Stand with the rhinos. From orphan care to wildlife management.
Whether you’re bottle-feeding a rhino calf orphaned by poachers, saving an adult bull’s life by helping trim his horn, or getting to grips with the physical work of rhino relocation, our rhino conservation experiences put you at the heart of Africa’s battle to save the rhino.
Working hands-on and behind the scenes in world-renowned projects, you’ll also get to know these elusive and misunderstood animals in a way few people ever do.
The top reasons volunteers love these rhino conservation experiences.
Hands-on rhino conservation
From bottle-feeding orphaned calves to vital work in the field.
Unforgettable rhino encounters
Connect with rhinos through daily care and protecting them in the wild.
Animal welfare
Join world-renowned rhino sanctuaries that put animals first.
Compassion in action
Be part of a dedicated team caring for Africa’s vulnerable rhinos.
Support global goals
Join sanctuaries and centres aligned with WWF, EWT and UN SDGs.
Safeguard leading sanctuaries
Your visit provides funding for centres to continue their life-saving work.
24/7 in-country support
You look after the animals. Our team in Africa look after you.
Volunteer stories
Fanny Clonch
Volunteering through African Conservation Experience gave me the opportunity to not only care for these incredible animals but also to understand the bigger picture of conservation.
I can't wait to come back. I already have an idea of which projects I would like to visit next… but Phinda will be the first project I come back to. I cannot recommend travelling to Africa enough!
The whole experience was amazing, everything from the people to the experience itself, to the jobs we were doing. If I had to use one word… it would be life-changing!
I feel like I could see the difference I was making by being there. I put my heart and soul into this work and gave back as much as I could and I felt so rewarded for this.
Getting to see animals in the wild is incredible, but observing them while on foot and being face-to-face with them is just a completely different experience to being in a vehicle
African Conservation Experience were incredibly supportive throughout the experience, which is very helpful when it is your first time travelling alone.
Africa’s rhino population faces a critical threat, with poaching as the primary cause of their decline, driven by the illegal trade in rhino horn. Rhinos are illegally hunted for the supposed medicinal qualities of the horn, when in fact, rhino horn is nothing more than keratin - the same material as human fingernails.
So, how do you stop rhino poaching? Well, conservationists working with rhinos in Africa have trialled many anti-poaching strategies over the years and one of the most effective is humane horn trimming. This veterinary procedure, where a rhino is sedated and its horn partly removed, helps to reduce the poacher’s incentive for killing the animal.
Humane horn trimming was first used as an anti-poaching strategy in Namibia during the early 1990s. During this original trial, no horn-trimmed rhinos were poached. Horn trimming went on to be adopted in Zimbabwe, and later on, South Africa, as an anti-poaching strategy.
While horn trimming programs have proved successful, in some locations poachers continued killing rhinos regardless of whether or not they had been trimmed. This is because horn trimming does not completely remove the horn, as this would be fatal to the animal, and some poachers are prepared to kill a rhino for the stump that remains after it has been trimmed.
As such, conservationists working with rhinos in Africa now understand that for horn trimming to be effective, it needs to be part of a holistic anti-poaching strategy. That means security, monitoring and education need to be put into action alongside a horn trimming program.
And rhino horn trimming may be part of an effective anti-poaching strategy, but it is far from perfect. Any surgical procedure carries a risk of harm or even death to the rhino, particularly when using strong sedative drugs. Rhino horn also grows back over time, meaning a rhino's horn needs to be trimmed on an ongoing basis. There is also the ethical question of whether or not it is right to remove a rhino’s horn, which they use to protect their young and in territorial battles, especially between males.
Finally, there is the price. It is estimated that each individual horn trimming costs over USD 1,000. This means that to horn-trim every rhino in South Africa would cost tens of millions of dollars. While you can’t put a price on the life of an animal, the reality is wildlife conservationists in Africa don’t have unlimited funds.
