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“10/10 So many amazing things happened within my 4 weeks with the “Big 5”, from watching elephants fight one another, watching the cheetah mum and her cubs hunting and tracking those sneaky leopards through the wild! It was honestly the best 4 weeks of my life!!"   
​Shayla, AUG 2019

​​This program is a dream come true for anyone with a love of remote wilderness and a passion for African wildlife.  The exciting and important research project takes place in a spectacularly beautiful, private reserve wilderness on the edge of a National Park, home to lion, rhino, elephant, leopard, cheetah, African wild dog, buffalo and plentiful game species including wildebeest, zebra and numerous antelope, all living in their natural habitat on thousands of hectares of pristine African bush.

Volunteers play a central role in every part of the research including daily monitoring expeditions, tracking wildlife on foot and by vehicle, camera trap placement, photo analysis and even using drone technology.  You’ll receive expert training on arrival and will then head out twice a day to recording animal behaviour. As a member of this pioneering research team, you will learn new skills such as navigation techniques and identification of flora and fauna.  You may even have the chance to participate in darting and re-collaring if necessary.

Snapshot

  • Start Dates : Tuesdays year round
  • Duration : From 2-12 weeks.  Max out your available time - you'll wish you'd stayed longer! 
  • Pricing: 
    • 2 weeks AU$2,195 / NZ$2,635 / £1,269
    • 3 weeks AU$2,895 / NZ$3,475 / £1,669
    • 4 weeks AU$3,595 / NZ$4,315 / £2,069
    • 6 weeks AU$5,095 / NZ$6,115 / £2,899
  • Minimum Age : 18
  • Fly In/Out : Johannesburg (JNB)
  • Activities:  Tracking and monitoring of wildlife, recording their feeding behaviour, territorial movements and social patterns.  General reserve management activities 
  • What’s included: All meals, accommodation, airport meet-and-greet, briefing, local 24/7 support
  • What’s not included in cost: Flights, transfers to and from the reserve (budget $300)​
  • Accommodation: Multi-share bunk rooms with shared bathrooms.  Private double-room upgrade is available on request.
  • Food:  All meals self-catering on a rostered basis – food ingredients all provided
What's included in all trips?

Trip highlights

  • Experiencing the wilderness of a private African wildlife reserve – all to yourself, no tourists
  • Tracking and monitoring the Big 5 - probably the most exclusive safari in the world!
  • Sleeping out under the stars
  • Ranger-escorted bush walks and night drives
  • Getting up close to Africa’s amazing wildlife in an active research capacity
  • Regular presentations / lectures from professional rangers