In the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, the Amakhala Game Reserve is known not only as a malaria-free area, but also as a place where anyone who intends to work with animals can truly have a complete, all-around experienceâ€"from surveying bird behaviour to following the trail of antelopes to monitoring the activities of lions.
Regardless of how many weeks you stay you’ll return home a different person, enriched with a sense of accomplishment and the knowledge that even in your own little way, you have helped ensure the continued survival of some critically endangered species. So what’s in it for you? The following are just some of the major points.
Working with the lions
One of the major focuses of the Amakhala volunteer programme is monitoring how the lions live and thrive in the reserve and in the adjoining areas, especially noting any behavioural changes or identifying any threat that might prove critical to the species’ survival. When people say they want to work with animals in Africa, they most often refer to the work involved in taking care of these magnificent, if not slightly misunderstood, beasts. Of course, you are not able to actually “pet†the lions (although in rare instances, specifically in the presence of a powerful tranquiliser necessitated by an emergency situation, you might be able to get very close), and the work requires constantly monitoring them and making sure that the fence lines are in good condition. However, this might be easier said than done, as it takes skill, discipline and patience to perform the daily tasks without getting in harm’s way.
Helping empower local communities
As with any other volunteer programmes based in South Africa, the one in Amakhala is not all about work with animalsâ€"it is also (and this we carefully and heavily emphasize) about helping out and empowering the local communities. That’s why volunteers will be spending half their time teaching the local children vital lessons to further their education. The programme may also involve some livelihood teaching modules on the side, whose goal is to help the local communities find extra means of income to support themselves. Empowering local communities is an important aspect of the campaign to keep endangered species alive; often, the locals when driven to the brink of starvation are the ones that pose the greatest threat to wildlife conservation.
Your home away from home
The great thing about the Amakhala game reserve is its unique locationâ€"it is far enough to give a sense of remoteness, but a mere 50-minute northeast drive from Port Elizabeth’s airport. Those who volunteer to work with animals here are only required to actually “work†from Monday to Friday for eight hours daily. On weekends, volunteers can relax and have a good timeâ€"they can see the local sights, hang out at the local pub (there’s one nearby that is popular among game rangers and volunteers where everyone can exchange stories and bond), or just watch TV and surf the Internet.
Regardless of how many weeks you stay you’ll return home a different person, enriched with a sense of accomplishment and the knowledge that even in your own little way, you have helped ensure the continued survival of some critically endangered species. So what’s in it for you? The following are just some of the major points.
Working with the lions
One of the major focuses of the Amakhala volunteer programme is monitoring how the lions live and thrive in the reserve and in the adjoining areas, especially noting any behavioural changes or identifying any threat that might prove critical to the species’ survival. When people say they want to work with animals in Africa, they most often refer to the work involved in taking care of these magnificent, if not slightly misunderstood, beasts. Of course, you are not able to actually “pet†the lions (although in rare instances, specifically in the presence of a powerful tranquiliser necessitated by an emergency situation, you might be able to get very close), and the work requires constantly monitoring them and making sure that the fence lines are in good condition. However, this might be easier said than done, as it takes skill, discipline and patience to perform the daily tasks without getting in harm’s way.
Helping empower local communities
As with any other volunteer programmes based in South Africa, the one in Amakhala is not all about work with animalsâ€"it is also (and this we carefully and heavily emphasize) about helping out and empowering the local communities. That’s why volunteers will be spending half their time teaching the local children vital lessons to further their education. The programme may also involve some livelihood teaching modules on the side, whose goal is to help the local communities find extra means of income to support themselves. Empowering local communities is an important aspect of the campaign to keep endangered species alive; often, the locals when driven to the brink of starvation are the ones that pose the greatest threat to wildlife conservation.
Your home away from home
The great thing about the Amakhala game reserve is its unique locationâ€"it is far enough to give a sense of remoteness, but a mere 50-minute northeast drive from Port Elizabeth’s airport. Those who volunteer to work with animals here are only required to actually “work†from Monday to Friday for eight hours daily. On weekends, volunteers can relax and have a good timeâ€"they can see the local sights, hang out at the local pub (there’s one nearby that is popular among game rangers and volunteers where everyone can exchange stories and bond), or just watch TV and surf the Internet.
