Join Our Wildlife Volunteer Projects

My experience was extremely positive - mostly inspired by the passion of the monitors and others working for Wildlife ACT. The sightings were just amazing. There were some unforgettable experiences and wonderful people. I find the information on the work of Wildlife ACT and the role of the volunteers, clearly explained. Yet (of course) you only know what it is like once you actually participate :) I feel like we were so lucky. Every session we would see at least two special things - be it the Wild Dogs playing, Cheetahs fighting, Rhinos being very comfortable close to the car, a herd of 80 Elephants, about a 100 Vultures circling the air… I have a lot of respect and admiration for our monitor. He is an extremely patient person, which means he can deal with any type of volunteer. His calm manner and trustful nature also make one feel at ease and safe. And most of all, his love for all creatures great and small, shows.

My experience was amazing, as I got an opportunity to participate in an important conservation work and the monitoring of endangered species. I learned a lot and also saw a lot of South African wildlife. The booking process, accommodation and field work, all exceeded my expectations. Apart from the wildlife itself, seeing the field work of professionals and how everyone is doing their best to conserve the animals and keep them safe, was wonderful.

The whole experience was excellent and way exceeded my expectations! The work was intense in terms of time management, so we appreciated the hours in the middle of the day to wash, sleep, read and eat. The experience was much more involved than I had expected, and thank you for that! We came there to help with your work, not to be catered to. A real highlight was seeing new Cheetah cubs with their mother, and watching a Cheetah being darted and fitted with a replacement collar. Also, the pure experience of spending about ten hours a day tracking wildlife was far more than I had hoped for. I'm still marveling at the experience now since being back at home.

From the booking process to the field work, it was wonderful as always! Logistics are and have always been amazing. Our monitor was super competent and professional. The animal collarings we got to experience, were not only for the opportunity of seeing animals so close, but the most valuable part is the exchange of information with the veterinarians, who share and also highlight the importance of monitoring. Having the possibility to talk to them was very enriching! Our monitoring sessions were not only fun, but full of information, and shows a huge commitment and passion for the job.

My time in uMkhuze was just exceptional. It worked out perfectly between us volunteers and the monitors and we had many laughs, long days, late evenings and probably not enough sleep :-) As a returnee I knew what to expect, but I enjoyed the more detailed transport information on where we stop and which way we drive. The accommodation was essentially as last year, but the solar lights are an improvement and it is good to see the ongoing efforts. I can think of two main highlights, apart from many others. One was seeing a Serval for the first time. The second having just a great group where everyone got along exceptionally well, shared the work, and just enjoyed being here.

Fantastic. Volunteering with wildlife ACT gives behind-the-scenes insight into the management of a Park. It helps you understand the delicate balance between conservation of animals and the real-life pressures of close by communities, poaching, and when and why animals need relocating. Tracking the animals gives a purpose unlike a safari. You learn as much by not finding the animals as when you do get sightings. The monitors were excellent, very informative, kept all volunteers involved, and were also warm, friendly and great to be around.

Awesome! Considering the variety of opportunities available to experience wildlife in South Africa, Wildlife ACT provides a unique perspective. I had read much of the information available on the website, so had an understanding of the types of tasks and accommodations prior to arrival. However, the actual experience was more than I was expecting! Being immersed in the bush and experiencing the wildlife so closely was amazing! But being involved in the conservation effort was the true reward. The highlight was the monitors for sure! Any other experience with a guide might provide similar information on the bush, but the Wildlife ACT monitors have the ability to teach, guide and make one feel like part of the team. They were both personable and professional and made such a short time the experience of a lifetime!

Excellent! A wonderful experience in such a beautiful environment! The monitors are so professional. Even if they work hard in the field, they take good care of the volunteers, making sure we had everything we needed and made us feel really comfortable. The small group of volunteers is really ideal. An unforgettable stay. I have learned a lot! Everything is well explained on the website from the beginning and any additional questions we may have had were answered in a timely, kind and efficient manner. We had electricity, hot water for the shower and mosquito nets + all we needed to prepare the meals. Being so close to nature (nearly part of it) is such a wonderful feeling.

