Wildlife conservation volunteering in South Africa should take careful consideration, to ensure that you contribute to real conservation work that is carried out by reputable organizations. Below are some important questions to ask when researching wildlife volunteer programs in South Africa.
Research into ethical wildlife conservation volunteering projects should go further by reading about the experiences that conservation volunteers have had with the organization. Look for reviews and testimonials on websites that list programs about wildlife conservation volunteering abroad.
Follow the organization’s social media platforms and see how active and engaged their audience is with their content. There are plenty of groups, forums and Facebook pages that talk about wildlife volunteering in Africa, such as Volunteers in Africa Beware, which lists the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to Wildlife conservation volunteering in South Africa specifically.
Wildlife ACT has been offering wildlife conservation volunteering opportunities since 2008. Our volunteer programs began with our Endangered Species Monitoring project and has extended to offering a Marine Conservation project in the Seychelles. We now also offer Conservation Training Courses to educate participants about how real African wildlife conservation is carried out. We are pleased to share our conservation impact with a detailed report highlighting what we continue to achieve and how our wildlife conservation volunteers from around the world have helped to reach such milestones.
Wildlife conservation volunteering in South Africa should be focused on helping to protect the species that are in need the most. Wildlife ACT focuses on Endangered and Priority species that are vulnerable and face several threats in the wild.
These include African Wild Dog, Black and White Rhino, Cheetah, Lions, Leopards, Elephants and Vultures. Most of these species face the risk of poaching, either directly or indirectly due to snare poaching or poisoning. It is essential that these species are monitored continuously to ensure their safety. The data collected on these species directly aid reserve management with making informed decisions.
We hope that the above will help you make an informed decision when it comes to wildlife conservation volunteering in South Africa, to choose the right programme and organization that makes a direct and meaningful impact.
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