Game Capture and Relocation Experience

DO

As a volunteer with the Wildlife Capture Team your role will be very hands-on. Depending on the animals being captured and relocated, you’ll get involved in the following activities:

Practical conservation work

Make sure you arrive ready to get your hands dirty, as you’ll be helping the team with every aspect of wildlife capture and relocation.

• Help set up capture ‘bomas’, the canvas enclosures used in the field to catch large herds of animals such as antelope and zebra
• Work with the team on all aspects of capture operations and relocating animals
• Assist with the darting and sedation of larger animals such as buffalo and rhino
• Help to set up camps in the bush during extended capture operations

Rehabilitation, care and husbandry

Sometimes animals are taken into quarantine, either to prevent a disease outbreak or to protect the animal itself from attack. Quarantines can last anywhere from a few weeks to several months.

• Help with the husbandry, feeding and daily care of the quarantined wildlife
• Assist with disease testing and treatment
• Support the team with reintroducing quarantined animals back into the wild

LEARN

As well as gaining hands-on experience (which you can read about under the ‘do’ tab), you’ll also learn about the conservation, biology and behaviour of Africa’s wildlife.

Conservation

• The importance of wildlife management in South Africa
• Threats to animals such as human-wildlife conflict and rhino poaching

Biology

• The effects of sedative drugs on different wildlife species

Behaviour

• How animals react to the stress of being captured