Wild Cat Volunteer in South Africa
Trip Details
If you would like to participate on this project for more than 12 weeks, please do get in touch with the TRU team.
The centre is located in the wellknown Free State province, which borders the Northern Cape. The predator farm is situated only 30 km from the historical town of Kimberley, on the National Road (the N8). The farm is home to an abundance of animals; we are a home to 42 predators and 2 monkeys – the predators include: 4 cheetahs, 20 lions, 4 caracals, 2 servals, 1 African wild cat, 2 black back jackals, and 9 bateared foxes. These animals are taken in to be cared for because of various reasons; some cannot live in the wild on their own if they are sick or were abandoned, and many are rescued from unethical processes like canned hunting and breeding for tourism purposes. When it is possible, we strive to release our animals back into the wild where they can live freely without any human interaction.
Currently busy expanding the enclosures on the farm. These enclosures will be geared towards mimicking a natural area for play and roaming. Each enclosure will accommodate the specific species’ needs. Every enclosure will consist of tree logs, a climbing area, and adequate space to roam. The centre currently has over 1000 hectares of pure Free State farmland available to expand the project and ensure the wellbeing of the animals in our care. We do not intend to breed with our lions or to buy in any more cubs in the future.
Released back into the wild
Since the start of the farm in 2010, we have released 2 Caracals on Nicky Oppenheimers Reserve, Tswalu. We have also released more animals on the Langberg Guest Farm, as well as on our own farm. Some of these animals include; Jakkels, Meerkats, misseljaatkatte (Cape Genet), African Wild Cats, Muishonde and more.
You can start the project with a two day orientation on the Wednesday and Transfer to the project on Friday. Please advise our Travel adviser of your plans.
Trip Itinerary
Volunteers will be involved in the daily activities of the centre. Tasks may include:
- Preparation of food and feeding of animals
- Taking care of animals at the Centre
- Cleaning various enclosures
- Building of enclosures
- Repairing of enclosures
- Daily exercising and stimulation of animals
- Assisting with tours
- Working at the Curio Shop
As a volunteer, you will be working closely with staff to complete tasks for each of the various aspects of the farm.
Daily routine: Cleaning the enclosures & farm, feeding the animals, maintaining the enclosures, etc.
Projects: We run various projects that aim to improve the farm and wellbeing of the animals. The projects at the farm continuously change depending on the needs of the animals and farm at the time.
- You will be assisting approximately 5 days a week with 2 days off
Please note: This is subject to change depending on urgent issues that may arise when we will require volunteer assistance - Your day starts at 07:00am sharp and ends around 18:00pm
- During working days, you will have a break between 10:00–10:30am, and 13:0014:30pm.
Duties that do not directly interact with the animals are still crucial to their wellbeing. General maintenance and cleaning of the grounds for example cutting grass to ensure there are no ticks, fleas, snakes, and spiders, and poop scooping are regular tasks on the farm for the health and safety of all the animals in our care.
As a volunteer, you will be able to experience each of the various jobs on the farm; we rotate the tasks among the volunteers to ensure each person has an opportunity to both help with farm maintenance and interact with the animals equally. While we require a lot of assistance with meal preparation for the animals , if volunteers do not feel comfortable with this, you will not have to do it.
Trip Accommodation
Trip Country Info
South Africa
Population: 55 million
Capital: Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial), Pretoria (executive)
Language: English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, Tswana, Northern Sotho, Venda, Tsonga, Swati, Ndebele
Currency: South African Rand
Time zone: UTC +2
South Africa is a vast country with an incredible variety in landscapes, people, traditions, languages, cuisines and more. The country is often referred to as the “Rainbow Nation” due to its population diversity. The country is also renowned for its wines, so make sure not to miss these while you are here!
While big cities such as Cape Town and Johannesburg can look quite first worldly, most of the country has remained underdeveloped. This is a perfect example of the economic inequality that exists in the country.
South Africa is an ideal destination for those interested in nature and it is incredibly varied in terms of landscapes. The country boasts a large number of National Parks such as Kruger, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, which is located in the desert, Addo Elephant National Park, Simangaliso Wetland Park and many more. It is also a great place to spot the “Big Five” (African lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, African leopard, and White/Black rhinoceros) as well as a wide range of other species.
All in all, South Africa is an ideal place to start if you wish to travel in southern Africa and get a good insight into the region.
Participant Criteria & Requirements
Standard Requirements
No requirements have been provided.
Additional Requirements
No requirements have been provided.
What's included
- 24/7 support in case of emergencies
- Accommodation
- Airport Pick up
- English speaking coordinator
- Meals
- Orientation
What's not included
- Airport drop off
- Departures/ drop offs
- Flights
- Travel insurance
- Vaccination
- Visa