Namibia Wildlife Sanctuary Volunteers

This programme gives you the fantastic opportunity to help out on a working farm in Namibia; from preparing food for the resident animals including Meerkats and Lions, to taking the mischievous Baboons out on their daily walk to helping out with the general maintenance and upkeep of this fascinating farm; there will be plenty for you to do!

You will normally be working in a group of approximately 5 people, starting bright and early at 8:00am and finishing at 5:30pm, you’ll also have a break mid-morning and a lunch break for you to recharge your batteries. In the evenings you’ll have free time to do as you please, chill out with cold beer in hand, take a dip in the pool and once or twice a week there may be the opportunity for you to babysit the cheeky little baby Baboons, taking them into your room to sleep for the night! Depending on the weather there may even be the opportunity to sleep out under the stars and marvel at the beautiful starry skies that Africa is so famous for!

On Saturday afternoons, you’ll have some free time to relax or take advantage of one of the activities on offer such as abseiling, mountain climbing, bush trekking or paintballing that may be available to you (some of these activities will be at an additional cost); in the evening there will be a traditional Braai where you can catch up with your fellow volunteers and new found friends!

On Sundays there may be an opportunity for you visit Namibia’s capital city Windhoek to buy some souvenirs at the craft markets or go for a nice meal somewhere! Alternatively, if you don’t feel like venturing into town, you can always head over to the luxurious guest lodge on the farm for a very relaxing and tasty lunch!
 

The Namibian Wildlife Sanctuary is set in a natural savannah with lush grass plains and stunning mountain views for you to enjoy. It is set on a 25,000 hectare reserve which is home a wide variety of animals including Zebra, Giraffe, Kudu, Springbok, Warthogs and Hartebeests!

As a volunteer on this fascinating programme you will be playing a part in helping the sanctuary achieve its aim of providing a safe refuge for injured, orphaned or abandoned wildlife including Baboons, Wild Dogs, Cheetahs, Leopards, Meerkats, Caracals and Leopards as well as a number of domestic farm animals such as goats, sheep, pigs and horses to name but a few! It is important to keep an open mind though as the animals at the sanctuary can change and the team will always endeavor to help those animals in need, no matter the shape or size.

You’ll be working hands-on to help develop and maintain the sanctuary and its surrounding area so that the rehabilitation work can continue to grow. A lot of your daily activity will revolve around food (theirs, not yours) and all the routine of looking out for their well being – so feeding, grooming, cleaning out enclosures. There are also wider responsibilities – maintaining and building new enclosures, checking and maintaining the sanctuary fences, cleaning and digging new water-holes.

When guests come to the sanctuary, you’ll be on the inside, part of the gang – and you might well be assisting the guides during the big carnivore feeding tours.

The orphaned baboons play a large part in the Namibia wildlife sanctuary project. You’ll be able to take them for walkies so they can forage naturally and exercise. You may also be able to bottle feed them (cue for photos!) and if there are any baby baboons around – who are too young to live in the camp with the others – you might even be looking after them overnight. In charge of a sleeping baby baboon – seriously cool! 

It's not all work at the sanctuary, you will also have a bit of free time to use as you please. Our in-country team help arrange a number of activities at the sanctuary which you are more than welcome to join in with. This could include anything from a sleep out, traditional Braai (african BBQ), chill out at the pool, or possibly even pop into Windhoek city to do a bit of shopping, check your emails or visit a local restaurant.

There is a lovely laid back atmosphere at the sanctuary and you are bound to feel right at home. It's a great escape from the busy world you will be used to back home and gives you the chance to chill out and enjoy these wonderful surroundings.