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Zimbabwe Lion Breeding and Conservation - Midlands

From £1,359, 2 weeks, Zimbabwe

  • Volunteering
  • Adventure 3 out of 5
  • Relaxation 2 out of 5
  • Culture 3 out of 5
Zimbabwe Lion Breeding and Conservation - Midlands

Trip Highlights

 

  • Take part in a serious lion conservation project 
  • Feed any lion cubs who may be at the project when you are there
  • Get involved in Lion Conservation
  • Get up close and personal with elephants and find out what makes them tick.
  • Be a conservation volunteer and help the land flourish.
  • Away from the political trouble spots, a great introduction to Zimbabwe

Trip Summary

See full itinerary

What's included?

  • All airport transfers
  • Arrival orientation
  • 24 hour in country support
  • All accommodation and meals

What's not included?

  • All Flights
  • Travel Insurance
  • Visas for Zimbabwe

Midlands is a serious lion conservation project, designed solely to do something about the dramatic decline in African lion numbers. The programme is built around the breeding and release of lions back into the wild and it’s a world first.

 

Your trip is not only concerned with lion conservation though. You’ll also have the chance to spend time with time with the project’s orphaned African Elephants saved from certain death during a severe drought that ravaged Zimbabwe’s South Eastern Lowveld in the early nineties. 

 

Part of your project work will be to assist with the management of the Midlands programme – finding and removing snares in the game park, checking for and repairing deliberate poacher damage to boundary fences and other essential maintenance work.  


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Mon, 6 Feb 20122 weeks£1,359Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
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Mon, 27 Feb 20122 weeks£1,359Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
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Mon, 27 Feb 20124 weeks£2,339Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
Mon, 5 Mar 20122 weeks£1,359Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
Mon, 5 Mar 20123 weeks£1,839Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
Mon, 5 Mar 20124 weeks£2,339Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
Mon, 12 Mar 20122 weeks£1,359Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
Mon, 12 Mar 20123 weeks£1,839Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
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Mon, 19 Mar 20122 weeks£1,359Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
Mon, 19 Mar 20123 weeks£1,839Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
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Mon, 26 Mar 20122 weeks£1,359Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
Mon, 26 Mar 20123 weeks£1,839Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
Mon, 26 Mar 20124 weeks£2,339Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
Mon, 2 Apr 20122 weeks£1,359Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
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Mon, 16 Apr 20122 weeks£1,359Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
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Mon, 30 Apr 20122 weeks£1,359Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
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Mon, 30 Apr 20124 weeks£2,339Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
Mon, 7 May 20122 weeks£1,359Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
Mon, 7 May 20123 weeks£1,839Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
Mon, 7 May 20124 weeks£2,339Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
Mon, 14 May 20122 weeks£1,359Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
Mon, 14 May 20123 weeks£1,839Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
Mon, 14 May 20124 weeks£2,339Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
Mon, 21 May 20122 weeks£1,359Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
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Mon, 28 May 20122 weeks£1,359Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
Mon, 28 May 20123 weeks£1,839Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
Mon, 28 May 20124 weeks£2,339Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
Mon, 4 Jun 20122 weeks£1,359Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
Mon, 4 Jun 20123 weeks£1,839Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
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Mon, 11 Jun 20122 weeks£1,359Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
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Mon, 18 Jun 20122 weeks£1,359Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
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Mon, 25 Jun 20122 weeks£1,359Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
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Mon, 9 Jul 20122 weeks£1,359Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
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Mon, 16 Jul 20122 weeks£1,359Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
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Mon, 13 Aug 20122 weeks£1,359Limited AvailabilityCall Us 01892 882 737
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What will I be doing?

  • A typical itinerary (2 to 4 weeks)

A typical itinerary: 2 to 4 weeks

Destination info

Zimbabwe is an extremely beautiful country, filled with warm and generous people who will welcome you with open arms and it’s a brilliant gap year destination, and not solely because of its lion conservation projects.

 
It’s amazingly diverse too. In just one visit you could walk with lions, visit a pristine wildlife reserve home to hundreds of species of tropical birds and animals, learn to scuba dive or enjoy the thrill of white water rafting and other adrenalin sports. 
 
It’s home to the biggest waterfall on the planet – Victoria Falls – and to the wild Zambezi River and to some of the most beautiful and well-protected game reserves in the world. There are large national parks and numerous private game reserves and, of course, lion conservation projects.
  • Location: Midlands, Zimbabwe

 

There’s no lying in bed all morning on a lion conservation project. You’ll be up and doing fairly early in the morning – quite normal in hot climates where it often gets too hot to work later in the day. You’ll have something like a morning (or an afternoon) off fourth day. You do need to be flexible though and you might find yourself working at other times.
 
You’re working with wild animals and they’re not very good at sticking to timetables. The role is flexible and you need to be too.
 
These are the kinds of things you can expect to be doing as part of your lion conservation role. 
 
Lion walks especially taking cubs (5 to 18 months) out into the bush. 
 
Training the elephants and riding them
 
Lunch for a lion is pounds and pounds of meat and dinner is much the same – and they’re always leaving their vegetables on the side of the plate
 
Maintenance jobs are not as dull as it might sound and certainly essential to the project. The enclosures have to be cleaned and checked, snare sweeps need to be carried out for illicit poaching activity and are promptly removed if found, the boundary fences also have to be checked and repaired where necessary. 
 
