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Endangered Species Overview
Duration
Siyafunda Endangered Species project has a minimum duration of 1 week.
Start Date
The project start day is every Monday throughout the year, with volunteers being collected from Hoedspruit.
Typical Project schedule
Monday: Project start day. Town trip to collect new volunteers and restock supplies
Tuesday—Friday: Mornings will consist of monitoring walks to locate rhino and cheetah. You will learn how to identify and age their tracks and how to record this information. Once the animals have been located you will monitor their behaviour, environment and interactions in order to better understand them. Meanwhile, you will also learn how to track other big game such as elephant, lion and hyena in order to better understand utilisation of the areas covered. At all times you will also be on the lookout for potential sightings and nest sites of the Southern Ground Hornbill.
On return to camp, you will enter the data collected onto the computers. You'll also get the chance to work through your bush knowledge work books to help improve your tracking skills. During the week there will be a series of talks on Siyafunda, data collection, bush skills and maybe even a Zulu lesson!
In the afternoons, you will set out on monitoring drives in order to cover more ground to determine new areas to locate rhino, cheetah and Southern Ground Hornbill. Once signs of activity and tracks have been located you will continue on foot to discover more. Whilst driving through the reserve you will also get the chance to see some of our other resident Big 5—elephant, lion and buffalo.
In conjunction with Makalali Research, all sightings of leopard will also be monitored and recorded - the more eyes the better when trying to monitor this elusive animal!
Saturday: In the morning you will help out with some habitat work, either bush clearing, erosion control or road maintenance.
On return from the afternoons monitoring drive, we may head out to the local pub or have a typical South Africa Braai (BBQ)
Sunday: Either an outing will be planned or it will be a free day for volunteers to relax or head out on their own tour.
Accommodation
Your home during your stay will be in our eco-friendly tented camp set amongst the trees which overlooks a water course. There are large, comfortable twin share tents set on raised platforms, ensuring each has its own unique view of the African bush! There are shared ablution facilities with flushing toilets and bush showers. All meals are cooked by the group. Your evenings will be spent hearing tales from your experienced ranger, listening to the sounds of the bush, before you fall asleep under the African sky.
What is included?
| * Transfers for arrivals and departures on Mondays to/from Hoedspruit |
| * All food (except snacks, soft drinks and alcohol) |
| * Accommodation |
| * All linen (except towels) |
| * Monday to Friday housekeeping service |
| * All training for assistance with our research |
| * All travel within the reserve |
| * Assistance to organise travel in the local area |
| * An outing every two weeks to interesting local attractions outside of the reserve (entrance fees to be paid by volunteers) |
What is excluded?
| * Flights to South Africa |
| * Transfers to town Tuesday to Sunday if required |
| * Personal insurance |
| * Internet (small fee payable for access at camp) |
| * Towels |
| * Entrance fee to local attractions |
| * Other personal items such as alcoholic drinks, soft drinks or snacks |
