The Thrill Of Game Watching

For many visitors, South Africa means wildlife. There is probably no better place to see African animals in their own habitat than in Kruger National Park. Among the diverse animal population are more than 3,000 hippos and 5,000 giraffe. From elevated game-watching platforms, visitors can safely watch for elephants, lions, leopards, nialas, water buffalo, eland, antelope, impala, zebra, and wildebeest. Bird lovers can see such exotic species as the crimson and green Narina trogon, crested guinea fowl, longtailed starlings, and white-fronted bee-eaters.

Camp Under the African Sky

There are several camps visitors can stay at to really experience the wilderness of South Africa. Shingwedzi is on the summit of a hill, and so has a great view of the surrounding countryside and the Pioneer Dam. It also has a pool, so visitors can get a break from the heat. One of the best camps is on the Letaba River. The chalets here are in semi-circles overlooking the river. This is the site of Elephant Hall, where you can see some of the largest tusks ever found in Africa. Other popular camps are at Olifonts, Satara, and Orpen.

Scenic Kruger

Besides the animals, Kruger National Park also offers some of the most magnificent scenery in South Africa. From the Nkumbe lookout point you have a splendid view of the surrounding plains. If you take the Southern Kruger Tour, you will see the granite koppies, outcrops of rock that punctuate the woodland. This tour also takes in the picturesque Sabie River. If you stop for lunch at the Nkuhlu Picnic Site, watch out for the monkeys who boldly come down from the trees to steal food right off of plates. Tours to the northern part of Kruger are usually less crowded than the southern tour. Besides wildlife, the northern tours also give you the opportunity to see Africa’s iconic baobab trees.

Private Reserves

A patchwork of private game reserves border the western part of Kruger National Park. A fence once separated these smaller sanctuaries from the big park, but it was taken down in 1994 so that the animals would have freer movement. The private reserves often feature luxury lodges that provide some of the best services in South Africa. They can accommodate small groups of tourists, and offer exclusive “bush experiences”. Trained rangers take guests on fascinating bush walks and night drives. They also provide tenting expeditions for the more adventurous. The best known of the private preserves are the Sable Sand Complex, the Manyeleti Reserve, the Timbavanti Game Reserve, and Klaserie, an area that encompasses many private preserves. Even if you decide to stay at a private preserve, be sure to put aside a day or two to visit beautiful Kruger National Park.

Rachel Hill is a Southern Africa Travel specialist, a company specialising in luxury, tailor-made South Africa holidays, as well as holidays to other destinations in Southern Africa. Our experienced consultants will help you design your very own luxury holiday, and will be happy to provide you with a free quote.

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The turtle is a creature with widespread appeal. It is seemingly peaceful and graceful in the water, slow and charmingly ungainly on land. It is always a treat for scuba divers when they encounter a turtle around reefs or swimming in the open sea. The sad truth for wildlife conservation is that many turtle species are struggling to survive in the wild as their habitats are disrupted by human activity. The better known Loggerhead and Green turtle species are endangered, with many lesser known species critically endangered. Some, like the black soft shell turtle, are already extinct in the wild.

Turtles in Goa

An example of the animal conservation work being done to counter this is a turtle preservation programme in Goa, where wildlife conservation activists at the Turtle Protection Centre have reported that thirty five turtle nests have declined to just seven over the last ten years.

Nesting sites are where turtles are particularly vulnerable because newborn turtles must brave the short but difficult route from the nest to the ocean, and because the sites suitable for nesting are themselves declining in number. Accordingly the focus of animal conservation work is protecting these nesting sites. Only around one in a thousand of newborn turtles will grow to become adults, which means succeeding generations are dwindling in size.

Encroaching Tourism

Goa is a prime example of a place where tourism is having a negative effect on turtle populations. As the area develops to enhance the capacity for the tourist industry, the turtle’s natural territory is reduced. Furthermore, with increasing visitors to the area, the turtles suffer disruption on beaches that were previously peaceful enough for them to settle.

Part of the wildlife conservation effort in Goa involves guarding nesting grounds where pregnant turtles and their young are most vulnerable. If this kind of work appeals to you, you might be interested to hear that you can take part in animal conservation work of this type as part of a gap year for adults trip.

Light Pollution

Light pollution is traditionally a concern for nocturnal animals, but it can be critical in the lives of turtles, too. The timing of hatchings often coincides with a full moon, because the newborns instinctively head towards the light to reach the sea. As a result, newborn baby turtles can be confused by street lights and houses, which cause them to head away from the sea when they should be crawling towards the relative safety of the water. On a gap year for adults wildlife conservation project, you will take part in campaigns to educate locals about ways to reduce the impact of artificial light on the turtles.

Litter

The litter created by tourists or careless locals is often mistaken by turtles as food. Plastic is especially hazardous because it cannot be digested and it resembles the favourite food of turtles: the jellyfish. This means that turtles are often found starved to death with plastic coating their stomachs. Wildlife conservation schemes usually involve collecting rubbish from areas of beach near turtle nesting sites.

On gap year for adults trip of this kind in Goa, you get to enjoy the beauty of the local environment while helping the efforts of a conservation project to preserve it.

Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering extended breaks focusing on wildlife conservation and various adventurous gap years for adults.

This is where the Hoedspruit Cheetah Project, based at the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre in South Africa, comes in. Their efforts include campaigning for the security of the cheetah territory, the breeding and rearing of cheetahs in captivity, and the education of the local communities and the conservation volunteers who visit the projects. Conservation volunteering at Hoedspruit is an active and rewarding pursuit that brings you into close contact with cheetahs, their cubs and a number of other animals in rehabilitation or breeding projects.

Part of the Hoedspruit Cheetah Project’s mission is to teach about how man has affected the cheetah’s natural habitat. This means visiting schools and encouraging the pupils to understand the problem. Life is difficult for the cheetah in the competitive environment of the wild. They have to contend with predators such as lions, leopards and hyenas, as well as the threat of rival cheetahs roaming into their territory. Cheetahs must endure the ongoing struggle of hunting for food while protecting vulnerable cubs and the species must also face the narrowing of their territory by human influence.

Cheetahs need wide areas of land to hunt their prey; they prefer flat land where they can take advantage of their immense speed. The availability of such open space has reduced because of the spread of people and farm land, and the cheetahs are sometimes considered as pests by ranchers who want to protect their farm animals from predators.

In South Africa, when cheetahs are found injured or orphaned either from an encounter with lions or with man, they are brought to the Hoedspruit Cheetah Project. This is a place where students on conservation volunteering courses can witness and assist in an animal’s rehabilitation, helping to bring animals back to their full strength and confidence before their careful reintroduction into the wild.

