Eager to volunteer with a world-famous wildlife conservation organization in Namibia? International Volunteer HQ’s Wildlife Conservation project is a thrilling opportunity for you to help provide a safe haven and second chance for African animals, such as lions, leopards, cheetahs, antelope, warthogs, baboons, and more! Whenever possible the goal is to release animals back into the wild, with only those too ill, abused or habituated to remain at the sanctuary permanently, where volunteers are critical to enabling the project to continue caring for the animals.

What to expect and how you'll make an impact

Volunteers are crucial in helping to care for the animals that are in rehabilitation or permanently residing at the sanctuary, as well as helping to maintain and develop the sanctuary. This is an exceptional opportunity to get hands-on experience with African wildlife and the many aspects of their care. The sanctuary currently provides a safe refuge for orphaned, injured or conflict wildlife including several lions, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs, caracals, warthogs, antelope and baboons as well as a host of birds, smaller African mammals and farmyard animals.

Volunteers will have the rare and exciting opportunity to actively participate in the conservation, rehabilitation, care and research of African wildlife. Tasks may include:

Food preparation and small animal feeding
Carnivore feeding
Providing intensive care for juvenile wildlife
Cheetah run observation and the education of cheetah physiology
Small construction jobs include building camps and new facilities, breaking down old structures, maintaining roads, fence work and assisting with the various projects that arise at the sanctuary.
Monitoring high-profile species on the reserve
Spoor tracking of reserve animals which involves joining skilled trackers to identify game and carnivore numbers and learn the ins and outs of animal populations
Rhino Rangers “Lite”: This task provides a taste of the freestanding “Rhino Rangers” program itself and includes activities such as tracking, overnighting in the bush and wildlife monitoring
Focused research including monitoring free-roaming carnivores, analyzing camera traps and analyzing GPS data
Assisting with ongoing research projects on the sanctuary
Game counts on horseback
Attending conflict calls (if they arise)
General maintenance and cleaning of the sanctuary grounds

It is important to note that much of the work on the reserve is physical and requires a lot of walking, so volunteers are advised to have a medium to high level of fitness to take part.

As an IVHQ wildlife volunteer in Namibia you will be able to experience most of the jobs on the sanctuary; as the tasks are rotated among the volunteers to ensure each person has an opportunity to both help with sanctuary/farm maintenance and interact with the animals equally.

Not all tasks on the project will involve direct contact with animals, and it is important that volunteers keep in mind that these other tasks are still crucial to the well-being of the animals, and form an important part of the sanctuary’s work.

Contributes to United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal #15: Life on Land

Human activity has altered almost 75% of the earth’s surface and around 1 million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction. Nature is critical to our survival. We must promote kindness to animals and use regenerative techniques to combat deforestation, conserve biodiversity and protect wildlife.

Why do Wildlife Conservation volunteering in Namibia with IVHQ?

As a wildlife volunteer in Namibia you’ll be adding value to the local community, while also developing personally and professionally by:

Supporting conservation and wildlife preservation efforts
Helping care for orphaned and injured animals
Developing your communication skills
Gaining a wide range of conservation volunteer experience
Learning about wildlife and the challenges it faces
Experiencing life in the African outback

Volunteer requirements

To join this program independently volunteers must be at least 18 years old.
All volunteers must have a clear criminal background check.
Medium to high level of fitness is required for this project.
Volunteers must wear a uniform while working (one pair of pants and one shirt is provided as part of your program fee and extras can be purchased onsite). Volunteers can also purchase a jumper/jacket or wear their own, as long as its natural colors Black, Khaki etc.
All volunteers are required to have adequate volunteer travel insurance
All volunteers must speak fluent English.

Are you eligible to volunteer?

Submit a free application so we can confirm your eligibility and check availability for your preferred dates.

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Who is going?

Group video calls

Once you have secured your place, join regular video calls to meet your Program Manager and other volunteers before your trip.