Mashatu Research Shadowing Programme

  Botswana

Gaborone

Duration of Program: 1-2 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 1-2 weeks

Description: This is raw Africa! Join highly experienced elephant and leopard researchers in Botswana's Northern Tuli Game Reserve, which borders on the Limpopo River in Southern Africa. Mashatu's 80,000acres of vast arid lands offers some of Africa's best game viewing which you will have the opportunity to experience whilst out with the researchers.

Be more than a tourist & be a conservationist. Assist experienced researcher in their work within this exclusive wildlife reserve:

Elephants With Jeanetta Selier, who has been researching the elephant populations in the Mashatu Reserve area for over 6 years, volunteers will learn how to identify the reserves resident elephants, and will be supplied with data sheets that they will complete whilst observing the various herds.

The Central Limpopo Valley elephant population occurs in three different countries namely Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Management of the elephant population is different in the three countries according to their respective government policies. Planning is currently underway for a Tans Frontier Conservation Area in the region. It is therefore of critical importance to establish information such as:
- The current range of the elephants
- The size, age structure, social structure and sex ratios of the population
- Their movement patterns and what factors determine these
- What interactions between people and elephants are, what conflicts arise because of this interaction, and how to resolve these
- Determine how climate change will influence the long term dynamics of the central Limpopo Valley system

Leopards&Volunteers will join Villiers Steyn, Mashatu's leopard researcher, and participate in tracking the three leopard females. Villiers has collared these three females with the aim of learning more about how to track leopard through telemetry, and leopard behaviour.
The results of this study will be used in the future to promote better management of leopards and other large predators in the Northern Tuli Game Reserve. It will also help the authorities to make more educated decisions with regards to hunting quotas for the large carnivore species in Botswana. The use of satellite collars will also shed new light on leopard movements within their home ranges, since they will be monitored right throughout the day, instead of monitoring them just once a day.

An increase in knowledge on wildlife within the reserve area will help in formulating a management plan acceptable to all parties involved in the different countries and crucial to the formation of a Trans Frontier Peace Park. Information gained from these studies will also be used in future in-depth studies on specific aspects of the elephant and leopard populations.

Wildlife&Volunteers will also have the opportunity to participate in the various adventure activities such as horse trails and game drives offered at Mashatu, at an additional charge. Throughout your days with the researchers you will be exposed to the glorious varieties of the abundant game species within the reserve area.

Highlights:
- Experience some of Africa's best game viewing, particularly elephant and leopard sightings which are of a quality unique to Mashatu
- Be privy to what goes on with large-scale wildlife conservation, management and research on this exclusive private Reserve
- Increase your knowledge of the African bush and the fascinating wildlife that inhabit Botswana's vast game areas, and be directly involved in offering support to this noble African conservation and research effort
- Be involved in fascinating data collection and monitoring of radio-collared elephants or leopards

Qualifications:
- No specific qualifications
- Needs to have finished high school
- A keen interest in the bush and animal behavior is essential

Cost in US$: 1 week $1495

Experience Required: no

Age Range: Minumum 17 years

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Botswana Independently

Typically Participants Work in Groups of 5-8

Application Process Involves:

• Resume
• Written Application

Post Services Include:

• Alumni Network
• Exit Debriefing Abroad

African Impact's Mission Statement: African Impact facilitates cultural exchange programmes through volunteer work. We awards you the opportunity to immerse yourselves in local schools, health institutions, communities and wildlife conservation programmes. In this way as a volunteer you are able to leave your mark on a corner of Africa whilst at the same time experiencing a lifestyle that will shift your perspectives and allow you to see our world in a different light. We invite you to join us on a journey to Africa to explore, to inspire and to impact. We invite you to be more than a tourist, but to be a traveller, a conservationist and a humanitarian.

Year Founded: 1999