Game Capture

  South Africa

Rural Areas

Durations of Program: 1-2 weeks and 2-4 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Dates: April to September

Description: This is a unique opportunity for volunteers to be actively involved in wildlife game capture and see a range of different game reserves in South Africa. Volunteers will have the chance to understand the every day workings of the Game Capture team and also gain hands on capture experience.

The team are lead by Shaun and Emma Rambert from BBC 1 's series 'Vet Safari' and operate to relocate a variety of different species from one game reserve to another. The animals range in both size and difficulty to translocate, from large animals such as rhino and giraffe to smaller sized wildlife like impala, blesbuck and zebra.

Game capture is necessary to preserve species and maintain high population numbers in different game reserves. The movement of wildlife will also ensure that successful breeding programs continue and allow the translocated wildlife to thrive in new reserves. Over the past 9 game capture seasons the team has managed to successfully translocate over 6,000 animals to various game reserves throughout Southern Africa.

Shumba volunteers will be actively involved with the game capture process from beginning to end, including the release of animals onto new reserves. The volunteer's activities will be based around the Game Capture team's movements and so you will undoubtedly have plenty of hands on experience working with the wildlife in Africa.   All we ask the volunteers to have is a passion for wildlife conservation and a reasonably high level of personal fitness due to the strenuous nature of work involved in this project.

Highlights: Project Activities may include some of the following:

- Support the Translocation Team with the game capture
- Setting up enclosures for holding wildlife
- Educationed on the captured species and the drugs administered
- Observe the specialized activity of darting wildlife
- Assist inside the concealing nets during the actual game capture (only with certain animals)
- Camp out in the bush (on selected reserves)
- Observe the helicopter used in game captures
- Release of captured game to new reserves

** Note: It is not possible to guarantee these exact activities will occur during your project it will depend on the conditions of the project at the time **

Qualifications: No qualifications are required as all training is given on the project.

Cost in US$: GBP 995 2 weeks, GBP 1795 4 weeks

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: A typical Game Capture volunteer will be enthusiastic about animals and be very willing to really get involved.

Age Range: 17 +

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to South Africa Independently

Typically Participants Work in Groups

Application Process Involves:

• Written Application

Post Services Include:

• Exit DebriefingAbroad

Year Founded: 2005