Golola Rhino Orphanage And Rehabilitation Centre

Experience the rhino rehabilitation journey

From bottle-feeding orphaned calves to helping monitor adult rhinos after they’re released back into the wild, Golola gives you the chance to see and learn about vital stages of rhino rehabilitation.

Work with world-class rhino specialists

You’ll live and work alongside Golola’s highly qualified and passionate team, led by an experienced zoologist specialising in rhinos. As part of this small team, you’ll pick up unique insights into the project’s research to ensure rhinos are rehabilitated successfully.

Become a conservation expert

Through a series of lectures and educational bushwalks, you’ll learn about rhino rehabilitation, broader conservation topics, different species living in the region and bushcraft skills. This is a unique learning experience that goes far beyond rhinos.

Support essential animal care in the region

Established in 2012, Golola is situated close to a large number of national parks and private reserves where rhinos are targeted by poachers. Without government funding, they rely on volunteers like you to continue their vital work safeguarding the area’s threatened rhinos.

Monitor rhinos in a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Golola is set in a World Heritage Site home to giraffes, zebra, warthogs, and elusive leopards. After a rhino is released into this incredible natural environment, you’ll help monitor their health and behaviour to ensure they adapt successfully to their new habitat.

Support efforts to establish a new wild rhino population

Golola aims to establish a viable breeding rhino population on the reserve. The project’s research into how they’re making this a reality is being shared with other conservationists, helping secure a future for rhinos across Africa.

A non-touristy, exclusive experience

Living and working as part of the project team, you’ll have the chance to share stories and learn about rhinos from experts in a unique setting. Or simply sit back and marvel at the stars painted across the African night sky.

You’ll support the project team with a variety of rhino care and monitoring activities. Depending on the centre’s priorities and the animals’ welfare needs at the time, this will include a range of the following responsibilities.

Rehabilitation, care and husbandry

Many rhinos are injured and emotionally distressed on arrival at the project. As part of a professional and passionate team, you’ll help care for and rehabilitate rhinos so they can eventually be released back into the wild.

You will get to assist:

• Packing bags full of hay and weighing out supplementary pellet feeds for released rhinos and those who no longer drink milk.
• Cleaning rhino enclosures by mucking out, replacing hay and scrubbing feeding and water troughs.

You could also observe or assist:

• Vet nursing if an animal requires veterinary care.
• Animal enrichment work such as creating mud wallows.
• Sawing off branches with fresh leaves for the black rhinos and putting out grass for the white rhinos.

Care for baby rhinos

The project staff will give you detailed lectures on how to hand-rear rhinos so you’re ready to help with this important work. If there are baby rhinos at the centre during your stay, you will get to observe or assist:

• Orphaned rhinos being hand reared.
• Preparing milk formula for the milk-dependent baby rhinos.
• Bottle-feeding young rhinos.

Monitor rhinos in a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Once they’re old enough, the rehabilitated rhinos are released into the surrounding wildlife reserve which is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Monitoring the rehabilitated rhinos on a daily basis is another key part of rhino conservation work at this project.

You will get to observe or assist:

• Integrating rehabilitated rhinos into the existing rhino population and monitoring their adaptation to this new environment.
• Monitoring rhinos for behaviours that may indicate injury or illness.

You could also observe:

• Giraffes, wildebeest, zebras, comical warthogs as well as many other animals in their natural habitat.

Take part in educational talks

Education is a big part of project life. As well as formal and informal talks, you’ll also accompany staff on educational bush walks. During these sessions, they’ll give you insights into a wide range of relevant topics.

You will gain insights into:

• The rehabilitation process and rhino poaching crisis.
• The unique geology, plants, birds, and animals that live in the mountain environment.
• Bush-craft skills such as how to identify specific tracks and the medicinal uses of trees.

Vet nursing work

If veterinary work is required, specialist wildlife veterinarians or vet nurses will visit the centre and perform procedures in the ICU rooms or out in the field. Depending on your skill level and the needs of the project, you could observe or assist:

• Veterinary work carried out at the centre.
• Providing physical assistance where needed, e.g. carrying an immobilised animal.
• Monitoring vital signs of tranquilised animals.

You’ll learn about the care and rehabilitation of rhinos, as well as their behaviour, biology, ecology, and conservation issues. Depending on the animals being cared for and the centre’s work at the time, this will include a range of the following topics.

Animal husbandry

• Individual dietary requirements for captive rhino, including food preparation, water provision, and feeding routines.
• Best hygiene practices, such as enclosure cleaning, disinfection of areas and waste removal.
• How to monitor the health and behaviour of captive rhino.

Behaviour

• How to create a stimulating environment for orphaned rhinos before they are released.
• The way rhinos communicate and interact with each other.
• How orphaned rhinos integrate back into the wild, for example, their breeding behaviour and social structure.
• How to identify signs of illness and injury.

Biology

• The differences between white and black rhino.
• Rhino physiology.
• The diet of white and black rhinos in the wild and in rehabilitation centres.

Ecology

• Ecological factors affecting rhinos.
• How rhinos fit in the wider ecosystem as an umbrella species.
• The unique, UNESCO World Heritage Site environment.

Conservation

• The reasons rhinos are being poached in southern Africa.
• The role of the rehabilitation centre.
• The process of rescuing orphaned rhino calves.
• How to provide the best care for orphaned baby rhinos.
• The role of rangers and anti-poaching dogs.

This project contributes to a variety of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. As part of the team, so will you. 

Quality Education Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

Volunteers at Golola learn relevant skills for rhino care and rehabilitation using the project’s on-site education facilities. All learners at Golola acquire knowledge on how human actions can affect wildlife and how they can minimise this effect - and have access to the same standard of education regardless of sex and background.

Gender Equality Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

Golola provides equal employment opportunities and women hold key leadership and decision-making roles. The project also offers equal volunteering opportunities for women and men from outside the local community.

Clean Water and Sanitation Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

Golola achieves access to safe and affordable drinking water by using boreholes to pump water from underground aquifers.

Affordable and Clean Energy Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

Golola has implemented a modern solar energy system to power the centre efficiently and sustainably.

Decent Work and Economic Growth Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

Golola routinely employs young people between 15 and 24 and provides equal employment opportunities for local men and women. Volunteers provide both economic and physical support, facilitating important rhino conservation work.

Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation

Through the financial support generated by self-funded international volunteers, Golola has been able to implement a solar energy system that powers the project - thereby helping implement sustainable, off-grid energy systems at the project site.

Sustainable Cities and Communities Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

Golola builds sustainable and resilient buildings using materials that are locally sourced from within South Africa. The project also protects the world’s natural heritage through the conservation of iconic African species, the black and white rhino.

Responsible Consumption and Production Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Golola promotes responsible tourism in a variety of ways: through the creation of local jobs; by educating international and local visitors how to live in harmony with nature; and in its vital conservation work.

Life on Land Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

Golola takes urgent action to halt biodiversity loss and prevent the extinction of threatened species. By rescuing and rehabilitating black and white rhino, the project prevents the degradation of ecosystems in which these species play a crucial ecological role. The reserve surrounding the centre is a protected habitat where flora and fauna are allowed to flourish.

Golola also takes urgent action to prevent poaching, by employing a highly skilled anti-poaching unit to protect the rhinos at the centre and in the wider reserve.

Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

Golola employs an expert team of anti-poaching officers, who patrol the reserve to combat and deter poachers and reduce the unethical practices associated with their activities.

Partnerships for the goals Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development

Through Golola’s partnership with us, they draw in financial resources that are used to fund conservation and provide support to their community partners in South Africa.