An
elephant project on a National Park ... You get the opportunity to contribute
to conservation on the most exciting National Park in South Africa! This is a
lifetime experience! You will spend your time working with the trackers
and researchers monitoring elephant herds consisting of up to 120 elephants. Addo
have had a problem with the elephant population the past few years, with over
400 elephants in the park, studies where carried out on how to maintain reasonable
numbers. The park has also increased in size to be the only Big 7 park in South
Africa. This makes the experience different, exciting and jam packed with action.
With
lion just recently being introduced you will be on a Big 5 National Park also
allowing volunteers to get involved in local community upliftment as well as the
conservation experience on the park. The project is ongoing and offered to volunteers
for 4, 8 & 12 weeks throughout the year.
Projects
may include:
Wildlife Monitoring
General Park Maintenance
Community Liaison (optional)
Wildlife monitoring
Wildlife capture & care (seasonal)
Nocturnal wildlife
Exposure to conservation management in a national park
Horse trails
Walking trail maintenance
Law enforcement (tourist
patrols)
As part of your placement there may be the opportunity to
observe and assist various researchers active in the park.
Predator
Research
Elephant Research
Red Bishop Research
MORE
INFORMATION ... All of the projects that you assist with whilst on your
placement all help towards the key objectives and visions of Addo Elephant National
park. Because your time spent on the reserve is relatively short in comparison
to the length of the parks ongoing projects you will not necessarily assist with
all the projects.
For a detailed information pack on all the projects at
Addo Elephant National Park apply
today to find out more on this true African Experience.
Addo Elephant
National Park is one of 22 national parks spread throughout the country, managed
by South African National Parks (SANParks). Addo received the SANParks Kudu Award
for Best Park due to excellent performance in the three core business areas of
SANParks: tourism, conservation and people & conservation.
SANParks
as the country’s premier conservation organisation, has been mandated by
the South African government to expand South Africa’s protected areas from
the present 6% to 8% of the country’s surface area and up to 20% from 2%
of the coastline by 2010. Addo’s expansion process aims to see the park cover
236 000 hectares of land by 2010, with an associated 120 000-hectare Marine Protected
Area.
Conservation at Addo Elephant National Park is focused on conserving
the unique fauna, flora and ecological process that characterise the Eastern Cape.
Natural processes are restored and conserved. Part of the commitment of the park
is to reintroduce only naturally-occurring fauna and flora, drawing on historical
distribution patterns of wildlife to create an authentic representation of biodiversity.
Expansion
of the park is ongoing, creating an exciting backdrop to conservation management.
Wildlife introductions and translocations occur throughout certain months of the
year, employing some of the latest technology and research methods.
As
a conservation volunteer at Addo Elephant National Park you will have the chance
to assist with many ongoing short and long term projects. As your placement will
cover only a relatively short time there is no guarantee that you will be involved
in all projects during your placement.
In a large and expanding national
park, conservation priorities may change at short notice or in response to emergencies.
It is vital that you are flexible in your response to these priorities, and be
able to work on your own initiative in order to gain the most out of your experience.
For those who have the drive, interest, and are self motivated, much can be learned
at Addo.
Location Addo
Elephant National Park is situated in the Eastern Cape of South
Africa, approximately 1 hours drive from Port Elizabeth.
The main
hub of the park – where volunteers will be based – is situated near
the town of Addo in the fertile Sundays River Valley.
The Sundays River
Valley is the largest citrus-producing region in the country, fed by the fastest-flowing
river in the country: the Sundays River. Click
here to read more about South Africa
Accommodation Volunteers
are housed in basic accommodation comprising of a wooden hut and mobile home in
the game holding (boma) area of the Addo Elephant National Park. The wooden hut
has one room with two single beds. The park home (Caravan) has one twin bedded
room and a small lounge and communal kitchen area as well as toilet and shower
facilities which all volunteers share. Volunteers will be required to share rooms
with each other.
Please be aware that accommodation within the reserve
is isolated therefore it is recommended that you take plenty of reading material,
games etc. The nearest town from Addo is Patterson approximately ten minutes by
taxi, where there is a local bar frequented by various Game Reserve staff and
volunteers from other reserves.
Time
Off Your working hours in the park are generally speaking Monday to Friday
07.30 to 17.00 with an hour or two for lunch, please note working hours are dependent
on weather conditions, and nature of activity. The evenings and weekends are at
leisure.
Weekends give you the opportunity to relax at Alicedale or visit
some of the splendours and beauty that South Africa has to offer.
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air holiday packages on this website are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation
Authority. Our ATOL number is 4795. Please see our booking conditions for
more information. ATOL Protection extends primarily to customers who book
and pay in the United Kingdom. Click
here to find out more.
Ashley Adams Travel Ltd is not responsible
for the content of external sites linked to / from our website. ABTA protection
does not extend to non member sites. ABTA member's sites will include the
ABTA logo within their webpages.
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