A similar process takes place with cheetahs and other animals that are bred at the center. The Hoedspruit Cheetah Project makes it their task to maintain healthy cheetah populations in the wild by crossbreeding from different territories to ensure a healthy genetic mix.

Animal rehabilitation and rearing is a slow, gradual process that requires care and attention. Those volunteering help the conservation of the cheetahs by taking part in their daily care and the upkeep of their enclosures at the center. This involves feeding the animals, holding them, assisting the vet with procedures, and even capturing animals in the park. It is an enjoyable and hands-on experience where learning and participation are central. If you want to get close to these beautiful and vulnerable animals, find out more about Hoedspruit and conservation volunteering.

Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering extended breaks upon which you can participate in animal rehabilitation, and other conservation volunteering gap years for grown-ups.

Pinta Island Tortoise

Do you want your wildlife conservation holidays to pay for themselves? If so, head to the Galapagos and attempt to find a female Pinta tortoise. If you succeed, you could be quids in as the government are offering $10,000 to anyone who discovers one. The female is needed for George, a male Pinta tortoise, who is believed to be the sole survivor of the species.

Yangtze River Dolphin

The Yangtze River dolphin is an unusual looking dolphin solely found in China’s Yangtze River. China’s rapid expansion has seen these dolphins competing for food and now it’s believed that there are only ten left in the wild.

The Vancouver Island Marmot

This cute critter is only found in the mountainous regions of Vancouver Island on British Columbia. It is believed that only 30 exist in the wild, but four separate breeding centres on the province contain a further 90 marmots. On your wildlife conservation holidays you can help conservationists reach their ultimate goal; which is to restore a sustainable population of up to 400 marmots.

Seychelles Sheath-Tailed Bat

Wildlife conservation holidays in the Seychelles may seem like a batty idea, but the island is home to the spooky-looking sheath-tailed bat; an animal at severe risk of extinction. The bat can also be found in Madagascar, but between these two lush tropical islands exists no more than 100 bats. Research needs to be undertaken on their behaviour and the long-term goal is to create a sustainable population of 500.

Javan Rhino

You don’t expect to see a rhino in Vietnam and Indonesia, but if you look closely you may spot one of the 60 remaining Javan rhinos that make their home in these locations. If you’re into rhino conservation you’d be better off taking your wildlife conservation holidays in a South African Game Reserve where your chances of spotting a rhino are greater.

Hispid Hare

The unusual Hispid hare, also known as the bristly rabbit, is found in the foothills of the Himalaya. Deforestation and human settlement have had a negative effect on the species, which was feared extinct in 1964. However, in 1966 the creature was spotted again and it is now believed that 110 remain.

Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat

Downunder in tropical Queensland, you may be lucky enough to spot a northern hairy-nosed wombat, but only if you take a visit to the Epping Forest Station. This national park is the only home of the northern hairy-nosed wombat, which is the rarest marsupial in the world, and only an estimated 113 remain.

Tamaraw

This dwarf water buffalo is only found on the island of Mindoro in the Philippines. Not much is known about the numbers that remain in the wild and it’s thought to be anything from 30 to 200. Although the animal is protected by law, the illegal capture of these species is still carried out.

About The Author:

Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering extended breaks on wildlife conservation holidays and various adventurous gap years for adults.

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7.00 – After a lie-in I join the other conservation volunteers who have been up since 6am for aviary duty. 7.00am is time for rounds and we are divided into four separate groups and given a choice of which animals we wish to look after. I helped feed the stork that was injured with a broken leg; he was very originally named Storky and preparing Storky’s breakfast was definitely not a job for the faint-hearted. I helped skin four baby chicks as part of his meal, and whilst this sounds bad it wasn’t as bad as some of the conservation volunteers who were given rats to skin.

I held out the four skinned chicks on the palm of my hand, making sure that it was very very flat, whilst Erin, the lady in charge of feeding Storky, got very excitable when he actually took the chicks from my outstretched palm, for me this was definitely one of the most memorable parts of my wildlife conservation holiday.

8.30 – It’s time for our breakfast and luckily whilst on our conservation holiday we are given better food than Storky. The breakfast served at Safari Lodge is particularly tasty.

10.00 – It’s now time for our daily tasks. I clean out the yellow-billed kite’s cage, along with the rest of the conservation volunteers. The cage is very filthy as the birds hadn’t been disturbed in a while. However, they had recently been moved to the clinic so that they could be treated by the resident vet, Brian. Me and some of the other conservation volunteers get covered in pooey bird water during this task. It smells awful, but luckily I have time to clean myself up before my daily excursion.

11.00 – In my free time I head with the rest of the conservation volunteers to Blyde River Canyon for a scenic boat trip. The site is home to the third deepest canyon in the world and it is considered to be one of South Africa’s most beautiful attractions.

3.30 – We return to Moholoholo in time for our afternoon conservation holiday duties and I help change the cheetah’s water bowl and get everything cleaned up. After this we watch Brian trim some of the Kite’s claws and apply more feather mite powder.

4.30 – I walk the lion cubs Telo and Duma with one of the rangers in the reserve surrounding Moholoholo. They are getting very big and I’m not sure how much longer the conservation volunteers will be able to get hands-on with them! When we were walking them they were trying to swipe at our feet to knock us over and they certainly play boisterously.

7.00 – I help look after the baby rhinos that wander around the student accommodation. They are certainly a bit of a handful and after watching them for an hour and a half I need a rest!

The rest of the evening is spent at leisure, but after such an early morning the students and I are more than happy to head to bed early. Some of the conservation volunteers that have been here longer are ‘Mothers’ and get to look after baby animals whilst they are sleeping. I am woken in the middle of night by Alex, when it turns out that the baby dassie that she had been looking after had pooed in her bed!

As you can from my diary entry I had an incredible 24 hours on my wildlife conservation holiday and with no two days I can’t wait to see what my conservation projects tomorrow will entail.

Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering extended wildlife conservation, breaks and gap years for grown-ups.

But with so many animals facing extinction, how do you pick a particular species to work with? The decision is an excruciating one, especially when you stop to consider not only which project will be the most exciting, but also which will be the most beneficial way to work with animals. With this in mind we present our selection of the best three gap years working with animals.

Elephant and Leopard Research in Sri Lanka

When choosing to work with animals, there are little as incredibly awe-inspiring as the magnificent Indian elephant and the tropical island of Sri Lanka is the best place to see them in the wild.

