Day 1 Arrive at Windhoek Airport (airport code WDH) and after clearing customs you’ll be met by our driver and taken straight to the sanctuary, a journey of around 40 minutes. Depending your time of arrival, there should be plenty of time to freshen up and make yourself at home before your official welcome and induction session, then dinner !!
Mondays to Fridays After breakfast next morning, participants will come together for orientation – this important session will talk you through the history of the sanctuary, its short and long-term aims and the important program safety rules. Then we’ll get started !
The Veterinary Experience runs for 10 days, Mondays through Fridays with the weekend off in between. Your days will be filled with practical activities such as the capture and anaesthesia of various resident animals for sampling and health checks, shadowing our resident vets on their daily activities including any emergencies which may arise. Practical sessions are interspersed with engaging presentations about wildlife capture and anaesthesia, behavioural patterns and pharmacology.
At weekends there’s lots to do…or do nothing at all! Take a walk, swim in the pool or book one of the many optional activities available – what better than a horse ride in the desert, mingling with giraffes and watching the beautiful African sunset? You may like to join a daytrip into Windhoek city or to visit the San skills academy to try your hand at a range of ancient tribal activities and traditions.
Saturday On your last day with us, having said your goodbyes and packed your bags, we’ll whisk you off to the airport in plenty of time for your flight onwards, or home. Extend your stay by combining your 2 weeks veterinary program with a week or more of general wildlife volunteering at the sanctuary and/or time spent at one of the remote wildlife research projects. Refer to the African Wildlife Sanctuary and Research Weeks info packs for details of these add-on program options.
Itinerary (June and November)
The June and November trip itinerary contains a broad cross-section of veterinary, wildlife rehabilation, sightseeing and cultural activities.
Day 1 Arrive at Windhoek Airport (airport code WDH) and after clearing customs you’ll be met by our driver and taken straight to the sanctuary, a journey of around 40 minutes. Depending your time of arrival, there should be plenty of time to freshen up and make yourself at home before your official welcome and induction session, then dinner !!
Tuesday Horse ride on the reserve, stable maintenance & grooming. Animal Husbandry and Welfare Presentation.
Wednesday Carnivore feed (caracals, lions, cheetahs, African wild dogs, leopards) and conservation practical. Dart gun introduction and practical.
Saturday Baboon walk. Our rescue baboons adore the interaction and bounding through the bush on their daily walks. Later join wildlife volunteer activities.
Sunday Free morning. Afternoon visit to the Ancient San Skills Academy - visit the San Bushmen in their traditional village and witness their ancient culture and traditions first hand.
Monday Research - Telemetry tracking on reserve. Rhino / elephant presentation & boma visit
Tuesday Animal feed and nutrition practical. Snake bites in captive animals
Wednesday African Wild Dog - IDs, ethograms, feeding, BCS checks (practical). Carnivore conflict work – the role of research, rapid response unit, etc
Thursday Animal enrichment practical. Game drive on reserve, rhino tracking
Friday Free day – kick back and relax, book one of the many optional activities available or join in with wildlife volunteer activities.
Saturday Departure, or start Research Week / Sanctuary program
Accommodation and meals : There are two accommodation styles, allocated on arrival – these are standard rooms or large, raised safari tents with proper beds. Both types are very comfortable and twin-share – if travelling solo you’ll be paired with another volunteer (same-gender). Showers and toilet facilities are communal, please bring biodegradable shampoo and soap. Three meals a day are included so you’ll enjoy the luxury of having your breakfast, lunch and dinner prepared for you. You can look forward to some authentic African braais (BBQ) on a weekend too !
Other information As a desert country, Namibia experiences an average of 300 days of sunshine in the year with hot summers and mild winters. There is no bad time to visit Namibia.The sanctuary does have mosquitoes but no malaria. A net is not a necessity, but do bring insect repellent. Internet is not available on site but you’ll get the chance to check your email on your days off.
As part of your stay, we recommend you combine time at the sanctuary with a stint at at the Kanaan wildlife research project in the south of the country.
6-7 hours drive south from the sanctuary, Kanaan is is a photographer’s paradise, with spectacular scenery and night skies to take your breath away. Its contrasting landscapes include endless red sand dunes, towering mountain ranges and vast open plains. The main flagship species here are cheetah, brown hyena, spotted hyena and leopard.
Operating Saturday to Saturday, research weeks are undertaken as a small group escorted by members of the sanctuary team. All transport, accommodation, meals and training are provided, and a range of activities. A more detailed Info Pack is available, so do please ask.
Hiking and trekking the mountainous terrain make up a large part of the daily activities, so a good level of fitness is recommended. You may have the chance to track and monitor animals in the area, contributing to invaluable research that will help mitigate human-wildlife conflict in Africa. Volunteers will be involved with all aspects of the research program, inc.: • wildlife population census • mapping and exploring the terrain • radio telemetry / GPS tracking • cheetah feed (semi-habituated rescued cheetah) • assisting with capture and releases • setting camera traps and analysing image data • night drives and sleep-outs • data processing • maintenance and security on the reserve