Join Our Wildlife Volunteer Projects

Possibly the best experience of my life. I learned so much, and it was something that will benefit my studies in biology. Fi and Ryan are honestly two of the most inspiring and extraordinary individuals I have ever met. Just being with them for two weeks, has been a revelation. Seeing that there actually are other people with as much passion for wildlife as me, has given me new faith in the future of our planet. They deserve all the credit in the world.

I had a great experience. Marumo and Mike were very welcoming and fun to be with. They taught a great deal about conservation and the animals over the two weeks which made the trip very educational and insightful. The accommodation was better than expected. It was very sociable and I really enjoyed having a chance to speak to the other researchers. Really enjoyed the Braais too!

Wildlife ACT is a phenomenal organization. When I volunteered with them in 2014, I didn't realize how much it was about to change my life. I was freshly employed at a credit union, in what is widely accepted as a good, stable job. I spent two amazing weeks in the bush at the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi reserve, which ignited my soul and reminded me what my true passion in life was. I was able to be a part of rhino lifts (look it up; it's relocating rhinos by helicopter!!!), tracking and monitoring wild dogs, elephants, and lions, and really getting a chance to see what real, no-frills conservation is all about.My true passion may have still been buried under the cover of a desk job if I didn't get the great opportunity of working with the amazing people at Wildlife ACT. If anyone is ever looking for a great volunteer opportunity with a legitimate conservation organization, I would recommend them without hesitation. The work that they do isn't just for you to have a fun experience, it's to truly conserve wildlife through research and education.

Being a Wildlife ACT Volunteer in Africa at the uMkhuze reserve was one of the most special trips of my life. The richness of the experience is difficult to compare to anything, and if you're a nature and animal lover, it is something you'll do and then ask yourself "how have I not done this before??". We were so lucky to have our wonderful monitors PJ, Ben and gorgeous Kelsey who has moved on to another reserve now. Be camera and bino ready, be ready to be up and head out at 4am, and be ready to have your mind blown by Africa.

I spent just 2 weeks with Wildlife ACT at Tembe Elephant Park and loved every minute of it! We saw an amazing variety of wildlife, including the tusker elephants, the resident wild dog pack and lots of lions.As a frequent traveller and former volunteer coordinator for another organisation, I was really impressed with Wildlife ACT. One of the things that initially drew me to Wildlife ACT was how informative and up front they were on their website - rare indeed. Lots of information offered and they really care about the cause. It's genuinely rare to find an organisation which ticks all these boxes, and still have a lot of fun while you're out there! Accommodation and facilities were also way better than expected.It was great to be able to contribute to the research and conservation effort too, rather than just being a tourist (this isn't an ecotourism vanity project). Volunteers help in all sorts of ways - providing vital funding through the donation, helping create ID kits, locating collared animals using radio telemetry, setting up camera traps and much more. If you're really lucky as I was, you might get to participate in call-ups or relocations of key species, which is a once-in-a-lifetime experience!They have a fantastic research team as well as great working relationships with other park and support staff. There's also excellent support before you get there from Bronwen et al. who will answer any question you have, but honestly almost everything is provided up front in the volunteer information.Every day is a new experience. You never quite know what you’ll do or what you’ll see, and Tembe is a stunning backdrop to your day. My stay was all too brief but amazing nonetheless… I have already recommended Wildlife ACT to friends and I’d love to go back one day!

It has taken me 22 years to realize my goal to come to South Africa and stand face to face with my dreams to one day be among the best Wildlife Photographers.My eternal love for Photography, animals and nature led me to Wildlife ACT, which turned out to be the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life. I had a breath-taking 6 weeks of volunteering and words can't explain how much I have grown during this time.The most important thing of all was understanding conservation and discerning that I was actually a part of something big that came with a lot of responsibility. We've all heard about conservation and fake organisations that pretend to do something about it, where volunteers come to pet lions, right? Well, this is not the case. As Wildlife ACT has cleverly put it - ''This is Zululand, not Disneyland.''For me, I'd say it was more of a Dreamland. Waking up every morning early on, sure. Who needs sleep anyway? When there are animals out there to be saved. When they are being snared, killed and trapped on a daily basis. When the clock is ticking. When their numbers are decreasing.Once you set your first step inside the camp you already know, this is the real deal. Every day is an event and every second is an experience. The unpredictability of nature overall adds up to that in such a beautiful way. It felt like home. If home is not a place, but a feeling, then this was it for me.In six weeks, apart from tracking and monitoring animals on a daily basis, I watched helicopters come down to save an elephant from dying. I watched the glowing eyes of local communities as they were being educated why the Wild Dogs are of such importance to our existence. I watched rhinos being dehorned as they were finally free of the threat to be poached, as the last means of conservation to save these amazing creatures from extinction.And right in this moment I knew - South Africa is waiting for me, because if not us, nobody will save our planet's wildlife. It is up to you. And if it is, Wildlife ACT is the right place to be!