On a gap-year in Sri Lanka you can choose to assist the staff and other volunteers in their attempts to conserve and rehabilitate these beautiful creatures. You will also spend time working and educating the local community and dealing with irate farmers who are victims of crop raids by elephants.

The evasive leopard makes up the second part of your mini-sabbatical and you will largely be looking at the population with regards to Yala National Park. Gappers will spend their time conducting research and creating standardised protocols for monitoring the population of these elusive felines.

Game Ranger Training

Are you having a career crisis? Maybe you’ve always wanted to be a game ranger, but the lack of game reserves in boring Blighty meant that you didn’t know where to start. No fear, you can spend six weeks in sunny South Africa learning the ropes and training for your FGASA certificate. As well as giving you ample opportunity to work with animals, the course covers a diverse range of topics from astronomy through to wine tasting. It will teach you excellent life skills on how to survive in the African bush and students who complete the qualifying exam will receive a certificate of success.

However, your colleagues may well think you’ve gone crazy when you return from your sabbatical and mention that you’re actually a qualified game ranger in South Africa, who could teach them a fair few things about Merlot and Mars.

Rehab

After working too many late nights in the office, you may feel like checking yourself into rehab. But instead why not go and work in one? No, No, No, not that type that Amy Winehouse harps on about but a rehab centre for the furred and feathered variety.

The Moholoholo Rehabilitation Centre plays a crucial role in conserving many of Africa’s endangered species and the majority of your time here will be spent working with animals and rehabilitating those that have been poisoned or injured. You will also have a hand in rearing and bottle feeding orphaned animals; an incredibly rewarding experience. Some of Moholoholo’s highlights include assisting in veterinary work with animals and capturing and relocating orphaned species.

Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering extended breaks working with animals, and gap years for grown-ups

Many people are afraid of sharks because of their fearsome appearance and murderous reputation. However, in most parts of the world shark attacks are rare and cause fewer fatalities than bee stings. For the places in the world where sharks and people encounter more frequently, there are measures people can take for protection from shark attacks, however rare they may be. For surfers and swimmers, many beaches install shark nets to prevent sharks getting too near to the shore. For SCUBA divers, there are mesh shark suits that resemble the chainmail of a medieval soldier, which are designed to resist the teeth of a shark that may decide take a nibble.

These shark protection suits are especially recommended for spear fishermen who often find, having speared a fish, that they attract the attention of a shark. This is because many shark species, being scavengers as well as hunters, will be attracted to injured and struggling prey. It is the prevention of these kinds of situations – where people find themselves unwittingly interacting in the routine behaviour of a shark – which makes marine biology conservation studies important. The real value of shark conservation research though, is to the find the most effective way to reduce the human impact on shark habitats.

Volunteering for marine conservation studies might take you to some beautiful and exciting parts of the world. One example is the tiger shark conservation programme that runs within the Aliwal Shoal Marine Protected Area off the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The pretty coastline here is washed with the warm currents of the Indian Ocean and is a popular place for surfing. To assist the efforts of marine conservation, those volunteering here, (who are already students of marine biology) gather conservation information about fish populations, shark movements, feeding habits and territories.

The volunteers will learn to identify individual sharks from their markings, will help tag sharks and track them using electronic devices. They will also have the thrill of swimming with Tiger sharks without the protection of shark cages.

Such studies aim to find ways to offer some protection for sharks from the threats of poaching and ensure the conservation of the shark’s natural habitat.

Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering extended breaks upon which you can participate in a programme of shark conservation, an exciting, hands-on marine conservation volunteering opportunity.

A typical day
You’ll wake up with the sun in your basic accommodation of wooden hut, mobile home or share house on the reserve. You’ll probably be sharing with a few other volunteers, who just like you, are taking a gap year for adults. You’ll be starting work around 7.30am so it’s a quick breakfast then its time to step out your door and into the office!

Depending on which park you choose, you’ll start your day with anything from monitoring a herd of elephants to undertaking predator research! You will be working with a team of experienced wildlife conservation trackers and researchers, on such diverse projects as lion health and breeding programs; wildlife care and capture; rehabilitation and relocation; wetland rehabilitation; animal behaviour; animal census programs; monkey research or many of the other wildlife conservation projects the park is conducting.

The parks are constantly monitoring the animals, and you help with report writing and data entry. Wildlife conservation is a constant cycle of research and field work, and keeping accurate records is an important part of the job.

But working in wildlife conservation is not just about the animal conservation work. There is plenty to be done behind the scenes, and some of your duties may involve a day on fence patrol and repair, erosion control, or clear up duties of broken wire and rubbish which could prove harmful to wildlife. You will also help in the upkeep of the many walking trails throughout the parks, and even turn your hand to vehicle maintenance!

There are two things certain on your gap year for adults on a South African game park – one is that no two days will be the same, and the other is that you’ll never be bored! After a long hot day out in the park, if you still have any energy, you could get a taxi to a local bar where you can socialise with loads of wildlife conservation volunteers from other parks. Then it’s home to bed to snuggle down and drift off to sleep with the unique sounds of the bush echoing in your ears.

Your gap year for adults working in wildlife conservation will be a life changing experience. Not only will you have a great suntan, but you will have learnt a huge amount about animal conservation work and you will have experienced life in an incredible part of the world. Most important though, you will have played an important role in preserving the destiny of some of the world’s precious, endangered animals. So there’s only one real question you have to ask yourself. What are you waiting for?

Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering extended breaks focusing on wildlife conservation and various adventurous gap years for adults.

Jaws

Jaws certainly has an awful lot to answer for in terms of shark conservation. Okay, so it might have helped in making people aware of what dangers lurk in the deep, dark ocean, but it also scared a lot of people off sharks. The shark was portrayed as a blood-thirsty killer, when in actual fact shark attacks are a rare occurrence; so rare in fact that you’re more likely to die from a coconut then you are a great white shark attack. However, something good did come out of the movie, the author of ‘Jaws’ was so surprised at the commotion that his book caused, that he now works hard to ensure the safety of sharks in the ocean.

Sharky and George

Sharky and his flounder friend, George were the original crime-busters of the sea, but unlike Jaws, Sharky was a huge pink shark and not really very scary at all. His main job was fighting the various gangs that hung around Seacago and his main villain was Dr. Jelly, the self-proclaimed master of the sea. According to the lyrics, Sharky’s pink nose is what helped to make him such a great detective and the producers certainly got that right. A shark can detect a single drop of blood from over two miles away, so it is any wonder then that Sharky and George were never defeated?

