Overview

Contribute to the preservation of the threatened cheetah species in the South African savannah AND get career training from Conservation Careers!

Discover the savannah landscapes of South Africa when you join an international team of volunteers assisting in the research of the world’s fastest land mammal, the cheetah. On this program, you’ll develop an in-depth understanding of this fascinating, vulnerable species and contribute to valuable data collection initiatives to ensure its longevity.

Journey to wildest Africa and volunteer to preserve the vulnerable cheetah species. In partnership with Metapopulation Initiative, you’ll contribute to their cheetah metapopulation project as well as ongoing conservation efforts in South Africa.

The cheetah is classified as a vulnerable species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN, red list. Subject to the same human-related threats as other species, including, habitat loss and poaching, cheetahs are at a higher risk due a lack of ability to successfully compete with other savannah predators, like lions and hyenas, as well as naturally weak genetics.

The main focus of your work will concern cheetah kill behaviour, which is related to their interaction with other predators on the reserve. You will work with a group of researchers and participants from all over the world to track cheetahs through the savannah using telemetry equipment and safari vehicles. Once spotted you will note their feeding behaviour and take data on  how much of the kill they consume and what exactly scares them off. In some cases, it will be possible to view cheetahs on foot if it is safe to do so.

Please note the hours in the field may be long, which can be tiring in the heat of the African sun.

Participants in this program have the opportunity to take part in community development initiatives. Through partnerships with local schools and education centres, volunteers contribute to projects centred around education. These efforts aim to enhance community engagement and foster stronger bonds between people and wildlife.

Highlights

  • Support cheetah preservation. Contribute to the preservation of the vulnerable cheetah species while observing them up close in the wild.
  • Hear the call of the wild. Get the full safari experience with this once-in-a lifetime chance to work with and live among some of the world’s vulnerable species.
  • Be part of the real deal. Contribute to ongoing environmental projects that address critical challenges aligned to the global UN SDGs.
  • Join ethical initiatives. Join local conservation partners and qualified professionals to ensure your efforts are highly ethical, meaningful and sustainable.
  • Experience unreal adventures. Venture outside typical travel itineraries to get exclusive access to extraordinary remote habitats, rare species and unique ecosystems.
  • Make friends for life. Share epic experiences with like-minded, passionate changemakers from all over the globe.
  • Enjoy a hassle-free, safe trip. With expert local staff and 24/7 support at every step – you can relax and enjoy the experience stress-free.
  • Take a break. Disconnect from the digital world and reconnect with nature, yourself and your purpose.

Our Award-winning Partner

Conservation Careers has teamed up with an award-winning, mission-driven organisation with a team of passionate experts across the globe who will make your experience a truly unforgettable one.

Founded in 1998, they run programs in 26 locations, in 22 countries around the world, each aligned to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as well as the objectives of local partners. They welcome participants from all around the world and help facilitate their development into global citizens. This is how they achieve their mission of building a global network of people united by their passion to make a difference.

Their commitment to running high-quality sustainable development and experiential education programs has earned them recognition from numerous organizations such as Panthera, the Seychelles Parks & Gardens Authority, as well as Stanford, NYU, Duke, and Ohio State.

If you register your interest below, you’ll put you in touch with our partner to take the booking and to plan your trip!

Explore all our Conservation Careers Internship opportunities.

Location and life on base

Live in the heart of the South African savannah, sharing a renovated farmhouse with qualified guides from the Field Guides Association of Southern Africa, other staff, and participants from around the world. The base is incredibly remote, and tourists are unable to visit. Completely open to the bush and close to a dam, animals frequently visit the property, including elephants, buffalo, impala and leopards.

Boasting more than 20 thousand acres of open savannah, our research station in Limpopo features some of the best wildlife viewing of any private South African game reserve. It’s home to all of the Big Five, including the elusive leopard, as well as cheetahs and spotted hyenas.