When I originally decided to volunteer in South Africa I was a little apprehensive because I was going to a foreign country all by myself. Once I found Wildlife ACT the process from beginning to end was incredibly smooth. The million different questions were all answered super quick and with a lot of detail. The booking process was smooth and easy. Brownen was amazing to work with!Once I initially got there the staff was waiting at the airport with friendly faces. They were very organized and we were on the way to our respective reserves in no time.I spent my time at Manyoni and the monitors are INCREDIBLE! I can't say enough good things about them both. Meg and Frede are both so knowledgeable, friendly, and fun to be around. We got in a couple of scary situations with a herd of elephants surrounding us and Meg was calm and collected and instructed us what to do so nobody got hurt. The monitors made this entire experience as amazing as it was.I've always had a love for animals and when I found this organization I immediately knew that I wanted to be a part of it. I learned so much about the animals, Africa, and most importantly, MYSELF while being with Wildlife ACT. The days are long but it doesn't feel that way. Getting up every morning before the sun is so exciting because you literally have no idea what you might see or be doing. I felt like I was actually helping make a difference out there. I never realized how much monitoring animals can really help. The whole ecosystem is in such a fragile balance and it was so fascinating learning about how everything works together and balances itself out. I really feel like I made a difference out there.I plan on returning next year! This was the best two weeks of my life and I wish I could've stayed longer.

The past three months with Wildlife ACT in Zululand have been freaking insane. The 3am wake-ups and wrapping up our days by 7.30pm has been tough. Freezing mornings, scorching heat - 7 days a week. But it has been so so worth it. We've monitored and tracked some of South Africa's most threatened species. We've been involved in collaring four cheetah for monitoring, a rhino darting for relocation, two lion darts for relocation, one dog dart for collaring and monitoring, and five wild dog darts for translocation. We've spent time with 146 individual African Wild Dogs - over 1/4 of the population in South Africa. It has been an incredible opportunity to be involved in conservation in a greater sense. We have learned so much about wildlife, the threats against them and what we can do to help. We've experienced and witnessed first-hand the devastation of poaching and snaring. It has been an incredibly humbling journey for both of us. We're eternally grateful to our wonderful monitors for everything. South Africa - it's been real.

After doing many conservation projects in South Africa, Wildlife ACT has been my favourite. If you are thinking of booking, my advice: BOOK! Bronwen was amazing with the booking and all the details. Big shout out and thank you to Megan and Frede at ZRR. Their knowledge of the animals and the reserve is next to none. Whether you are travelling with friends or alone, your group will become family in a short time. Early mornings, more rain than imaginable, sunshine, mountains, you name it, it's there and so SO much fun. They are making a difference with conservation, the variation of wildlife is awesome. Keep up the fantastic work and see you soon guys!

I was a volunteer for two months between September and November 2016 and I enjoyed every single day. It was definitely the best experience of my life. I met such nice people and learned a lot about conservation work. And, of course, all the animals that I have seen were so cool. To see especially wild dogs in the wild is something so special. I'm glad that I was part of the team and would love to come back one day. Greetings from Germany to the whole WACT team!

If you had told me two months ago I would PAY to get up before dawn, ride on bumpy roads in the back of an open truck in 50 degree weather, struggle through a water shortage, marinade in bug spray to avoid mozzi bites, drag dead aromatic carcasses around (all in the name of conservation), and live without TV, music, and a lot of times, Internet, I would have called you crazy! If you asked me if I was ready to go back today - I would ask how soon could I leave?!Wildlife ACT is simply phenomenal. From emailing before my departure, to organizing every transport Monday, answering all my questions and providing a truly ethical conservation experience - they by far exceeded all my expectations. Long mornings, short mid-day breaks, and long evenings were never boring and worth every moment. At times it was heart-breaking, other times amusing, but at all times an experience I will never regret or forget. The accommodations are simple and adequate. Trust me, exhausting days make the beds FEEL like heaven! The food is more than enough and I lost 5lbs I believe because of the very lean venison we ate daily! The training is hands-on and all the monitors are patient and helpful. The days are long, BUT I can honestly say my four weeks was not long enough. If a safari is on your bucket-list, and you don't need 5 star accommodations, take your experience further by being part of a global concern - endangered species conservation. Join Wildlife ACT for an adventure of a lifetime!