Fantastic! All things were sorted out perfectly. Very kind people and all the services needed were at the camp. I learned a lot about wildlife and the wonderful work that Wildlife ACT does. Amazing to be in such a nice place in an awesome nature reserve. Can recommend it to anyone. The booking process was great with a lot of useful information provided. Accommodation was very great and neat. And with the field work you learn so much! It's nice to see such beautiful nature, but I liked that the monitors provide so much info about the wonderful endangered species and also the nature conservation work. A highlight was seeing seven Spotted Hyenas the one morning, sniffing and checking the vehicle.

I felt very involved with what was going on and the team is very informative and helpful. I was able to see how I was directly having an impact on the species and understood the importance of monitoring them. The work is important and is what I expected. Having the opportunity to spend so much time with the individual animals that we are scanning for was a real highlight for me.

I wanted to volunteer for many years. I really can say, it was the best decision of my life to do this. It was an amazing experience and a pleasure to join the monitors in the field and to work with them. It was great to meet such wonderful and passionate people (the monitors and also the other volunteers). The work of Wildlife ACT is incredibly important. There were many highlights... Tracking the animals (above all the wild dogs) was awesome. We had some great sightings of the dogs, Elephants, Rhinos, a Leopard, Cheetahs, even Crocodiles, Vultures and so much more. Being around when they managed to get a pack of Wild Dogs back into the reserve, was such a pleasure. But also the evenings in the camp, listening to the monitors and their stories, learning about the animals... everything was perfect! Both our monitors were awesome. Friendly, helpful and always fun. They both live their whole life for the animals and their protection. It was a pleasure to meet them, to learn from them, and to help them with their daily work. I enjoyed everything, even the bad weather days ;-)

This was probably my best time ever - an amazing experience. I'm extremely sad that it came to an end. I wish I could make it a yearly tradition to come back and volunteer from Canada. I joined all possible social media pages to get updates. Every day I'm wondering what the animals have been up to this time. I've been also considering how I can help from abroad.It’s so hard to select one specific highlight... I'll have to provide two. 1) The Wild Dog pack reuniting after 3 days of dispersal and several attempts to call each other over a couple of km. 2) A call-up operation with the Wild Dogs, leading us to witness the unexpected kill of an Impala, a hunt after a herd of 60 Buffalo, and the stalking of a Wildebeest - all within 30 minutes (play and rest included) :-)

It was a great pleasure to be part of the Wildlife ACT Team! Both our monitors did an amazing job. We had a lot of fun. We had to do the monitoring, recording the sightings, observe and do camera trapping. So besides the fun we had, the work was always our focus. We had a lot of good sightings with Rhinos, Elephants and the Wild Dogs. Thanks a lot!

I was totally overwhelmed by the kindness of both our monitors as well as our volunteers, who all had a passion for conservation, the bush, and also people. The monitors are definitely a make-or-break point for having a good experience. They taught me everything I could absorb about the bush, introduced me to reserve management, and also brought me closer to South African culture, habits and food. Due to them, I had the best experience I could have hoped for with Wildlife ACT and feel like I could really contribute to conservation. We had an excellent time. The monitors know the area and the animals' behavior insanely well. I was positively surprised how considerate they are with respecting the animals and their individual needs, e.g., do not get too close, do not interrupt when hunting. I do feel like Wildlife ACT makes a significant contribution towards conservation.

It was wonderful! What an experience and what a pleasure to work with such great people! Wildlife ACT is a great organisation and I really like the system of taking volunteers out in the field and using the money to actually run the projects. It is very much focused on conservation, instead of a sanctuary or rehabilitation center like many other places. There are so many highlights. It is just wonderful to join the monitor in the field, tracking the species and helping them on the job. We had great sightings of Elephants, Rhinos, Leopards, Wild dogs, Lions, Cheetahs and many more. Our monitor was really skilled and devoted, and as well a very friendly guy.

My time in iMfolozi Park was amazing! Those two weeks are among the most special, exciting and adventurous weeks of my life so far! I’ve wanted to get to know African wildlife for a long time. A day safari was somehow never an option for me. Instead, I wanted to delve deeper into nature and the wildlife of Africa. Thanks to you, this dream has now come true and it was simply wonderful and unforgettably beautiful. Thank you so much for this amazing experience!

