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Cheetah breeding & wildlife rehabilitation

Volunteering at a wildlife rehabilitation and breeding centre means you’ll take part in a variety of important roles and projects to ensure the ethical standard and long-term health and happiness of the animals at the facility to support its conservation objectives... giving injured or orphaned animals a second chance plus breeding the endangered cheetah for release in wilderness and protected areas, a species with the approx population of around 7,000 worldwide.

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Day-to-day planned nutrition and feeding, taking part in medical procedures, helping with site maintenance, researching and studying wildlife and educating the public through presentations and tours. Balance routine work with specialist projects relevant to your particular skills and interests to develop the centre.

Become a volunteer
Volunteer information
genets in rehabilitation at a wildlife centre in south africa
volunteers with cheetah help provide environmental enrichment
Cheetah breeding and wildlife rehabilitation projects
Rehabilitating and caring for wildlife
fgasa

From regular health checks, planned veterinary work to responding to emergencies to treat injuries and diseases.

 

Understand and apply how to care for and treat animals in a rehabilitation and conservation setting through hands-on practical experience.

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Learn from and work with the experts to ensure endangered species and orphaned wildlife have a future.

bat ear fox gets rehabilitation work in south africa

​What will you be doing?

  • Take part in regular health checks

  • Understand and support  veterinary procedures

  • Provide aftercare with orphaned or injured animals

  • Work with experts to plan and implement policy

  • Understand species anatomy and behaviour

  • Support cheetah breeding projects

education
Observe and research wildlife

Spending time in enclosures, you’ll build trust and work with specific animals to study them as part of ongoing research.

 

Through observation, you’ll collect data and results that could be useful in the caring and support of individual animals or unlocking the behaviour of a species.  

​What will you be doing?

  • Spend time in enclosures with animals

  • Conduct studies and research

  • Collect and present data

  • Grow your understanding of animal behaviour

cheetah and volunteer in pen
callouts
volunteers and students preparing food

Preparing food and cleaning enclosures

Each animal has a specific diet based on the nutrients it requires and its anatomy, learn about the adaptations of each species and prepare food accordingly.

 

Equally as important is the cleanliness of enclosures, help clean and ensure old food is removed.

​What will you be doing?

  • Understand animal nutrition

  • Understand the anatomy and physiology of each species

  • Help prepare and feed animals

  • Cleaning enclosures to ensure wildlife health

Research and study
leopard jumping up tree

Provide enrichment for wildlife

There’s no debating it, a captive environment is very different from the natural environment wildlife should be in.

 

Some animals like big cats thrive in captivity, others require support to promote good behaviour. Help design and implement environmental enrichment, toys for play to prevent boredom, structures to allow animals to hide or mimic natural environments.

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What will you be doing?

  • Support and promote animal mental health

  • Understand animal behaviour

  • Discuss, design and implement environmental enrichment

Educational tours and presentations

The centre is open to the public and multiple times a day there are guided tours to allow people to visit and understand the challenges facing conservation and how the centre supports that.

 

Once you’re comfortable and confident with your knowledge, help guide and showcase the incredible species you work with and educate others.

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What you'll be doing

  • Provide tours and presentations to the public

  • Discuss and explain the challenges facing conservation

  • Help spread environmental awareness

  • Gain skills and experience in public speaking

tour guide at cheetah experience with lion
Handling and behaviour
Maintenance

Centre maintenance and habitat management

From repairing fences, expanding facilities or building new enclosures to helping remove invasive species of plants to promote local biodiversity, support the centres growth and development hands on an practically.

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What you'll be doing

  • Repair fences and site facilities

  • New building work and development

  • Enclosure improvement and upkeep

  • Work with the local habitat to improve biodiversity

volunteers moving a big tree

Conservation work and camera trapping

The centre is based on a reserve teeming with wildlife including antelope, small mammals, reptiles and even wild leopard and hyena.

 

Help monitor and understand the local species through conservation research.

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What you'll be doing

  • Research and monitor local wildlife

  • Use camera traps to record data and make observations

  • Help promote local biodiversity through conservation work

porcupine on camera trap
Conservaton work

Medical and veterinary work

The centre regularly relies on veterinary and medical skills to ensure the health of wildlife. This could be newly rescued animals from the wild or existing animals at the centre with their planned and scheduled procedures.

 

Support vets and wildlife carers with their work, understand the medicines and techniques used and help protect wildlife.  

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What you'll be doing

  • Assist vets and medical staff with their work

  • Help with preparing medical treatments

  • Support during aftercare and monitoring

  • Assist with rehabilitation work with orphaned or injured wildlife

  • Support and emergency responses or procedures

small wild cat rehabilitation work with volunteers
Medical

Optional activities | discover South Africa

The North West of South Africa known as the Waterberg is a unique UNESCO area of critical biodiversity, we want you to explore and get to know South Africa during your time with us.

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In addition wildlife experiences you’ll have a chance for days out to discover incredible landscapes.

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What you'll be doing

  • Discover the Waterberg region of South Africa

  • Visit incredible areas of natural beauty

  • Have a chance to take part in activities throughout the area

discover south africa
Optional
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