I really enjoyed my time volunteering and couldn’t have asked for more. It was awesome to be involved hands-on in everything and whatever needed to be done. Every time on the road was an amazing experience and the monitors are such great guys and have an awesome knowledge of the African bush. It was interesting to see how the management involved Wildlife ACT and even us volunteers never felt left out. I never felt unsafe at any time, even with a lion growling at us :) It has been a lifetime experience and I will never forget it. There was nothing I would like to change about my 4 weeks with WACT!

If you are thinking of booking, do it... you will not regret it! I can't thank the team at Wildlife ACT enough. They conducted themselves extremely professionally yet they made you feel very comfortable, at home, and up-most part of their team! Bronwen has amazing organizational skills and will try to meet all your requirements! I will not lie - it is hard work; as they say, it's Zululand not Disneyland. There are very early mornings, late lunches and late evenings, but when you see the animals healthy day-to-day and help them when they are most in need, I can promise it's the most rewarding thing! You'll come home with a different perspective on life. If you are looking to be part of REAL conservation, then this is the project for you! I searched high and low to find a reputable project and was so glad I came across this one! I credit all of you at Wildlife ACT for the work you do day in, day out! Thanks again!!!

My experience with Wildlife ACT was the best experience of my life. I had been in many countries and I did many things in my life, but many thanks to give us the chance to be Involved in a project like this and become aware with the efforts of your work to conserve endangered species.

I hereby want to thank Wildlife ACT for the amazing time I had while volunteering in ZRR and Tembe. It was an absolutely amazing experience I will never forget. All the staff members I met were just great. All very dedicated, passionate, professional and friendly! They all involved us closely in whatever needed to be done and I never got the feeling we were “just volunteers”. It really was a hands-on experience and I have learned so much! I loved every second of it. I am definitely coming back!

It was the best and most amazing experience I ever had! The monitors are amazing, the work that we do is so much fun and important, and Africa is amazing itself. Everything is taken care of and the camps are just perfect (basic the way it should be). I will definitely visit wildlife ACT again!

I did over 80 hours of research on the internet, trying to find a reputable organization with which I could learn, experience, and participate in real conservation. The down-and-dirty kind, protecting vulnerable species, not the fake baby-animal-petting or vacationing-by-a-pool-and-going-for-photo-safari-drives kind. I wanted to support a group of people who were not getting rich off of "volunteers" digging holes, and then the next group filling them back up (this really happens at some "volunteer" camps, where they are creating "work" for volunteers to do.) I also didn't want to support groups that breed big cats under the guise of releasing them into the wild, but allowing volunteers to feed and pet them as babies, as this renders them unfit for wild release and is unethical. I wanted a group that works hard, down to their last dime, trying to ethically protect and conserve critically endangered species... and I found just that.

Just wanted to say Thank You to all the Wildlife ACT team. I volunteered with you guys for 4 weeks (wasn't long enough if you ask me). It was the best time of my life. Was even better then I could dream. I advise any potential volunteer looking at this page to GO AND DO IT!!! Would happily recommend this company to any interested in it. Thanks again guys :-)

Inspiring. I was able to learn more about the pressing issues regarding wildlife and conservation in Africa. Being here at the reserve allowed me to be surrounded by the very devoted and passionate monitors and volunteers who have come here individually to help achieve a common goal. Each day I learnt more about the animals' behaviors, the challenges we face to help them, and surprisingly, more about myself. This experience was not only inspiring but also very authentic. The trip very much reflects WACT's motto "Real Africa, Real Conservation."

Hi guys,My name is Sam Lostrom. I have just completed 6 weeks volunteering with Wildlife ACT and just wanted to say I cannot thank you enough for the amazing experiences I had.I was so pleased to find how dedicated all the monitors were to conservation, how beneficial the projects were to the reserves and how hands on and educating the volunteering was. This volunteering has given me direction as an ecologist and allowed me to learn how to monitor species in terms of telemetry, camera trapping and searching without collars and creating ID kits (e.g. tracking). In addition monitors were always willing to teach us how to appreciate what we saw around us by helping us ID birds, telling us about the history of the reserve and the ecology of the area.Besides all the education I received, I can confidently say that I experienced the most magnificent things of my life while with Wildlife ACT. I have always been passionate about animals and seeing the antelope, wild dogs, rhinos, big cats and elephants in such a natural way was breath-taking. Every day I was in awe of where I was and what I was doing, I was so motivated and happy to be there and am inspired to go on and start my own career in conservation.I cannot thank you enough for not only educating volunteers like me, but for giving us experiences we will never forget. I wish you all nothing but the best for the years ahead. I know such an honest and dedicated organisiation like you will go far and only extend the fantastic research and conservation you are completing. I'll be recommending you to my zoology friends if they ever decide to travel, and please don't hesitate to notify me about any fundraising or awareness that needs to be raised.Thanks,Sam

