair - a sign of fitness and virility. Powerful and majestic they may be, but they’re also incredibly vulnerable to loss of habitat and conflict with people. About 30,000-35,000 African lions remain in the wild today, and numbers have plummeted by about 30 percent in the past 20 years. The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies them as ‘vulnerable’, so they desperately need our help.
Our top Wildlife conservation Vacation
Orangutan sanctuary volunteering in Borneo
Care for stunning endangered orangutans in beautiful Borneo
From
£1195 to £1895
13 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2023: 4 Jun, 18 Jun, 2 Jul, 16 Jul, 6 Aug, 20 Aug, 3 Sep, 17 Sep
2024: 31 Mar, 14 Apr, 28 Apr, 12 May, 2 Jun, 16 Jun, 30 Jun, 14 Jul, 4 Aug, 18 Aug, 1 Sep, 15 Sep
2023: 4 Jun, 18 Jun, 2 Jul, 16 Jul, 6 Aug, 20 Aug, 3 Sep, 17 Sep
2024: 31 Mar, 14 Apr, 28 Apr, 12 May, 2 Jun, 16 Jun, 30 Jun, 14 Jul, 4 Aug, 18 Aug, 1 Sep, 15 Sep
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Wildlife conservation or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.
1-866-821-6866
Call toll free
Calling from outside the USA
What animal life can you see & where
Johan Maree, from our supplier, Wildlife ACT, shares his opinion on what wildlife you can see where: “Zululand is recognised as one of the most biodiverse wildlands in Africa, with much of it declared a World Heritage Site. Our conservation volunteers work across six unique parks - most of them nationally proclaimed reserves and for every two weeks that you join us as a volunteer, you have the opportunity to live and work on a different park. Our work focuses on endangered and priority species including the African wild dog, cheetah, rhino, lion, elephant, leopard and vulture.”
Erin Sparks, from our supplier, PoD Volunteer, shares her knowledge of the wildlife you can work with in Belize: “Our Caribbean Wildlife Centre houses over 150 animals in their natural habitat, keeping only native animals of Belize which have either been orphaned, born at the center, rehabilitated, or donated to the center from other zoological institutions. The center is set in 29 acres of Belizean tropical savannah and the land has been sensitively fenced and maintained to ensure that the animals live in an environment as close as possible to their natural habitat. You’ll get to work with jaguars, pumas, ocelots, tapirs, harpy eagles, crocodiles, howler monkeys, gibnuts, scarlet macaws, toucans, king vultures, boa constrictors, coral snakes and many more beautiful and incredible animals.”
More about Wildlife conservation
Find out whether wildlife conservation is for you and what wildlife conservation entails as you pour over our wildlife conservation guide.
From the vibrant culture of Thailand to the tropical savannah of Belize, sometimes choosing a wildlife conservation vacation can be as exciting as the world you’ll find once in resort.
If you want to know where to go on a wildlife conservation vacation then read on to discover what Responsible Travel recommends and typical daily timetables to get a glimpse of a day in the life.
Wildlife conservation activities usually include a bit of free time for local engagement initiatives and getting out and about. Read tips from our expert Erin Sparks on the low down.
From preparing food for rescued brown bears in Romania to remote research expeditions searching out endangered lynx in the Montenegrin mountains and more!
Here we reveal the best places to enjoy a responsible elephant conservation project, where you might be joining long-term researchers to monitor wild herds, or working in sanctuaries.
Turtle conservation projects from Costa Rica to the Seychelles offer opportunities for effective citizen science in idyllic beach settings.
From tracking leopards in South Africa to caring for rescued bears in Romania, the places a wildlife conservation vacation will take you are as varied as the work you will do.
Learn about accommodation, training and advice on seeing the bigger picture before you set off armed with advice on how to do wildlife conservation safely.
There are no excuses for not being able to travel right on a conservation vacation with the responsible wildlife conservation tours that we advertise on this website.
More relevant guides
