Hanchi Conservation Project
Combine conservation on horseback with tracking rhino and predators
Set on a vast reserve in the rugged and wild bushland of the Limpopo Province of South Africa, the management of the endangered roan antelope is critical to its survival in the wild. From horseback, you will monitor the roan antelope, quizzical Tssessebe and stunning sable antelope as part of this successful breeding and relocation project and track and monitor white rhino and buffalo.

- Monitor roan and sable antelope populations
- Patrol the reserve on horseback
- Assist with game counts and species movement studies
- Track and monitor white rhino
- Buffalo habituation to allow better management of the disease free herd
- Study predator movements and behaviour
- Be responsible for equine husbandry and care
- Help with reserve management and maintenance
Conservation in the field
The sensitivity of the horse makes them ideal partners in traversing the bush and reserve management, ensuring game are less stressed and by nature alerting you to young and elusive animals. Predator conservation work on the greater reserve is also a unique inclusion to this project.
Monitoring and management from horseback is vital to the successful breeding and relocation of roan and sable antelopes - working with one of the single largest private herds of these endangered and rare species in South Africa. This project gives a unique view of the reality behind conserving predators while your research will contribute to the ongoing effort to help secure a future for these stunning animals.
Hanchi video
Video of volunteers at the Hanchi Conservation Project.
Cheetah conservation
Predator preservation is a main focus of this project, as the reserve acts as a cheetah sanctuary

Riding through the bush
Riding is one of the most environmentally friendly ways of monitoring wildlife in the bush

Roan antelope studies
Roan antelope and their young are monitored within the reserve. The project has a sable and roan breeding programme based on the reserve.

Looking after roan antelope
Looking after roan antelope

Roan antelope
The project also includes a breeding program for the endangered roan and sable antelopes

Tracking rhino from horseback
White rhino on the reserve are tracked from horseback due to being able to get through thicker bush. Horses are naturally sensitive to the animals in the bush, enabling more accurate recording of species

Wildlife viewing on horseback
On horseback is a great way to view wildlife as the animals are less wary of the horses

Buffalo sighting
The reserve is home to a large variety of wildlife, including buffalo, many antelope species, giraffe, hyena, cheetah and leopard

Equine care and husbandry
Volunteers care for the herd at Hanchi including bathing the horses during the hotter seasons and dipping them for ticks.

Equine care
All volunteers take responsibility for caring for the horses.

Hanchi horses
Many of the horses at Hanchi are local South African breeds, known for their sturdiness in the bush, however Hanchi also have ex racehorses and show jumpers! Horses are matched to volunteers depending on level of experience.

Relaxation rides
At Hanchi, the rides are focussed on working rides, where rhino and game tracking and monitoring takes place, and exercising rides. The working rides can be long and tiring for the horses so they do enjoy a dip in the large water hole in the summer months.

Radio tracking
Volunteers learn to pick up the radio signals from collared cheetah so they can be located

Tracking cheetah
Once the approximate location of the cheetah is determined, volunteers track the cheetah on foot through the bush

Rhino tracking
The reserve recently introduced white rhino and Hanchi volunteers track the rhino regularly to check its well-being and location.

Cheetah encounter
On some days, the cheetah are relaxed enough to let people come very close

Caring for young eland
During the reserve patrols volunteers found an orphaned eland, which they then helped hand-rear.

Fence patrol
The predator proof fence around the reserve is an important tool and therefore needs to be maintained regularly

Meet one of the herd
Farwell is an excellent horse for working rides in the bush, being sure footed and calm when approaching game.

School involvement
During term time, the volunteers have the opportunity to work with local school children every week, teaching them about conservation and wildlife.

Hanchi accommodation
Accommodation is in furnished safari tents, with gas heated showers but no electricity

Hanchi volunteer camp
Volunteers stay in a rustic tented camp, surrounded by the reserve's wildlife

Work with the wildlife
Reserve management on horseback
- Within the large breeding bomas, roan and sable react much calmer to horses enabling monitoring at a much higher level.
- Disease free buffalo habituation from horseback on the greater reserve
White rhino monitoring and tracking
- White rhino were recently introduced on the reserve. Volunteers track rhino on a daily basis as part of the reserve's anti poaching campaign and monitor their movements around the reserve.
- The white rhino are currently not habituated to a vehicle therefore monitoring from horseback through dense thickets and bush allows for closer monitoring of the species and less stress to the animals.
Monitor roan and sable antelope populations
- With their young hid singly in the bush, rather than in creches, the populations need to be carefully monitored. You will study population densities, ages and conditions.
- Predator monitoring - young antelope are very vulnerable in bush and the bomas require management to ensure predation levels from cheetah and hyena are minimal.
- Having successfully relocated over 100 endangered roan antelope, this project is of great conservation importance.
Be responsible for equine husbandry and care
- Look after the horses on a daily basis, including feeding, grooming and disease control
- Assist with the ongoing training and exercise of the herd at Hanchi.
- Equine tack and yard maintenance
Learn how to track cheetah on foot, using telemetry equipment
- Joining the Zingela predator conservation project on the greater reserve - use radio telemetry to monitor movements of cheetah, brown hyena and buffalo.
- Uniquely, cheetah are almost exclusively approached on foot - follow in the footsteps of these wonderful and endangered predators; moving when they move, resting when they rest and watching them stalk, hunt and feed.
Study predator movements and behaviour
- Observe hunting and feeding behaviour, including kills, and social interactions. Hyena monitoring can take place during night drives on the reserve.
- Record GPS positions to determine home ranges and movement patterns
Help with reserve management and maintenance
- Contribute to fence line patrols of inner sable and roan camps and the greater reserve, observing tracks and holes from animals that may cause the fence lines to be interrupted.
Get 10% off your placement cost and FREE H20 Bushnell Binoculars!
Volunteer during the months of October through to March and get twice the benefit with up to 10% off your placement cost and a FREE pair of Bushnell H20 binoculars!
Hear from other volunteers who've visited Hanchi Conservation Project
Catriona CarrThe experience of following a cheetah on foot through the bush is mind blowing, sitting with a cheetah as she rests just metres away is a phenomenal experience
Nicholas AberyEveryone involved in ACE is very motivated and passionate about what they do which I found infectious as a volunteer! The project was brilliant - I'd never dreamed of getting so close to wild cheetah, it was like being able to enter their world
Charley EdenThanks everyone at ACE! I had a fantastic 2 weeks at Hanchi. I would fully recommend going as it was an amazing experience. As a result, i'm currently working out whether I can afford to return next year for a longer period of time, because two weeks just isn't long enough!
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