If there are any cubs, you might get to bottle feed them – all depending on the time of year, their age and how their mum feels about it. And then there’s the huge feeling of satisfaction you’ll get if you’re lucky enough to be there when a lion is released back into the wild! Priceless!
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Trip Notes include a full itinerary, country guides and travel advice on visas, money, insurance and the local weather. By filling in your details you'll also be kept updated on all the latest news, offers and stories on this particular trip. Happy reading!

Additional Information & FAQs

Minimum age

Minimum age 17 years, maximum decided on potential participants’ health.

 

Accommodation

During your placement, you will be staying in a comfortable room sharing with one to three other volunteers in thatched accommodation, nestled beneath trees and beside a lake. Your lodge has modern facilities including satellite TV and a swimming pool. You will have separate shower and toilet facilities to the rest of the camp, which are located adjacent to the sleeping area. The main lodge houses guests visiting the area and programme on vacation. Your rooms will be cleaned daily by the housekeeping staff and free use of the laundry service is available to all volunteers.

 

Volunteers also have the option to upgrade their accommodation at our wonderful guest lodge, which offers a haven of tranquillity. Choose to stay either in our East African Safari Style Tents with ensuite bathrooms or our Thatched River Lodges with ensuite bathrooms and private decks overlooking the river. All private accommodation is based on availability. For further information, please ask the Africa team.

 

Meals

You will receive three meals a day, although this may be a packed meal depending on what activity you are taking part in on any given day. You will be eating the same food as the guests at the lodge and we kindly request that you allow the guests to be served first and have their first choice of seating. Breakfast is at 08:30 and includes cereals, fresh fruit and a full cooked breakfast. Lunch is usually around 13:00 and dinner is at 19:00, both of which are served in a buffet style.
 

 

Is this trip for you?

An interest in and passion for wildlife and conservation is important. Due to health and safety requirements, all volunteers must be 155cm, or 5ft minimum to work with the lion cubs. All volunteers must have a reasonable level of health and fitness.

 

Advice & Safety

Throughout your programmes you will have the support and guidance of the programme co-ordinator and team. You will be provided with competent assistance and help with any questions or advice you may need during your stay.

 

You will be assigned a personal travel advisor who will co-ordinate your programme with you. Feel free to contact them at any time before you go, or when you are on your travels.

 

In addition, you will have access to a 24 hour emergency contact number so you can contact one of our UK staff at any time should you need to.

 

FAQ

1. What is the accomodation like?

You will be based in purpose built volunteer accomodation in beautiful surroundings, you will share with 2 others and have the luxury of flush toilets.

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2. Where is accomodation based?

Within the grounds of a private lodge.

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3. How much spending money would you recommend I take?

We generally recommend that you take around £70-£80 per week.

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4. I am a first time traveler, and a bit apprehensive about travelling on my own. Do many people do this by themselves?

The majority of our participants are solo travelers, so you will be one of many in the same position. We e-mail out a buddy list 2-3 weeks before you start, so you can begin to get to know one another beforehand.

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5. Will I be able to touch the lions?

This is a very hands on project so the majority of volunteers have the pleasure of experiencing this!

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What will I see in Zimbabwe?

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What other travellers thought

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Catherine Mills, 4th Sep 2011 - 18th Sep 2011

Please rate your overall experience
(10/10)
What were the highlights of your trip?

Getting hands on experience with the lions, meeting many new people and visiting the orphanages.

Please rate your pre-departure service
(5/10)
Please rate your in-country service
(10/10)
Please rate your accommodation
(10/10)
How worthwhile was your trip?
(10/10)
Would you travel with Real Gap again?

Yes

Would you recommend Real Gap?

Yes

Lucy Knight, 17th Jul 2011 - 31st Jul 2011

Please rate your overall experience
(6/10)
What were the highlights of your trip?

Walking with Lions, the food and canoeing.

Helen Drinkeld, 3rd Jul 2011 - 17th Jul 2011

Please rate your overall experience
(10/10)
What were the highlights of your trip?

I got to experience everything I was told I would. Being out there really taught me a lot about myself and I learnt so much during my trip. I was also able to overcome my fear of horses and completed 2 horse rides but the time I spent with the lions was my main highlight.

Michael Oldbury, 5th Sep 2010 - 3rd Oct 2010

Please rate your overall experience
(10/10)
What were the highlights of your trip?

Meeting lots of different people and doing many different activites. Seeing lots of animals.

What top 3 tips would you give other travellers?

Take items for the orphanage. DON'T take too MUCH luggage.

How would you sum up your trip in 10 words?

Amazing experience and met lots of great people. Never will forget my trip.

Please rate your pre-departure service
(10/10)
Please rate your in-country service
(10/10)
Please rate your accommodation
(9/10)
How worthwhile was your trip?
(10/10)
Would you travel with Real Gap again?

Yes

Would you recommend Real Gap?

Yes

Katy Fairweather, 5th Sep 2010 - 3rd Oct 2010

Please rate your overall experience
(10/10)
What were the highlights of your trip?

working with wildlife

Please rate your pre-departure service
(10/10)
Please rate your in-country service
(10/10)
Please rate your accommodation
(10/10)
How worthwhile was your trip?
(10/10)
Would you travel with Real Gap again?

Yes

Would you recommend Real Gap?

Yes

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