The Shamwari CNSV:XP for Gap-Year Volunteer Individuals takes participants behind-the-scenes and exposes them to the several daily aspects involved in the conservation management of Shamwari Game Reserve.

Participants are exposed to short and long-term projects which are by outcome, intended to create sustainability for generations to come. Tasks may vary from physical work to interesting and interactive lecture based content. There are several monitoring projects which assist in capturing vital information used in the research and management of all species on reserve. The experience is diverse and structured, yet not prescheduled as result of the nature of working in and around wildlife and a reliance on prevailing conditions. Visits and tasks at the Born Free Foundation and Shamwari Animal Rehabilitation Centre are undertaken according to the requirements to manage and host the big cats and other animals deemed to have chance of being saved, rehabilitated and released back into the wild.

This experience is operated from any one of our three varying accommodation facilities which have dining and common and/or lounge areas, but is generally hosted from our main facility on an area known as Pote’s. Average stays vary from between two to 12 weeks, with recommendation of a longer stay on availability. Although any room or facility changes are averted, participants may be moved during their stay.

With a minimum stay of two consecutive weeks, start dates are any Monday on availability and by time schedule, operations run from approximately 08H00 to 17H00 daily. Evenings are at leisure with any need for early morning or late night activities dependent on the tasks at hand. Our conservation work generally runs in-week from Monday to Friday or as is required by the operations of the reserve’s conservation efforts, therefore participants may be asked to assist and conduct related weekend activities from time-to-time.

We cater for a number of specialist and common interest group requirements.

They include specialist veterinary courses for vet science and nurse students under our Vet Eco Experience, which exposes participant to the various behind the scenes ecological and other veterinary wildlife management issues. The focus is on educating participants through related lectures which can be tailor made for the group according to year of study and exposing them to practical veterinary exercises as they might be required at time of stay.

These courses are operated over an average of a 2 to 3 week period and are structured by nature with specific educational and experiential outcomes in mind.

Shamwari CNSV:XP has operated several tailor made experiences for Schools, Universities and Colleges with exposure to a diversity of wildlife, conservation, community and sport aspects and can tailor make the interactions to suite the specific needs or outcomes based requirements which may range from learning to identify tracks and signs, basic bush craft and survival, to animal management and several other team building tasks.

We have with great success hosted and operated several Duke of Edinburgh challenges in conjunction with the wildlife, community and sport which our resources allow.