Project Video Now Online
Volunteer Role
The Reptile Park is very much a "hands on" project and days start with a general cleanup and maintenance of enclosures. You will assist with medicating animals and doing a daily assessment of each sick animal’s health status e.g. checking through faeces for parasites and abnormalities.
Many days at the park involve going out and capturing problem animals from surrounding farm and you will be asked to assist with some of these captures. You will help collect and record all relevant information from each animal before they are released into local nature reserves.
The Park is in the process of building new specialised enclosures that the volunteers will help construct and maintain, so this involves a bit of daily manual labour.
Volunteers will also:
- Attend a Reptile Orientation Course
- Perform necropsies: This involves dissecting any animal, which may have died without cause, to understand the reasons behind its death
- Showing groups around the park, or participating in educational demonstrations and talks
- Learn how to safely handle all types of snakes and reptiles
- Cleaning out all enclosures, such as snakes and crocodiles
- Helping to design and erect new enclosures for various animals
- Attend and help with feeding sessions, including snakes
- There are also many documentaries filmed at the park, so you could quite well find yourself assisting in some of these aspects
Volunteers enjoy a very active participation in the daily events at the park, with no two days ever being exactly the same.
Every step of the way, no matter what is happening, one of the curators will be with you, taking you through the events, filling you full of information and answering all questions.
What’s Included in the Programme
- Project Fee: this includes financing that goes directly back into the project. This project fee facilitates funding for items such as building materials, equipment, supplies, foodstuffs etc
- Airport transfer to and from Hoedspruit Airport
- Orientation on arrival
- All accommodation during your stay at shared volunteer house
- Full support and assistance from your co-ordinator throughout your time at the project
- Budget for food for breakfast, lunch and dinner each day.
- 24 hour support number and contact in for emergencies.
What’s Not Included in the Programme
- Personal travel insurance for the duration of your placement, which should include cover for repatriation
- All flights
- All items of a personal nature, such as curios, gifts, clothing (work and other)
- E-mail/Internet and telephone calls
- Soft drinks, beer, wines and spirits
- Visas
- Any excursions over and above your planned itinerary in South Africa