Rise each morning to the sound of African birdsong at dawn, before heading out in an open-topped safari vehicle to conduct research vital for the conservation of key predator species, like cheetahs and lions. Heading back to camp when the sun is at its height, you’ll input data, study, assist with cooking or tidying, or relax with the team in our shared outdoor social space. In the early afternoon, when the sun starts to set over the Drakensberg mountain range, you’ll head out again to conduct further research. Returning when the stars are at their brightest, you’ll share a meal and the day’s stories with your team. In your free time, visit Kruger National Park, an hour’s drive from your accommodation, travel to the scenic Panorama Route, which takes you through the magnificent Blyde River Canyon, or spend some time in the local town called Hoedspruit.

With one of most biodiverse ecosystems in the world, and home to many of the most threatened African wildlife species, South Africa is a nature, wildlife, and adventure lover’s paradise.

Activities

Some of the example typical activities you could participate in on this program include:

  • Fieldwork training. Learn how to identify species, collect data and monitor animals. Get trained in health, safety, and ethical considerations for conservation work.
  • Species identification. Gain experience identifying and monitoring your chosen focus species.
  • Big cat monitoring. Use VHF telemetry to monitor cheetah behaviour: kill preferences, spatial utilisation, interactions and competition, and feeding ecology.
  • Reserve maintenance. Help rehabilitate land degradation and erosion, remove alien species and assist with other reserve maintenance projects.
  • Large herbivore monitoring. Collect data on megaherbivores like rhino, elephant and buffalo. Data will include population dynamics, spatial utilisation, and group associations.
  • Community engagement. Get involved in environmental education awareness projects, teach English, or contribute to projects proposed by our local partner organisations.
  • Citizen science. Collect data on local bird species and upload it to citizen science databases. This data is used by researchers all over the world.

Skills

  • Data collection
  • Data entry
  • Population ecology
  • Species identification
  • Survey research
  • VHF telemetry
  • Wildlife conservation
  • Volunteering
  • Cultural awareness
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Communication
  • Teamwork
  • Easily adaptable

BONUS! Conservation Career Kick-Starter online training programme (worth $495 / £375 / €450)

Do you want to spend your career helping wildlife to flourish, but are feeling a little lost, confused or disillusioned?

Start your career in wildlife conservation with a unique programme of training, support community & jobs from Conservation Careers!

The Conservation Career Kick-Starter is a proven step-by-step system to get you hired quicker as a professional conservationist.

The Kick-Starter is trusted by over 2,500 people, and 40 universities, with 99% ratings. Whether you’re at university and planning your next steps, a graduate in the job hunt or working in an unrelated job but interested to switch into conservation, this course is designed to help you.

After going through the course, you’ll have created a personal career plan which will give you confidence in your job hunt and will make everything quicker, simpler and more fun!

All you need to do is register your interest in the project below, and if you choose to make a booking we’ll save a place for you on the Kick-Starter when you get back from your placement.

Included with the Kick-Starter is a year’s full-access to the world’s biggest conservation job board with over 15,000 jobs, plus access to our private online support community, CC Pro.

Duration, dates and cost

Register your interest below to learn about upcoming start dates, durations and costs.

What’s included

General

  • Food
  • Safe and basic accommodation (usually shared)
  • Airport pick up (unless stated)
  • All project equipment
  • 24-hour in-country support from local staff
  • 24-hour emergency desk
  • Experiences

Activities

  • Sustainable project work
  • Data collection and research

What’s included (continued)

Pre-program training

  • Pre-departure webinar
  • Pre-departure training (online)
  • University of Richmond endorsed specialisation course

Welcome training

  • Welcome presentation
  • Health & safety
  • Local culture & environment
  • UN SDGs
  • Impact & ethics
  • Child protection

What’s excluded

  • Flights
  • International and domestic airport taxes
  • Medical and travel insurance
  • Visa costs
  • Police or background check
  • Personal items and toiletries
  • Additional drinks and gratuities

Reserve your place or ask a question