Concluding Africa thoughts and lessons:1. I really loved seeing every sunrise and every sunset. They are such special moments that I'm usually asleep or inside for. I resolve to put more sunrises and sunsets into my "normal" life. Join me?2. Sometimes it was our job to just sit. And wait. Sometimes for 1-2 hours just observing the same animals. Sometimes for several hours with absolutely nothing going on. I think some of the girls in my last group were often bored out of their minds. But really, how nice is it to just sit? Sit and listen to the birds. Sit and watch the stars come out. There is always so much going on!3. These Wildlife ACT people are warriors. They work just crazy hours, 30 days on/10 days off, with a constant rotation of new volunteers every two weeks. If the people suck, they are stuck in close quarters with them with no relief for 2 weeks. If the people are awesome, 2 weeks is way too short before it's time to say goodbye. I'm used to working ridiculous hours in the field, lab, and office as a grad student slave, but as I go forward into a real conservation career as a real grown-up, I will remember the commitment and sacrifices of these people and let that push me on to be a warrior and not an entitled whiner.4. I love knowing what things are called. I was able to pick up South African birds and trees really quickly and it was really fun to learn about the bush. It's too bad all that knowledge is now useless. I want to be better at my birds and trees and flowers here. I have all the field guides. I wish I had a guide though to go walk with me and tell me stories about things- that's how I'll learn it best. I'll just have to try my best on my own. Knowing what things are makes outdoor experiences so much richer.My heart is full. It's sad to be back in the real world, but I'm super thankful for the experience and memories and people I've met. This was the best thing I've done in my whole life.

“I've had an absolutely brilliant month volunteering with Wildlife ACT in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa!The projects give an excellent intro into conservation issues over there, and certainly changed some of the views that I'd held through ignorance for a long time.Thanks to Clinton for being so passionate and informative about Lions, whilst always drawing our attention to a myriad of other creatures ,critters and plants, that are so very important in themselves, and to each other. You manage to be professional ,laid back and an excellent 'people' person, with such ease!Thank-you Leonard (Ezemvelo) for imparting your knowledge about Tembe Elephant so well. I wish we could have had more time! And thanks also for being able to reverse 3km in sand, at top speed.... Oh and then there's that dessert...........Thank-you Craig for being both informative and fun, as well as an excellent host, and all that despite the wisdom teeth removal! Watching the vulture being tagged and camera backpack fitted was awesome! I wish you the very best.Thank-you Megan for being so caring and passionate about African Painted Dogs I wasn't fortunate enough to see a pack in the wild till my last few days, and your enthusiasm made the 2 sightings great!Thanks Marumo for coming back and being such good fun, I'm sorry that I couldn't know you for longer. Many many Thanks also to Bronwen, and Rebecca, for all their help and Taryn for everything including the braai!I'm missing the noises of the bush at night terribly already!”

Hi Bronwen,I'd like to tell you I had an amazing time at Mkhuze and learned a lot about the hard conservation work the Wildlife ACT monitors and others do. It's wonderful.I love the Wild Dogs more than ever. I saw so much of them and they are really entertaining! That pack is so lucky to have someone like Cole to look after them.Thank you, Bronwen, for placing me at the beautiful Mkhuze Reserve.Best wishes,Kith

How was your overall experience with Wildlife ACT?This is my last reserve, I’m so sad! My overall experience has been amazing, it was all I ever wanted, learning all the importance of taking care not only environmentally speaking, but also the attitude you have with all the people that work with you. I feel really blessed for having this opportunity, be a part of a conservation project which is working really good!!Did you feel you made a contribution to conservation through our monitoring programme?Yes I have. Being able to monitor wild dogs (which have become one of my favourite wild animals now) has been amazing, the way all monitors take care of them and show their worries and passion for their job it’s absolutely wonderful, having the chance to work with them and spread all of this feelings to us is what makes it even more beautiful.Was there something you did not like?I think in overall I liked everything about this company and how does it work. Although, people (other volunteers) make a lot of difference and in this reserve I was unfortunate to be with some people that didn’t feel interested at all about the project and moaned every chance they had, that is really frustrating because it makes it a little bit difficult to enjoy it.What was the highlight of your time with us?I can’t believe how lucky I’ve been in this reserve! I’ve been in 2 black rhino captures by airlifting, 1 lion call up and 1 wild dog collaring. Amazing!!

"Many thanks to you and all the monitors that helped Angharad to have such and awesome experience. She is telling everyone it's the best thing she has ever done in her life and intends to come back. It has also shown her that she has some photographic talent which has boosted her confidence for college in September.I can't thank you guys enough. Hope to come back soon.Love Annette"(Angharad’s grandmother)