Despite these drawbacks, most wildlife conservationists working with rhino agree that, until a better strategy is found, the benefits of horn trimming greatly outweigh the risks.
Breeding and relocation of rhinos
Some game reserves in South Africa have successfully managed to increase their rhino populations through a program of skilful management, security and horn trimming. And now they’re sharing their success with other regions, by relocating rhinos in sufficient numbers to repopulate areas where they had been wiped out.
Our partner Phinda works closely with the WWF Black Rhino Range Expansion Project and other conservancies to establish rhino populations elsewhere in southern Africa. In conjunction with African Parks, they have translocated rhinos to repopulate Akagera National Park in Rwanda, Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and were the first recipient of black rhinos as part of the rhino rewilding program of African Parks, and Vikela was also selected as a suitable site. Rhino sanctuary Care For Wild Africa and the Golola Rhino Orphanage and Rehabilitation Centre are also both working to secure viable breeding populations of rhino.
We are proud of our project partners and all of our passionate and determined rhino conservation volunteers who have directly contributed to the future of rhinos, through volunteering at a rhino orphanage in South Africa or monitoring rhinos in the field.
Early signs suggest that breeding and relocation, alongside a program of horn trimming, security and monitoring, offer a glimmer of hope for conservationists working to save the rhino and overall rhino conservation.
7 frightening facts about rhino poaching
1. At least one rhino is killed for its horn every day
Even though rhino poaching is illegal in South Africa and carries a long-term prison sentence, poachers continue to kill rhinos in their thousands.
2. Rhinos are illegally hunted for their horns’ supposed medicinal qualities
In the traditional medicine systems of some Asian countries, powdered rhino horn is believed to cure a variety of ailments from hangovers to cancer. However, there is no evidence that horns have any of their claimed medical properties. In fact, rhino horn is nothing more than keratin, the same material you’ll find freely available in your toenail and fingernail clippings or scattered on the floor during your next trip to the hairdresser.
3. According to WWF, there are approximately 16,800 white rhinos and just 6,500 black rhinos left in the wild
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species now categorises the black rhino as Critically Endangered.
4. As rhino numbers dwindle, the price of horn rises
Sadly, this means people in some parts of East Asia now buy rhino horns purely as a grotesque symbol of wealth, sometimes even using them to close business deals. This creates a vicious cycle of reduced supply and increased demand.
5. Rhino horn is one of the most valuable materials on Earth
But it is worth pointing out again that this huge amount of money gains the buyer nothing more than a very large toenail (or nose nail to be more exact).
6. Most of Africa’s rhino poaching is focused on Kruger National Park
The vast majority of white rhinos are found in South Africa, making Kruger a real target for poachers. However, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Kenya also have large rhino populations and poaching gangs have taken a serious toll in these countries as well.
7. In 2017, poachers killed a rhino in a Paris zoo
This high-profile act of violence and cruelty brought the rhino poaching crisis home to many animal rights activists across Europe.
FAQs
How can I help save rhinos?
The main threat to rhinos is poaching for their horns. Addressing this threat is the key to the conservation of rhinos. You can directly support rhino conservation efforts by caring for orphaned calves as part of their rehabilitation and release journey, or monitoring wild rhinos in the field, passing on critical data to anti-poaching teams.
Where are the best places to volunteer with rhino?
We specialise in volunteering in southern Africa. Our rhino rehabilitation and research opportunities, and specialist rhino orphanage, are based in South Africa. You could visit a Single project or combine multiple locations to create an exciting Combined experience focused on rhino conservation in South Africa.
Do I need any experience for rhino volunteering?
No experience necessary! Our rhino conservation projects are suitable for volunteers from all backgrounds.
How do I volunteer with rhinos?
Take the first step on your rhino volunteering journey by simply submitting an enquiry form. We offer volunteer work with rhinos for all experience levels and interests. You can find out more about how we take time to create a customised African Conservation Experience that’s just right for you here.
We can't wait to speak with you about the opportunities for rhino conservation volunteering in Africa!
