Search
South Africa Lion Adventure
General Information | Diaries | Location & Weather | Recommended Reading
Volunteer in South Africa in your gap year, year out or career break
No image epitomises Africa more than the compelling sight of a majestic lion striding through long grass of the savannah. Be part of the effort to protect these incredible felines by working in a wonderful conservation reserve in sunny South Africa. This fantastic project gives you the chance to interact with the lions and their cubs, and study a range of other fascinating species that have made their home here. You are sure to fall in love with your strikingly beautiful surroundings and the exotic wildlife that will be all around you. See adorable meerkats darting through the landscape, elegant springboks grazing at sunset, and admire the magnificence and beauty of the lion pride. This is a great opportunity to spend time working alongside game reserve rangers, and helping in the efforts to sustain the populations of one of Africa's most impressive and precious mammals.
Project Dates & Contribution:
- Departs Monthly
- Duration From two weeks
- Costs From £1095 for 2 weeks, £395 per extra week
Please note that volunteers must submit a CV and cover letter for these competitive posts. Volunteers must have an international manual driver's license.
Before you go: Extensive pre-departure support, full travel & medical documentation, advice on visas, equipment, medical issues, and travel, comprehensive pre-departure documentation, discounted medical kit, Frontier T-shirt.
In-country: airport pickup & drop-off, project orientation, accommodation, 2 or 3 meals a day, ground transfers to project, project equipment, in-country emergency support and 24 hour international HQ backup.
*
Minimum age 18+.
Project Details
Transportation
You will be collected from the major town of Port Elizabeth, from where it is a 40km journey to the site. All project related travel is included.
Accommodation
You will be staying in simple but comfortable single sex log cabins on site. Each cabin has its own hot shower facility. This is a great opportunity to experience waking up to the calls of native birds, see the breathtaking sunrises and appreciate the simple lifestyle that is enjoyed here.
Food
Whilst on this project you will receive three nutritious meals a day. However if you choose to you can cook your own meals, with food bought from nearby shops. Try some of the delicious local dishes, such as a 'braai', or South African style barbeque, or some of the tempting local farm sausages, homemade and available from shops.
Work
Your work day includes an incredible array of activities that allow you to get up close to the lions, and to aid in their care and conservation. When there are cubs at the centre, you will be lucky enough to assist with their care, including feeding them, playing with them and observing their behaviour. In addition you will be preparing meat for the adult lions. You will also be involved in working with the other creatures that live in the park, including giraffe, wildebeest, meerkats and springbok. Tasks include clearing bush, monitoring and conserving precious vegetation and checking the reserve for evidence of poaching including traps- a vital part of the work.
 | This is a Frontier Supported Project |
Extras
The project site is located near Port Elizabeth, a major urban centre and cosmopolitan South African city. It offers a wealth of activities that can be explored, including fantastic adventurous sports such as hangliding, horse trekking, bungee jumping and many more. You may also like to try a spot of shopping on the leafy boulevards of Johannesburg, or try some delicious South African food in one of the many lovely restaurants. South Africa has attracted conservationists and holiday makers alike for decades, on account of its fantastic combination of amazing weather incredible landscapes and wildlife and wide range of activities- you certainly wont be short of ways to fill your spare time.
Project aims
South Africa's Lions
One of the sad consequences of population growth and unplanned economic and industrial development in Africa is that the native wildlife has increasingly been subject to threat from habitat destruction and hunting. Reserves such as this provide vital refuges, where lions can exist and breed in peace, safe from poaching and persecution. Your work programme is demanding and extremely rewarding, since you will be in such intimate contact with some of the world’s most magnificent animals. This is sure to be an experience that you’ll never forget!
Learn more about South Africa here!
Alternatives
We have other projects in Swaziland and South Africa or if it is working with large mammals that interests you, have a look at our programmes in Kenya!
What next?
If you like the sound of the South African Lion Adventure, then request a callback from one of our travel advisers or use our online booking form to apply now and secure your adventure of a lifetime!
Frontier supported projects and Frontier group projects are run in partnership with in-country NGOs, small community based organisations, local research institutes, academic organisations and conservation agencies. Project descriptions and information are supplied directly by our partners or field staff and are accurate at time of publishing.
We aim to keep information up to date and accurate, however, the nature of our projects and in particular the fact that they are constantly evolving and developing in response to changing needs means that project activities, travel schedules, tour itineraries and daily timetables can change overnight and without notice.