I had an amazing time both thanks to the awesome sightings, the work we were able to do, and also the professional monitor. Every day was rewarding, even the days in which we found very few animals. I’m definitely planning on coming back in the future and highly recommend Wildlife ACT to friends and family. The overall pre-arrival/booking experience has been very good. We had to reschedule 4 times due to the whole Covid crisis, once even just 2 weeks prior to arriving, but this never was an issue. I definitely feel that Wildlife ACT is making a contribution based on what I have seen.

It was an enriching experience to have been engaged as a research volunteer with Wildlife ACT at Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve. It was a great two weeks that mainly involved monitoring Cheetah, Lion, Black Rhino, Vultures and the African Wild Dogs using VHF radio telemetry, along with setting up and checking of camera traps and collecting wild dog scat for genetic analysis. The excitement was heightened by incidental sightings of the White Rhino, African Elephants and the calls of the Spotted Hyena, among other fascinating creatures of South Africa!The high point of the entire experience was participation in the radio-collaring event of a Lioness under the supervision of the Wildlife ACT Monitoring Team of iMfolozi, field rangers and the vet of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife as part of the ongoing Endangered Species Conservation Project. All in all, a superlative time in the wild!

The conservation training course was amazing - I loved it so much! Being out in the bush was my highlight and as I learned new things each day, my love for the bush grew even bigger. The course content is very extensive and it was so interesting to apply the theory into practice. Also, it was a great feeling that my work actually contributed to the conservation efforts of Wildlife ACT. Wildlife ACT is such a great organization and I’m so happy and honored to have been a part of the team for 6 weeks (I added another 2 weeks of volunteering after the 4-week course, great choice!). The monitors I was with know so much about the bush and are all amazing and fun people with a huge passion for wildlife - it’s infectious! Thank you all so much for the most wonderful and unforgettable time!

This was one, if not the best experience I have ever had in my life. I’ve learnt so much about conservation work, the flora and fauna, and the cooperation with different people and organisations. I understand now much better why this work is so important and I am glad that I could be part of it. It was a kind of privilege and honour for me to assist in all the activities. The monitors were amazing, friendly, funny and have great knowledge. They have taught me a lot.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The monitors were beyond expectation and the field work was an unbelievable learning experience and I learnt a lot more than expected. Everything at the accommodation was lovely and clean. My highlight was being lucky enough to see the Wild Dogs released from the Boma. Overall an amazing time all round.

Amazing!!! I had a great experience and met so many nice people. The booking process, accommodation and field work, all way exceeded my expectations. It was great to see how the uMkhuze Cheetah cubs had grown since I last saw them 1 month before. My highlight from all my 8 weeks was the re-collaring of a Wild Dog on iMfolozi. But everything was a highlight because it was never boring. The whole experience was a highlight for me!!!

My experience was everything I had hoped it would be. The monitors were informative, charismatic and courteous. The admin staff was quick to respond to my inquiries regarding a Covid test and helping me secure my luggage, for which I am very appreciative. Lastly, Wildlife ACT provided me an opportunity to engage in noble conservation work that is dedicated to helping the animals I love. There are plenty of organizations that claim to do this but sadly not all actually follow through. I did my homework to find exactly the right fit to make a small contribution to a larger cause. Thank you all for allowing me to live this dream.

The field experience was outstanding. I enjoyed getting to have a hands-on experience with the Painted Dogs. The team at Manyoni Game Reserve is very knowledgeable and patient. There are so many highlights but the full process of darting and transporting the Painted Dogs and working side by side with vets was simply fantastic!

An absolutely incredible experience. Wildlife ACT and the whole conservation team are welcoming, professional, friendly, proficient, and impeccably hardworking. Their dedication to their positions and the wildlife in the Park is inspiring. The process was so smooth to book, and the team are so accommodating when it comes to transfers and taking time out to get Covid tests etc. Really excellent.It is very clear that the work carried out by the teams informs the management processes of the reserve, and although a lot of the work is reactive rather than proactive, it is crucial to keeping these animals safe. Every big change takes millions of tiny acts of effort, and that is what these monitors are doing every day; doing their bit to ensure the safety of the individual animal, and sharing the knowledge and the compassion with volunteers and park visitors, to hopefully inspire others to also do their own tiny acts of effort.Being present at the re-collaring of a cheetah was a major highlight! Absolutely amazing to be there during such a crucial part of the monitoring process. Thank you again to all the team for allowing us to be there.