Rhino Conservation Adventure

This is a suggested itinerary. Every experience can be customised to be just right for you.

The Vikela Kruger Conservation Experience

Week 1

Explore the Greater Kruger Park in a way few others ever do… on foot. Alongside an expert guide, you’ll step into one of the few remaining ecosystems large enough to host a mega population of lions, growing numbers of elephants, plus wild dogs, black and white rhino and other threatened species. Together, you’ll carry out vital practical conservation, monitor iconic species and immerse yourself in the untamed beauty of this UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

• Meals Provided

Golola Rhino Orphanage And Rehabilitation Centre

Week 2

Gain invaluable hands-on experience caring for orphaned rhinos at a dedicated sanctuary, under the close guidance of expert zoologists, conservationists, and researchers. Beyond the sanctuary, you’ll help monitor these remarkable animals after their release into a wildlife reserve, set against the breathtaking backdrop of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

• Self-Catered

Gain exclusive access to behind-the-scenes conservation

This itinerary is exclusive to African Conservation Experience, granting you access to explore and stay within private areas of the Greater Kruger National Park, as well as the world’s first dedicated rhino orphanage.

Track rhinos on foot

Step off the vehicle and follow rhino tracks on foot, venturing into hidden corners of the bush that few people ever get to see. You’ll collect data on rhino movement whilst immersing yourself in the raw sounds and scents of nature, a once-in-a-lifetime conservation adventure that you’ll never forget.

Make a difference to the lives of injured and orphaned rhinos

Get up close with rhinos as you assist with everyday care at Golola Rhino Orphanage. Whether you’re bottle feeding an orphaned calf or checking up on adult rhinos after they’ve been released back into their natural habitat, you’re playing a vital role in their survival.

Learn from world-class rhino specialists

You’ll live and work alongside two incredibly passionate and knowledgeable local teams. Golola’s qualified specialists are led by a world-leading rhino researcher. Meanwhile, Vikela gives you access to a seasoned rhino anti-poaching expert who tracks wildlife on foot alongside his trained anti-poaching dog.

Support rhino anti-poaching efforts

The Kruger is home to the largest wild rhino population in Africa - and plays a vital role in the future of the species. You will actively help protect these giants from poachers by monitoring white and black rhinos and passing live information to the anti-poaching team.

Deepen your understanding of Africa’s wildlife

Through educational bushwalks, hands-on work, and discussions with expert staff, you’ll uncover the complexities of rhino care, anti-poaching efforts, and game reserve management. You’ll even learn local bushcraft skills!

You’ll support the project teams in real hands-on rhino monitoring, management and care work. Depending on the priorities at the time, this will include a range of the following activities.

Rhino care and rehabilitation

Many rhinos arrive at the centre injured or emotionally distressed. As part of a dedicated team, you’ll help care for and rehabilitate these animals so they can eventually be released back into the wild.

You will get to assist:

• Preparing browse for black rhinos (fresh leafy branches) and grass for white rhinos.
• Packing bags of hay and measuring out pellet feeds for rhinos that no longer require milk.
• Cleaning their living spaces by mucking out, replacing hay, and scrubbing feeding and water troughs.

You could also observe or assist:

• Activities which allow rhinos to engage in natural behaviours in order to enhance wellbeing (animal enrichment), such as creating mud wallows.

Care for orphaned baby rhinos

If there are milk-dependent baby rhinos during your stay, you will get to observe or assist:

• Bottle-feeding young rhinos.
• Preparing milk formula.

Monitoring and protection

Monitoring wild rhino herds and following the progress of rehabilitated rhinos after their release back into the wild is vital for conservation.

You will get to observe or assist:

• Tracking animals on foot during bush walks.
• Identifying individual rhinos and providing data to anti-poaching teams.
• Monitoring population numbers, movement, and behaviour of key species.
• Monitoring for behaviours that may indicate injury or illness.
• Recording animals’ age, gender, feeding and breeding behaviours.
• Managing and maintaining camera traps to monitor elusive species.

You could also observe or assist:

• Checking remote camera traps as part of ongoing species monitoring.
• Practical conservation tasks such as removing invasive species, bush clearing, and repairing fences.
• Monitoring other wildlife in the area such as giraffes, wildebeest, zebras, warthogs, and more.

Veterinary 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 veterinary work carried out at the centre.
• Provide physical assistance where needed, e.g. carrying a sedated animal.
• Monitor the vital signs such as temperature and breathing of a sedated animal.

Educational activities

Education is a core part of this experience. You’ll gain a deeper understanding through:

• Educational bush walks, where you’ll learn about the region’s geology, birds, plants, and animal behaviour.
• Bushcraft skills including identifying animal tracks and understanding the medicinal uses of trees.
• Informal and formal talks on topics such as the rhino poaching crisis and the rehabilitation process.

Get a 360-degree view of conservation

In addition to rhino care and monitoring work, you’ll also get to experience:

• Night drives through the Greater Kruger, where you’ll learn about nocturnal species such as leopards, hyenas, bushbabies, and porcupines.
• A boat trip along the Blyde River Canyon to observe wildlife from the water.

You’ll learn about rhino behaviour, biology, ecology, and conservation issues. Depending on the projects’ work at the time, this will include a range of the following topics.

Animal care

• Individual dietary requirements for captive rhinos, including food preparation and feeding routines.
• Best hygiene practices, including maintaining clean living spaces.
• How to monitor the health and behaviour of captive rhinos.

Behaviour

• How orphaned rhinos reintegrate into the wild, including their breeding behaviour and social structures.
• How to create a stimulating environment for orphaned rhinos, prior to release.
• Rhino communication and social structures.
• Signs of illness and injury in rhinos.
• The hunting, breeding, and social behaviour of key monitored species such as rhinos and wild dogs.
• The use of habitats and the movement patterns of elusive species like leopards.

Biology

• The physiology and natural diets of the Big 5 and other African species.
• Native African plants, reptiles, amphibians, and birds.
• The differences between white and black rhinos.
• Rhino physiology.
• The diet of white and black rhinos in both wild and rehabilitation settings.

Ecology

• The unique environment of two UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
• Why large, continuous protected wilderness areas are more effective for wildlife conservation than fragmented reserves.
• Environmental factors affecting rhinos.
• The role of rhinos within the ecosystem.
• The natural environment of the Big 5 and other African species.
• Current threats facing African ecosystems.

Conservation

• The reasons behind rhino poaching in southern Africa.
• The role of rangers and anti-poaching dogs.
• The process of rescuing and rehabilitating orphaned rhino calves.
• How to provide optimal care for orphaned baby rhinos.
• The importance of the Greater Kruger Park in conservation efforts.
• How wildlife conservation initiatives in Africa are funded.
• The role and impact of animal rehabilitation centres in species protection.

Bush skills

• How to track animals on foot.
• How to use a spotlight during night drives to minimise disruption to nocturnal animals.
• How to identify a variety of insects, reptiles, and birds.
• The medicinal uses of various plants and trees.

Educational talks

• The impact of climate change in the Greater Kruger region.
• Threats to wildlife, such as wildlife poisonings.
• The role of hunting in African wildlife conservation.
• The basic astronomy of the southern sky.

Research

• Various research techniques such as camera traps and GPS devices.