Bruce the Shark

In the ‘Finding Nemo’ movie, Bruce is a great white shark who speaks with Australian accent and wants to give up fish forever. He attends weekly meetings with his friends, Anchor and Chum, where the motto is ‘Fish Are Friends, Not Food’. However, like someone with an addiction he occasionally slips up and eats a fish, although he really doesn’t mean to. In real life, great white sharks rarely eat fish as they see them as a low energy prey. They are more likely to attempt to hunt sea lions, seals and dolphins which are fattier and more energy rich. Shark conservation volunteers have studied the sharks hunting techniques and found that, when given the choice between a square target and a seal-shaped target, the great white shark will always go for the seal-shaped target, which is what they believe causes the majority of shark-attacks on surfers.

Don Lino

Don Lino is another fearsome shark and in ‘Shark Tale’ he is head of a mob of criminally-inclined sharks. Don Lino wants his sons to take over ‘the business’, which further adds to the stereotype that all sharks are ruthless killers. However, after a tragic accident kills his son, Frankie, it emerges that his surviving son Lenny, who likes dressing as a dolphin and is a vegetarian, isn’t going to be much use.

Vegetarian sharks seem to a popular concept in animated movies, but in reality there are no vegetarian shark species. Some sharks, such as tiger sharks have been known to eat absolutely anything. Shark conservation volunteers have found rubber tyres, sea snakes, wine bottles and license plates inside carcasses of this creature, earning it the nickname ‘dustbin of the sea’.

Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering extended breaks on shark conservation holidays and various adventurous gap years for adults.

Thank you for visiting Travel Articles Directory. Feel free to use any of our travel writing articles for your own website, on the condition that you also take the link we have included in the text. Check back for more travel writing soon; we’re uploading more original travel articles all the time!

The Panda Express

A giant panda named Tai Shan made the news in February 2010 when he emigrated from the USA to China. He was moved from the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington DC to join a breeding programme run by wildlife conservation experts at the Bifengxia Panda Base in Ya’an, Sichuan. Tai Shan’s intercontinental blind date and breeding plan is so high profile that he has even attracted a sponsorship deal from a car company.

A special FedEx plane was chartered to transport him and a panda called Mei Lan, from a zoo in Atlanta, to China, a journey taking fifteen hours. On the flight, dubbed “the Panda Express”, were about 18 kilos of bamboo, pears and apples to keep him occupied. He was not anaesthetized for the journey because expert wildlife conservationists allowed him to get used to his cubicle long before it was time to leave. He will be given a month to settle in before he is introduced to the Chinese public.

Tai Shan was born in America in July 2005 to Chinese parents. He is the first cub that the zoo has successfully raised to this stage of maturity. Scientists used artificial insemination in his conception with the help of Chinese zoologists who loaned his parents to the U.S. for that purpose. As part of the project, it was negotiated with the China Wildlife Conservation Association that he would stay for a term of about two years, but he proved so popular in America that his residency was extended for a further two years.

It appears that he will be fondly missed; to coincide with the panda’s departure, the zoo has launched a series of postage stamps bearing his image, the proceeds from which will go towards wildlife conservation projects like the one that has made Tai Shan headline news.

Monkey Business

About 450 km to the East of Tai Shan’s new home is Chongqing Zoo, where you can also find pandas. Chongqing Zoo looks after a number of endangered species such as Great and Lesser pandas and South China Tigers, which are being monitored and bred as part of wildlife conservation programmes. But in the first week of February 2010, it was not the protected animals that caught the attention of the visiting crowds, but those that escaped the protection of their enclosures and made a break for freedom.

Somehow, a few of the zoo’s more mischievous monkeys climbed out of their enclosure. The absconding primates wasted no time in causing a commotion, grabbing food from the hands of zoo-goers and running amok, even paying visits to the pens and cages of neighbouring animals. Tourists reported that they saw monkeys plucking an unfortunate peacock and topping up the fish pond with monkey urine. At the time of writing, it is not known whether they have been caught yet.

Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering extended breaks on wildlife conservation holidays and various adventurous gap years for adults.

Tigers in the Wild

Like pandas and whales, the tiger has frequently been the poster child for wildlife conservation. This year, a report has emerged from China that their numbers in the wild could be as low as fifty.

China Country Program Director and spokesperson for the Wildlife Conservation Society, Xie Yan, described the situation as “depressing”. In surveys of the Chinese countryside they are now able to count provincial tiger populations in just double digits, with only fifteen animals spotted in the whole of Tibet, and ten in Yunnan. Furthermore, it is thought that these tigers are too isolated from other tiger populations for their numbers to recover.

Numbers are better in the northeast, however, where wild tigers are able to interact with others from Russia and wildlife conservation schemes have had some success. There is also less human interference with their habitat in this region.

Looking at a wider picture, the Asian population has fallen from approximately 100,000 to 3,500 in the last hundred years. Medicinal traditions and a market for tiger pelts and trophies have meant that tigers have been brought to the brink of extinction by hunting.

Galapagos Sea Lions

Wildlife conservationists at the Organisation for Research and Conservation of Aquatic Animals have reported an alarming exodus from the Galapagos Islands. The ORCAA scientists who monitor the waters around Peru have noticed an entire colony of Galapagos sea lions have moved their territory to the coast of northern Peru, some 900 miles away.

This species is one of many on the Galapagos that can’t be found elsewhere in the world, so this revelation is an important issue for wildlife conservation, which could indicate the start of a worrying trend of animals leaving their natural habitats.

There is concern that the colony’s abandonment of the Galapagos may not only upset the ecosystem of the archipelago, but could destabilise the ecological balance around Peru as well.

Over the last decade the sea temperature has risen in this region by an average of 6 degrees centigrade, matching the conditions around Galapagos. ORCAA scientists have suggested this may have attracted the sea lions to the area.

Welsh Squirrels

Our native red squirrels have been struggling in recent decades. They are such an iconic animal for our British countryside and heritage, so it is good to hear that there are now a number of governmental and scientific bodies looking into the problem. In February 2010, a Squirrel Conservation Plan was announced in Wales.

The numbers of red squirrels have dwindled owing to the invasion of grey and black squirrel species, disease, and some narrowing of their habitat – an issue that affects a variety of British wildlife. Conservation groups like the Wales Squirrel Forum are keen to get the new protection project up and running.

The plan will include surveying and monitoring populations, setting up databases, and investigating influence of climate change. This is a welcome initiative for the many wildlife conservationists already working to preserve the species for the future. Even DNA research has been used to identify regional distinctions between the pockets of red squirrels remaining in our British countryside.

Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering extended breaks on wildlife conservation holidays and various adventurous gap years for adults.

Malawi is perhaps best known as the country where Madonna controversially adopted her children, David and Mercy. The star received a lot of negative press for allegedly using her celebrity status to bypass local residency laws.  But whatever you may think about the latest in a long list of celebrity adoptions, you can’t deny that the star has been as good as her promise and is currently working towards giving something back to the country. At the end of October, Madonna returned to begin construction on the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls that she is using her cash to fund. The £9.2million project will take two years to build and if the school is successful then the model will be replicated across other developing countries.

It’s easy enough to give something back to the world when you have millions in the bank, like Madonna. But how can we, with less affluent incomes, help support communities that have substantially less than us? The answer is by taking a voluntourism holiday, this unique holiday combines a stay in a foreign country with time spent helping out local communities or working with animals.

A Born Wild experience is perfect because rather than deciding whether you want to spend your time educating local communities, teaching children soccer skills or working with animals you can mix your trip up a little and combine all three. However, participants in the project are encouraged to find their own area of expertise in which they are best able to contribute.

If you believe that you are better adept at working with animals than teaching sports, then you may want to concentrate on the conservation side of volunteering. Visitors that select this option will get to spend time on game drives carrying out ID on native wildlife, such as elephant herds and lions. Erosion control is important so staff may find themselves planting trees and building ditches to prevent the flooding of game reserves. This is important because if erosion control is not carried out, the vegetation in a flooded reserve may die out leaving the animals with no food or shelter. With many newer game reserves built on derelict farmland, guests may spend their time removing wire and rusted metal from parts of the reserve. This helps ensure that animals have a much safer environment to roam and also helps prevent the onset of any injury.

Volunteers can also choose to spend some time working with local communities and this is a rewarding way to give something back to the local community. Whilst working with animals is an amazing experience, sometimes it can be more rewarding to see the first-hand effects of your work. Watching the childrens’ faces light up as you teach them numeric skills and visual arts definitely makes for a rewarding experience. Budding Beckhams can also choose to help by teaching the children soccer skills or arranging a village game of volleyball. These exercises not only help to bring the community together, but are vital in teaching basic hand to eye coordination. However, it isn’t just children that you can choose to help but local businesses and organisations too. You can assist in book-keeping and creating business plans or simply teach the basic principles of financial responsibility.  

Whether you choose to spend your holiday working with animals or communities, voluntourism shows that you don’t need Madonna’s millions in order to give something back to the world.

Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering extended breaks working with animals and various adventurous gap years for adults.

Wildlife Conservation in India

There are numerous destinations around the world where it is possible to volunteer to work in wildlife conservation. South Africa is one of the most popular, with its enormous national parks and a large population of big game animals, but it is by no means the only option. If you are looking to make a difference on a gap year or career break and want to work with animals, then a visit to India can be an outstanding choice. This country is home to diverse species, including elephants, panthers, monkeys, turtles and many different species of birds, and a visit here allows you experience some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world, from unspoilt coasts to verdant jungles and arid deserts.

Wildlife conservation work in India falls into two main areas – work in the cities and work in the countryside. Here is an overview of these two options…

Conservation in the Wildlife Sanctuaries

India is an enormous country, with a highly diverse wildlife population. There are numerous wildlife sanctuaries that are dedicated to the preservation of unique habitats and the animals that live in them, such as the Cotiago Wildlife Sanctuary on the coast near to Goa.

These sanctuaries rely on volunteers to help keep them running, and if you choose to work at one of these places you’ll get to experience a wide variety of wildlife conservation activities first hand. These may include research and observation of animals in the wild, veterinary work with sick and injured animals, habitat repair and maintenance, and the running of programs to encourage responsible tourism. These are especially important in popular tourist areas such as Goa, where visitors may accidentally do great harm to the local habitats through irresponsible behaviour such as littering.

Rescue and Care in the Cities

Wildlife conservation work isn’t confined to the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in India – there’s plenty of work to be done in the cities as well. There are a huge number of stray animals that live in the major Indian cities, often in truly desperate conditions. The cities themselves often lack an infrastructure to deal with these animals, and rely on outside organisations and volunteers to help curb the problem.

As a volunteer in one of the major Indian cities, you will have the opportunity to help out in many different ways. As part of mobile ambulance teams, wildlife workers travel the streets and respond to phone calls to find sick and wounded animals, take them in and then restore them to health. Stray animals can be carriers for disease, and can also breed uncontrollably, so it is important to carry out vaccination and sterilisation campaigns. Taking animals off the streets and getting them into homes is very important, and most organisations in the cities will encourage adoption of animals whenever they can. Finally, education outreach programs can spread information on how to help stray animals.

There’s plenty of work to be done in India as a wildlife conservation volunteer, but whether you work in the cities or in the sanctuaries, you can be sure you’ll be making a valuable contribution, and a difference!

Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering extended breaks in wildlife conservation holidays and various adventurous gap years for adults.

Off the Menu

One of the world’s most ancient species, the shark has had many years in which to decide upon a staple diet.  Yet we so often assume that they would like nothing more than to make a meal of a human.  In fact, experts in shark conservation have found that although the shark’s diet is comprised of meat – often in the form of turtles, fish and seals – humans are off the menu.  Due to the slower nature of their digestive system, sharks prefer to hunt creatures with fewer bones and higher levels of fat.  A meal containing more fat, such as a seal or a sea lion, will give the shark a prolonged source of energy.

Mistaken Identity

Sharks are renowned for being very inquisitive creatures; on seeing objects that they are not familiar with they will almost always investigate.  However, as they are ill-equipped to feel the object they are investigating the way humans and other animals with paws can, they rely on their snouts and jaws to do the detective work.  Unfortunately this is how so many shark attacks occur.  However, in most cases, once sharks have realised that the unfamiliar object is not a morsel, they will release it immediately.  With at least 90 per cent of shark attacks being a simple case of mistaken identity, it would seem the shark is a much misunderstood creature.  What could be more rewarding than helping shark conservationists to overcome the bad reputation the shark has gained through its own curiosity?

Looks Can Be Deceiving

With a fully grown tiger shark reaching a length of between 10 and 14 feet, and weighing up to 700 kilograms, it is no surprise that many humans are afraid of them.  Their size, along with the enormous number of teeth that they have, gives them a somewhat fearsome appearance.  However, it is too easy to overlook the majesty of these animals.  Adolescent tiger sharks are marked with dark, vertical stripes, from which they have gained their name.  These stripes fade as the shark matures, but they remain a beautiful colour all over.  Though they may look initially intimidating, spend some time watching them propel themselves through the shallows and you will begin to see what those interested in shark conservation see; fear will give way to wonder as you are won over by their grace and elegance.

