WILDLIFE VOLUNTEERING: THE RED FLAGS MOST PEOPLE MISS

Conservation ethics of wildlife - Rhino Relocation

Empower real conservation

Travelling with African Conservation Experience, you’ll team up with internationally renowned wildlife conservation projects. Nothing is for show – we only partner with pioneering initiatives that drive real conservation impact, delivering measurable biodiversity gains and putting animal welfare first.

Ethics in conservation - Volunteer at Care For Wild Africa

Africa’s original conservation travel company

Together with our participants and projects, we’ve been at the heart of the conservation community in southern and eastern Africa since 1999. Over this time, we’ve played a vital role in many landmark achievements - from helping to develop the world’s largest rhino sanctuary to supporting a key reserve in WWF’s Black Rhino Range Expansion Programme.

Our long-standing partnerships with these leading conservation projects are based on mutual respect. They trust us to find dedicated, passionate participants who contribute real value to their work. In return, these relationships give our participants exclusive access to groundbreaking conservation experiences.

Ethics in conservation - ACE volunteers and professionals monitoring a sedated lion

Empower vital conservation work

As well as contributing your time and energy, you will also provide essential funding - giving projects the financial stability they need to continue protecting Africa’s wildlife and ecosystems.

Governments in Africa are often unable to provide sufficient funding to conservation projects. Which means vital work to protect biodiversity simply wouldn’t be possible without financial assistance from travellers like you.

From hydrophones to helicopters, this funding helps projects invest in vital new equipment and facilities to broaden their impact. It also creates new conservation jobs for local people, providing skilled employees for our projects and making conservation a viable career path in Africa. This funding has even enabled us to help set up many projects that you can visit today.

Conservation ethics of wildlife - rehabilitation of rhino at Care For Wild Africa

We are qualified zoologists and conservationists

As a conservation-first team, we hold degree-level qualifications in zoological and conservation sciences. We’re always up-to-date with the latest developments in research, political policy and ecological issues. We’ve even become a leading voice in the fight against lion farming and cub cuddling in southern Africa.

This deep understanding of conservation issues means we can expertly evaluate conservation projects and only partner with those that demonstrate the highest levels of conservation impact and animal welfare - usually thanks to an expert team of their own.

Our professional knowledge also means that when you talk to us, you can go beyond the basic travel chat and get into the scientific detail of what you’re looking for.

Conservation travel FAQs

For more information on conservation travel, our experiences, and the industry regulations and guidelines we adhere to, please visit our FAQs.

What is conservation travel?

Conservation travel is a form of travel that makes a direct and measurable contribution to protecting wildlife and the natural environment. Unlike standard tourism, it goes beyond simply being low impact. Instead, your journey actively supports conservation projects such as wildlife research, habitat restoration, rehabilitation centres, anti-poaching work, and community-led initiatives.

At its core, conservation travel is about:

Direct support for conservation outcomes (e.g. wildlife, habitats, biodiversity protection)
Support for people connected with conservation (e.g. local communities, conservation staff, researchers, educators, rehabilitators)
Educational and ethical engagement for travellers

At its best, conservation travel provides opportunities for hands-on participation and financial support for real conservation projects, delivering a positive impact on wildlife, habitats, and local communities.

This definition is grounded in leading research on ecotourism and conservation tourism, particularly Wearing & Neil’s Ecotourism (2009) and Buckley’s Conservation Tourism (2010), and is supported by more recent studies emphasising ethical governance, measurable conservation outcomes, and local community benefits (Samal, 2023; Miller et al., 2023; Torsney et al., 2025).

How is conservation travel or wildlife volunteering different from a safari?

A safari is usually about observing wildlife for enjoyment, photography, or education. While safaris can offer valuable experiences, the best interests of wildlife and ecosystems are not always the main priority.

Conservation travel goes further by combining meaningful travel with direct and measurable contributions to conservation. Rather than being a passive observer, you play an active role through hands-on participation and financial support - assisting with research, restoring habitats, supporting rehabilitation, and funding local conservation staff - ensuring your experience delivers real benefits for wildlife, ecosystems, and communities.

How do you select conservation project partners?

We carefully select only sustainable, long-term projects with proven positive impacts on wildlife and communities. We have clear criteria that our partners need to meet before we place any travellers with them. These include providing meaningful roles for our travellers, delivering measurable positive impacts on wildlife and communities, and having clear and effective health and safety protocols. We regularly visit every project and carry out an annual evaluation to ensure they continue to meet these criteria.

All of our partner animal rehabilitation centres strictly adhere to the animal welfare guidelines set by SATSA and ABTA. Additionally, we only partner with wildlife research projects in Africa that either maintain near self-sustaining animal populations or operate under a model we call "stewarded", where minimal human support helps ensure long-term viability. This commitment guarantees that animals live as naturally as possible while upholding the highest standards of care, conservation value, and ethical treatment.

Conservation ethics of wildlife - Zebra, elephant and giraffe around watering hole

Our conservation and ethical standards

Animal welfare

Our wildlife rehabilitation centres and sanctuaries provide the highest standards of care and ethical treatment of animals.

Sustainable wildlife populations

Our research and management projects are carefully selected for their sustainable wildlife populations - which is essential for real conservation work.