African Lion Rehabilitation and Conservation - Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

  Zimbabwe

Victoria Falls

Term: Throughout the year 
Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Dates: 2 weeks - 6 weeks

Description: The involvement of volunteers on the project is paramount to achieving our aims on all fronts. You can expect days to be long, but you will also be able to end each day knowing that you have given something back to Africa; having made a difference to the animals and people that you come into contact with. The work is varied and will include:

Lion Walks. Spending time with the lions in the wild each day is an essential part of the cubs upbringing. If the cubs are to be successfully released it is important that they spend time out in a natural environment. They need to adapt to it, learn from it, understand, observe, feel and smell the wild. Alongside the walks you will be involved in the care of the animals which overnight in enclosures. They need feeding, cleaning, and occasionally will need veterinary care to ensure that they are kept in the best of health.

Research. As part of the program we conduct a number of research activities to better understand lion behavior and ecology. The lion walks offer unique opportunities to observe lions close up in their natural environment with the data collected assisting us to make the best decisions for the animal's welfare and eventual release. Volunteers will assist our research technician in gathering and analyzing this vital data. You will receive all the training you need in order to ensure that you are able to provide valuable input to this program regardless of previous experience. Work in the National Park. There is a vast amount to do to keep a National Park ecosystem healthy, and this project is blessed by having two unique parks right on its doorstep. As a volunteer you will work with the CCWA research team and National Park rangers on any number of conservation activities that may include some or all of the following, based on National Parks needs at the time of your placement:

- Assisting in the development of a new waterhole and renovation of a tourist observation tower;
- Camping out overnight to conduct a game census to see what animals come to drink; you may see herds of elephant and buffalo or maybe an elusive leopard;
- Conduct surveys of tourist movement patterns within the Park to assist in better management of the area to reduce soil erosion from the numerous vehicles in the Park;
- Assist in controlled burns as part of the ongoing bush fire management scheme;
- Conduct surveys of the wild lion population, tracking spoor (the signs left behind by an animal as it moves through the Bush, such as paw prints); taking photographs for identification; and recording important information so we can gain a better understanding of the species within the Park;
- Carry out snare sweeps to remove the wires set by poachers to illegally catch the animals that inhabit the Park;
- Work with local communities to mitigate lion / human conflict.
The Victoria Falls National Park contains abundant bird life and a vast array of plants and animals. Your work here will include;
- Catalouging the rich diversity of wildlife within the Park so that a more accurate record is kept of the range and extent of different species;
- Removing of the non-indigenous plants this can be hard work as many of the species protect themselves with formidable spines and thorns but it vital work to ensure the ongoing health of the Eco-system;
- Maintaining tourist facilities to ensure that visitors can continue to enjoy this world heritage site in safety.
Teach a conservation class. Volunteers will join our ACT conservation education program visiting local schools to garner support for conservation through education. The syllabus was originally devised under the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) "We Care!" project and adapted to Zimbabwe by The Curriculum Unit of the Zimbabwe Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture.
Lesson plans are designed to offer children a full understanding of their environment and to build an appreciation for the need to conserve what remains of the wild areas of Zimbabwe.

Highlights:
- During your stay at Victoria Falls you may have the opportunity to enjoy an excursion to some of the other spectacular spots that Zimbabwe has to offer. A guide price for this trip is US 350 per person.
- Day 1: Leave after breakfast from Victoria Falls for the breathtaking Matobo Hills, home of the Matopos National Park. Enjoy a half-day Rhino Walk & Game Drive as well as a bushman Cave Painting tour. You will also have the chance to visit Cecil Rhodes' resting place at 'worlds' view'
- Day 2-4: Today you travel to Antelope Park, the breeding base for the Lion Rehabilitation & Release into the Wild Program. In addition to touring the facilities to see the adult lions, here you can also ride through the Savannah plains of the game reserve on horseback or take a swim on the back of an African elephant (seasonal) whilst staying at our safari camp on the banks of a beautiful river.
- Day 5: Journey to Hwange National Park; the largest national park in Zimbabwe, and the same size as Belgium! You will get the opportunity to go on a game drive where you could get up close and personal with a herd of elephant, buffalo, a pride of lion, clan of hyena and many more.
- Day 6: Leave after breakfast from Miombo for your return to Victoria Falls

Qualifications: Minimum 17 years, maximum decided on potential participants' health

Cost in US$: 2 wks-USD 1600, 4 wks-USD 3390, 6 wks- USD 4290

Experience Required: no

Age Range: Minimum 17 years

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

Participants Travel to Zimbabwe Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work in Groups

Application Process Involves:

• Other
• Written Application

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