Understanding the behaviour and movements of the tiger shark is important to their survival.  Taking part in a shark conservation programme not only gives you the chance to contribute to their protection, but also affords you the opportunity to explore and dive some of the most fabulous coast line in South Africa, to swim with sharks with no cages between you, and finally, to lay all your fears of sharks firmly to rest.

Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering extended breaks where you can participate in a programme of shark conservation.

The Big 5 Private Game Reserves

The Game Ranger training courses are run at big 5 game reserves; these are the reserves that are home to each of Africa’s 5 most impressive animals – leopards, lions, buffalos, elephants and rhinoceros.  During the six week course, you will have the chance to get up close and personal with each of these magnificent animals.  However there is much more to the course than simply spotting the local wildlife.

Learning the Basics

A large part of the Level One Game Ranger training course involves picking up the basic knowledge that is so essential in animal conservation work.  This begins with a good understanding of weather and climate, and how it can affect the wildlife within the reserve, and stretches as far as learning about the geology of the area, and even basic elements of astronomy.  Other subjects will include ecology, categorisation of animals and wildlife, and even botany.  The incorporation of all these elements into the Level One qualification ensures a good understanding of the knowledge required to become a game ranger, and provides you with a wonderful grounding for a future in wildlife conservation.

Into the Field

In order to make sure you don’t get too bogged down in all the theory, there are plenty of trips out into the field.  Part of the training course involves creating your own guided nature experience, but before you can do this you will be taken out on various occasions by an experienced field guide who will tell you all you need to know about wildlife conservation.  On these trips you are likely not only to spot the big 5, but to see a whole array of reptiles, fish, birds and amphibians.  You will experience the wildlife you are learning to protect firsthand, whilst learning all there is to know about field guiding as a profession.

Back at the Ranch

As well as getting clued up on the work of game rangers and field guides, you will also learn how animal conservation work within the reserve is managed, and some of the history surrounding the park.  On completion of the course you will have acquired a basic understanding of conservation management, and a thorough knowledge of the history behind the humans that once inhabited the lands within the reserve and the effect they had on the wildlife.  All this knowledge will be tested with both a practical and theoretical examination at the end of the six weeks.

Letting your Hair Down

The Level One Game Ranger training course may sound like hard graft, but there’s plenty of fun to be had at the same time.  With various aspects of hospitality management incorporated into the course, you will learn about the guests coming to the reserve, as well as the four-legged, and often furry residents.  What better way to learn how the guests are catered for, than to sample the food and wine for yourself?  Wine tasting is just one of the enjoyable aspects of hospitality management covered on the course.

If you are interested in a future in animal conservation work, the Level One Game Ranger training course is the best way to get started.  Teaching you all the basics and giving you the opportunity to interact with some amazing flora, fauna and animals, it is the perfect start to a career in wildlife conservation.

Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering extended breaks focusing on animal conservation work and various adventurous gap years for adults.

If you’re a little undecided about whether a wildlife conservation holiday is for you, or perhaps you’re just looking for an excuse to cancel that indulgent spa holiday to the Maldives, here are a few reasons that could help you make up your mind!

Leopard is the new black

As the information regarding the issues facing endangered species of animals becomes more mainstream, high profile celebrities and personalities are making wildlife conservation fashionable.  Fur is out and fake is in; and if you aren’t a card-carrying member of PETA, darling you’re just so yesterday! Heading off to Africa on a wildlife conservation holiday will make for wonderful cocktail conversation, and just think of the handmade accessories you can pick up on your trip!

An elephant stole my homework

So you’ve just finished Uni, got your degree and are now planning your career as the next big thing. But aren’t you just a little burnt out and study shocked? Why not take a gap year to catch your breath before the next stage of your life? Taking a wildlife conservation holiday will not only give you a great excuse not to go into battle in the job-market, but you will also learn some valuable skills along the way. Who knows, you may decide on a whole new career path!

Felines are more fun than Facebook

Well come on now, lets face it. Feeding an obsession with Facebook and Twitter for sixteen hours a day dissecting your social life, is way less interesting than spending a few weeks in an African game park dissecting the social life of a lion. Enough said.

Baby, it’s cold out there
Paint yourself a picture. Winter in the city, waking to the screech of an over cheery breakfast DJ, then fighting for elbow-room at the rain lashed bus stop waiting for the bus that didn’t come. Or waking to a glorious African sunrise with the enchanting sound of the bush echoing in your ears, then heading out in an open-topped vehicle to spend the day working on a wildlife conservation project. Your decision.

Monkey say monkey do

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If you’ve had a hard year or two and you can barely tell the difference between Thursday and Sunday; if your best friend ran off with the love of your life; if you look in the mirror and you don’t recognise the worn-out frazzled face that’s staring back; or if you just can’t tame that ‘monkey-mind’ and need to spend a few weeks reflecting on life, the universe and everything – a wildlife conservation holiday could help put everything back in perspective for you. Spending some quality time with the wonderful wildlife of Africa and contributing to a worthwhile project, could help you redefine your priorities and bring you back to Planet Earth with a smile. Welcome home.

Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering extended breaks focusing on wildlife conservation holidays work and various adventurous gap years for adults.

Former rulers of the land, African lions are now a dwindling population. With a decrease in numbers by as much as 70% over the last decade, this predator population is on a slippery slope towards eventual extinction. The total lion population for the entire African continent has dropped to 16,500 with the ever increasing human population resulting in fewer available habitat areas for big game, along with a decrease in animals for the lions to prey on.

Humans are also responsible for the number of lions lost as a result of trophy hunting. Each year, about 600 adult lions are legally killed by hunters, a figure demanding urgent attention. Lions now need conservation volunteers to steer some energy in their direction, as their position on the African continent becomes more fragile.

Shamwari’s Conservation Efforts

Shamwari Game Reserve is situated just outside Port Elizabeth, in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The reserve is fortunate enough to play host to all the members of the Big 5 – lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo. This is one of the few remaining places where the animals can be viewed in their natural environment. It’s great for tourists too, because the area is malaria free, so conservation volunteers and holidaymakers can enjoy the environment in safety.

The lions live as they would in the wild, where they prey on smaller animals for food and have free run of the reserve. Part of the job of running the reserve is ensuring that these predators have enough game on which to feed, while still making it necessary for them to hunt for their food.

