Shaan Purohit

I volunteered at Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre for two weeks in July, and it was an experience I will never forget.

I never knew conservation opportunities like this existed until a former staff member referred me during my stay in South Africa the previous year. Initially, choosing which project I wanted to do seemed difficult, as they all approach conservation slightly differently, and I was restricted to two weeks. African Conservation Experience (ACE) provided detailed information and advice based on what I wanted from the experience, and any questions or concerns I had were answered. This all led to me picking Moholoholo, which was definitely the right choice for me, so I am very grateful for the discussions we had about this.

We were met at the airport by two members of the South African ACE team, who helped volunteers get anything they needed from the airport, such as SIM cards. They gave us a free meal upon arrival and also made sure we made it to the next part of our travels, whether that was another flight or a car journey. This was very helpful and saved a lot of time!

From tending to the animals permanently in the sanctuary daily (due to a variety of reasons, meaning they were unable to be released) to learning about and helping animals that were being rehabilitated to eventually be released in the wild, each scenario was different and very interesting. 

Hearing the stories of the individual animals and the history of the rehab showcased the dedication this place has to wildlife conservation, and it was great to be a part of that. The staff at the centre were also really kind and welcoming.

During my time on the project, ACE also contacted me to check how I was getting on whilst there and if I had any problems, which was really appreciated. ACE overall made this experience very easy and stress-free, and I will be using them again.