apply to volunteer with rhino
volunteer with wildlife, abroad in Africa.
Our wildlife rescue centre in South Africa is the perfect place to volunteer abroad with wildlife.
If you’re passionate about Africa, conservation and helping wildlife, you can apply for a volunteer position with us!
Volunteering at a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre allows participants to gain hands-on experience and knowledge of the conservation work we do. It offers once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience and be part of saving an endangered species, and your payment for this opportunity goes directly to further helping our rhino orphans.
Volunteering with wildlife abroad is a phenomenal way to be of service to the environment and is a standout act of service that can be added to your resumé.
Volunteer Program
Our volunteer program is in full swing through a placement partner that will provide the potential volunteer with excellent assistance and on the ground support.
TRO focuses on handling the rhino calves in a calm quiet environment where they can recover from the trauma. The calves are reared to facilitate their release into the wild as healthy, self-sustaining calves who will grow up to be active breeding rhino and thus contribute to the conservation of the species. We keep the number of people that rhino have direct contact with, to a minimum so that they do not become too tame or stressed; as well as to avoid injuries and accidents. Our protocols and policies ensure that we give every calf the best chance of full recovery, rehabilitation and where possible release back into the wild.
Because you are volunteering for a shorter period of time, we cannot allow small babies to bond with you in the same way they bond with permanent carers. These bonds are strong and it will be cruel and heartless to break this bond every few weeks. This means the baby is effectively losing a mother all over again. You will be allowed to feed the babies but you won’t spend direct time with them or sleep with them. We are not open for visitors and tourism and access to and handling of the calves is restricted to permanent carers only. Volunteers are required to sign a volunteer confidentiality agreement and indemnity form.
When you are selected to become part of our team, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you are contributing to a genuine conservation effort where every calf counts. As a short-term volunteer you will partake in all aspects of rhino husbandry, from preparing and giving milk and dry food through a barrier, cleaning up, washing and cleaning rooms, to behaviour monitoring and witnessing life-saving veterinary work when the opportunity presents. There is a range of wildlife on this remote reserve and the views are second to none. You will directly assist our small core-team of carers and learn from them, leaving with a better understanding of rhino ecology, poaching, wildlife rehabilitation, veld management and health problems that we deal with daily.