Shamwari Reserve is dedicated to wildlife conservation. The aim of the reserve’s wildlife project is to manage, develop and rehabilitate the environment, creating a sustainable ecosystem. To this end, the reserve has opened its doors to conservation volunteers, where you could spend some time working with the lions themselves.

Calling for Volunteers

A different way to spend a month off work is to travel to South Africa and work with lions. Shamwari Reserve allows volunteers to come and work with the rangers, ecologists, veterinarians and zoologists to help preserve the endangered wildlife. The conservation volunteers help with counting the game, maintaining the reserve, monitoring the animals and patrolling the fences. You really have the opportunity to get involved with the running of the reserve, and to make a difference in preservation of the environment.

Conservation Across the Continent

With conservation volunteers working hard across Africa, many projects have been put into action already. The aim of conservationists is to cultivate lion populations in protected environments, and work towards preventing further damage caused by humans to the already depleted lion populations. From working with lions at the Shamwari Game Reserve, to helping to fund this wildlife conservation cause, plans need to be made to prevent the lion population from decreasing any further.

Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering extended breaks working with animals at Shamwari Game Reserve and other projects in and around South Africa including gap years for grown-ups

Sculpting

If you have an artistic flair and a passion for wildlife then this is the perfect conservation holiday for you. You will have the chance to develop your artistic skills under the guidance of the esteemed photographer and sculptor Bruce Little, whilst at the same time taking on welfare responsibilities at the Hopewell Game Reserve. The reserve is located in South Africa’s Eastern Cape and a typical day involves going on a game drive around the reserve on the look out for majestic lions or lithe leopards to sketch and sculpt. You have the opportunity to take on wildlife conservation responsibilities whilst at the reserve, and while this isn’t mandatory nevertheless it is a rewarding way to give something back to the local community. Bruce Little, himself, is a committed conservationist and it was through his original role as a game keeper that he was given the chance to develop his artistic skills. He originally worked with clay, but after his friends and family persuaded him to show his artwork, he moved onto bronze, which has earned him his worldwide recognition.

Professional Film Maker

If you’ve ever dreamt of making your own documentary on wildlife conservation then this is the dream wildlife conservation holiday for you. Wildlife film making is a tough industry to break and whether you’re a complete novice or already have some background experience, this month long intensive course is all you need to break into the industry. As well as a stunning location at the Southern Numbi Gate area of South Africa, the course offers renowned tutors and state-of-the-art editing equipment. There is also a focus on developing your business skills, which is ideal in order to provide you with a basic understanding of budgeting negotiations. The best thing about studying for the course here is the close proximity to wildlife and early mornings are necessary in order to film the sunrises, whilst late nights enable you to film the nocturnal creatures of the park. There is even a pride of lions that regularly roams the park and if you’re lucky they might even provide the focus for your feature-length film.

Game Ranger

Whether you plan on making game rangering a new career or simply want to develop a skill on your holiday which is completely unique, then training for your FGASA is the perfect conservation holiday experience for you. This level one training course takes place in the Eastern Cape of South Africa and whilst everyone knows the wildlife conservation side of game rangering, there is more to the role then just wildlife. Game Rangers have to be skilled in topics as diverse as astronomy and South African wines, so this six week course certainly covers a diverse range of topics. The only thing that you will need is a UK driving licence, so that you can take the 4×4 driving course. All aspects of life in the wildlife conservation and survival in the African bush are taught, so by the end of the six weeks you’ll be able to give Ray Mears a run for his money.

Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering wildlife conservation holidays and other projects in and around South Africa including gap years for grown-ups

Located in the coastal region of Kenya about an hour south of Mombasa, the Colobus Monkey Trust is dedicated to the ongoing protection of the delightful Colobus monkeys and other native primates. There are many species of primates in the Kenyan coastal region and the workers at the Colobus Trust work not only towards the animals’ conservation, but also the preservation of their habitats.  By volunteering at the Colobus Monkey Trust on your wildlife conservation holidays you can become an integral part of their vital work.

The irresistible faces of the Angolan Colobus Monkeys are enough to melt anyone’s heart, but when you spend some time observing and caring for them, you will be smitten. Those huge eyes set in adorably round faces emit a definite air of mischief, and their antics will keep you endlessly amused. Working with monkeys on a regular basis, you will become familiar with their individual characteristics and quirks and you will quickly learn to differentiate them.

It’s all hands on deck on your wildlife conservation holidays at the Colobus Monkey Trust. You will be undertaking a huge variety of activities and every day will be different. You will be involved in the rescue and care of sick and injured animals; cleaning and feeding of the rehabilitating monkeys; bottle feeding infant primates and many other day to day duties. You may also be asked to take on other important tasks such as primate census data collecting and regular park maintenance such as tree-trimming.

There are many different areas to be of assistance on your wildlife conservation holidays with the Colubus Monkeys, and your tasks will be matched according to your skills. Although some projects can only be offered to volunteers with relevant experience, there are many other ways in which you can help that are just as rewarding.

An important part of wildlife conservation is the education of local communities for long term management programs. You will be involved in participating in and running workshops for schools, to teach them about the primates and help them develop skills to become involved in the conservation work. The Colobus Monkey Trust was originally set up in 1997 in response to an outcry by the local people about the large number of Colobus deaths in the area, since then it has grown significantly – in part due to local support.

The issue of wildlife conservation at the Trust is not exclusive to the Colobus Monkeys, and you will also come in contact with other species such as Baboons, Vervets and Syke’s Monkeys. Every day, through research and observation, places like the Colobus Trust are helping the world learn more about endangered wildlife species and educating us to the importance of wildlife conservation practices.

Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering extended breaks focusing on wildlife conservation holidays and various adventurous gap years for adults.

For many people, a gap year or a career break is the ideal opportunity to do something different that makes a difference. Wildlife conservation holidays are an increasingly popular option, allowing someone to experience an entirely new country and way of life whilst simultaneously helping to protect some of the world’s most vulnerable creatures.

If working with animals appeals to you, but you’d like to do something that’s truly unusual, there are some very eccentric conservation programs out there. All of them have one thing in common – they are dedicated to raising awareness and improving the conditions for endangered species. However, some of them accomplish this in some very unusual ways…

Work In An Animal Rehab Centre

Vulnerable and endangered animals face a variety of dangers to their continued survival. Poaching and destruction of habitat are perhaps the best known, but they also suffer from illness and poisoning.

There are numerous centres around the world that specialise in helping animals who have been poisoned or are suffering from disease, following a programme of treatment, rehabilitation and release back into the wild. Many of them are open to voluntary placements, so if you like the idea of nursing an animal through rehab, this kind of program would be perfect for you!

Become A Wildlife Film Maker

Fancy yourself as a budding David Attenborough? There are opportunities (such as at the Wildlife Film Academy in South Africa) to do a placement at an organisation that specialises in wildlife filming and photography. This gives you the chance to gain practical experience in all areas of documentary film making, from filming and editing all the way through to business skills like budgeting and fund raising. If you are looking to break into any kind of film making or production, a placement like this is the perfect way to make a difference and to develop a useful new set of skills for your new career!

Take An Animal Sculpting Internship

This is perhaps one of the most off the wall wildlife conservation holidays you can have! If you’d like to combine your love of animals with your artistic side, head down to South Africa and spend some time with Bruce Little. A long term conservationist, he has also become a world renowned sculptor of the animals he works with. His working method involves the observation, photography and then sculpting of endangered species, and he offers a number of placements for people to learn some of the skills he has developed. This placement is ideal for budding artists who want to improve their ability to depict animals, or for animal lovers who want to find a new way of expressing their affection and respect for the animals they adore.

As you can see, a wildlife conservation holiday isn’t just mucking out stables and tagging animals. It’s an opportunity to learn new skills and do something truly creative whilst always making a real and appreciable contribution towards the protection of vulnerable species. So if you’re looking to take a break, make a difference, and learn something new, one of these oddball wildlife placements could be just the thing for you!

Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering extended wildlife conservation holidays and various adventurous gap years for adults.

Located in the South Eastern Cape Area and home to all of the ‘Big Five’ game animals,  the Shamwari Game Reserve is one of the most significant wildlife centres in South Africa. Yet it wasn’t always so – less than thirty years ago, the native wildlife was almost entirely eradicated. The story of the Shamwari Game Reserve is one of the most inspiring in modern conservation – the story of a rich and unique ecosystem that was brought to the brink of destruction by human interference, then restored by dedicated conservation.

History Of The Reserve

By the middle of the 20th century, the area that is now known as the Shamwari Game Reserve had been stripped of most of its significant wildlife. The Black Rhino, the Cape Lion and the Cape Buffalo were all hunted to extinction in the area, and the once numerous elephants had been reduced to just a handful of the creatures. The land itself, which used to be fertile, diverse, and home to numerous kinds of flora and fauna, had been devastated by years of intensive farming.

In 1990, businessman Adrian Gardiner bought a piece of farmland in the reserve to act as a holiday home. He researched and discovered the past history of the area, and soon became determined to restore the area to its former glory.

Beginning with just over a thousand hectares of land (the Reserve now stretches over 25,000 hectares) and seven professional staff (there are now over three hundred), Gardiner, working in close co-operation with leading conservationists, embarked on a carefully planned and highly ambitious attempt to re-establish the ecosystems that had been so carelessly destroyed.

Over the years, through careful and determined work, the area has once again became one of the most ecologically rich and diverse parts of South Africa. A hugely significant moment came in the year 2000, when the reserve became sufficiently well stocked to reintroduce large predators, including lions.

Shamwari Game Reserve Today

Although so much has been achieved in a relatively short space of time, the work on the Shamwari Game Reserve is far from over. With the reserve only being a few decades old, conservation is still an active and ongoing process, and the area remains fragile. A large professional team continue to monitor and develop the ecosystems and wildlife populations in the reserve.

In order to fund the conservation, the Shamwari Game Reserve has developed a commercial aspect, with a number of luxury lodges open to visitors and numerous safari programs offered. Visitors can also get more practically involved – alongside the professional contingent, volunteer conservationists are always welcomed, taking part in placements that may be for just a few weeks or may stretch on for several months.

Today, whether as a visiting tourist or a volunteer conservationist, everyone is able to experience the beauty of Shamwari Game Reserve and to help secure its future.

Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering extended breaks working with animals at Shamwari Game Reserve and other projects in and around South Africa including gap years for grown-ups

Bucking the trends of other wildlife conservation holidays, the Born Wild programme combines aspects of conservation, community and sports. In the heart of Malawi, you will find yourself immersed in awe-inspiring wildlife one day, and caught up in the fascinating traditions of local village life the next. The perfect cocktail of animals and people, every day of this experience will be different and challenging, as you are plunged into the culture and lifestyle of a different country.

Conservation
Many aspects of the Born Wild programme are similar to those of other wildlife conservation holidays; work out in the field with experienced researchers to identify herds, families and species of animals and birds that you only ever dreamt that you would see in a zoo. Or perhaps you prefer a more hands on approach, in which case you might find yourself working on erosion control, or the building and developing of agricultural plots and irrigation methods. If, in an unexpected moment of nostalgia, you find yourself missing the ardours of education or work, enjoy learning something new – for example, the principles of crop diversification or organic farming – and sharing this knowledge with local farmers.

Community
Described as ‘the warm heart of Africa,’ Malawi is renowned for its friendly inhabitants. Make the most of their welcoming and fascinating traditions as you visit their local schools, orphanages and businesses. Showing you a different side of the country to the traditional wildlife conservation holidays, this part of the Born Wild programme gives you the chance to teach people new skills and help to improve their quality of life. Offer them your knowledge of business, as you educate them in the basics of book keeping, or assist them with basic business plans. Or make the most of your own schooling by giving them the most basic educational, music or dance lessons. If you find your heart strings sufficiently tugged upon, you might find yourself contributing to youth and social work, or the AIDS awareness training so vital in local schools. A far cry from the work that you do at home, this is a wonderfully enriching and educational experience.

Sports
Imagine a world where every other Wednesday is not spent at a University lacrosse game, or Saturday afternoons are not dedicated to watching your son play football from the sidelines. The benefits of sport to a community are widely recognised, not only in improving health but also in changing attitudes towards teamwork. Help to enrich these communities with the basics of sports such as hand eye coordination, and then watch with a sense of satisfaction as they take on netball, soccer or volleyball training. Feel the benefits as you see a community brought together by activities that we so often take for granted.

Wildlife conservation holidays are often seen as revolving around the protection of vulnerable species, but humans can be vulnerable too; the Born Wild programme is bursting with opportunities to partake in exciting and rewarding opportunities that are of enormous benefit to both animals and communities in Malawi. So leave the drudgery of your daily routine behind you as you take off for a wildlife conservation holiday like no other.

About the author

Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering extended breaks focusing on wildlife conservation holidays work and various adventurous gap years for adults.