Assistant Animal Caretaker

location
1 - 6 weeks  ·  Age 18 - 50+

rating  Outstanding 4.9  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Good response rate

Highlights

  • Meet and care for our rehabilitated lions and tigers at our Sanctuary!
  • Help with conservation work on our 700 hectare nature reserve!
  • Get to know our rescued donkeys - they love carrots and brushing!

Highlights

  • Meet and care for our rehabilitated lions and tigers at our Sanctuary!
  • Help with conservation work on our 700 hectare nature reserve!
  • Get to know our rescued donkeys - they love carrots and brushing!
  • Make a difference to the big cat populations by educating people!
  • Help increase the welfare of the various animals at our Rescue & Conservation Centre!


  • Especially good for

    Age 18+
    Singles
    Couples
    Groups
    50+

    About the program

    You will help take care of the lions and tigers in our sanctuary, of the wildlife on the nature reserve and of the native predators and other animals at our Rescue Centre

    The Lions Foundation shelters lions and tigers that have been exploited by humans. TLF or its counterpart Stichting Leeuw in The Netherlands, rescue these majestic animals from private possession and abuse, circuses, war situations or zoos and animal parks that have no room for them. The Lions ...

    About the program

    The Lions Foundation shelters lions and tigers that have been exploited by humans. TLF or its counterpart Stichting Leeuw in The Netherlands, rescue these majestic animals from private possession and abuse, circuses, war situations or zoos and animal parks that have no room for them. The Lions Foundation is NSPCA accredited.

    When you come to volunteer at TLF, not only do you get the chance to work close to amazing wildlife, but you also get the chance to meet and work with people from around the world and experience an entirely different culture. You will work together with these other volunteers, as assistants to the professional caretakers at TLF, to provide basic care to the big cats, and improve their welfare. 

    TLF is located in an amazing nature reserve, called Schrikkloof Private Nature Reserve, so part of your tasks will involve taking care of the fauna and flora in the reserve. The reserve is located in the Limpopo province of South Africa, at 2 hours drive from Johannesburg airport, in the Waterberg biosphere. The town of Bela Bela is a half hour drive away and offers most of what you would need. 

    The reserve also recently acquired a rescue centre for native South African predators, like leopards, wild cats, caracal, serval, and other cats, as well as some other animals that are normally free roaming, like porcupine and bush babies. As a volunteer you will stay in one of the accommodations at this rescue centre. This centre is located next to the nature reserve. 

    At the reserve we also have a donkey sanctuary, which you will work hand-on with, such as for feeding, monitoring and grooming. Most of our donkeys have had abusive pasts and could be dangerous. New volunteers will be given a safety briefing about working with our donkeys before starting. 

    The working day starts at 7AM, volunteers will normally finish work around 5PM, with several breaks throughout the day for breakfast, lunch and water and toilet breaks. Volunteers are expected to work 6 days a week with one day off. The work can be quite physically demanding but the result is always well worth it. Of course everybody is different, so you work to the best of your abilities.

    For the welfare of the animals and your safety and the people around you, we have rules and policies that you need to follow. 

    Volunteers will be assigned tasks each day by the Volunteer Coordinator, and work with team leaders who are longer-term experienced volunteers who assist and guide their teams throughout daily tasks.

    You don't need any special skills or equipment to come work with us. What we expect from volunteers is a heart for animals, a positive attitude, responsible and social behaviour, and flexibility.

    As we work with potentially dangerous animals and the accommodation is built on a hill, we regret that we cannot approve applications from physically and/or mentally less-abled people.






    Typical day

    What will you do as a TLF volunteer? 

    Below is an example of how you could spend your day with us - however, as animals are unpredictable and the work depends on the number of volunteers we host, tasks and times might vary and change.

    7 am: Breakfast at the rescue centre

    7:30 am: Pick up meat for the ...

    Typical day

    What will you do as a TLF volunteer? 

    Below is an example of how you could spend your day with us - however, as animals are unpredictable and the work depends on the number of volunteers we host, tasks and times might vary and change.

    7 am: Breakfast at the rescue centre

    7:30 am: Pick up meat for the individual big cats at The Lions Foundation

    8 hours: Assist the caretakers with feeding the big cats

    9:30 am: Cleaning feeding areas/enclosures/materials and coldroom

                   Checking the enclosures

                   Various tasks

    1 pm: Lunch

    2 pm: Assisting animal caretakers with including preparing food

    3 pm: Feeding animals at the rescue center

    5 pm: Enjoy your free time

    6 pm: Cooking/dinner


    Variable tasks/times:

    • Preparing and making enrichment for various animal species
    • Helping build new or improving animal enclosures
    • Observe the behavior of animals
    • Care for the donkeys
    • General maintenance (fencing, firebreaks and roads, plants grasses)
    • Assist the reserve manager and staff who care for and observe the wildlife in the reserve.
    • Helping at Schrikkloof Lodge
    • Collecting firewood
    • Assisting security staff at night (in consultation)


    Free-time activities

    Free time at and around TLF 

    Care for the animals is required 365 days a year. However, there is free time during and after work, and we do offer volunteers a day off each week and encourage you to get out to experience what the area has to offer. 

    At TLF, usually there are enough volunteers to ...

    Free-time activities

    Free time at and around TLF 

    Care for the animals is required 365 days a year. However, there is free time during and after work, and we do offer volunteers a day off each week and encourage you to get out to experience what the area has to offer. 

    At TLF, usually there are enough volunteers to enable a few people from each project to have the same day off together, although on some occasions it is not possible to have many people off on the same day. We ask volunteers to be flexible about this. 

    • Free time during a general working day: 

    When you have breaks during the day between work you are free to fill up your water bottles, get a quick snack and use the bathroom. If you feel there is too much free time during the day, there is always some kind of work you can assist with, such as enclosure maintenance, providing extra enrichments to animals etc. Please use your initiative and ask the Volunteer Coordinator. 

    • Free time in the evenings: 

    There are some locations at the reserve for you to relax, read, or get in touch with home. 

    We do not encourage you to go out of the reserve after sunset, as it can be unsafe. 

    • Free time on a day off: 

    You can visit a town in the area, visit another animal shelter (we will provide names) visit a big-5 nature reserve, go ziplining and more. 

    Usually, transport can be arranged from TLF for a small fee.


    Requirements

    Requirements

    Minimum Age: 18 years

    In order to join the program you need to be at least 18 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if you can provide the permission of your legal guardian(s) or if your are accompanied by your parents.

    Language Skills

    You need to speak English (basic level)

    Nationality Restrictions

    No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

    Other Skills

    To become a volunteer with us you must have a positive and practical attitude towards animal welfare and wildlife conservation. As we work with potentially very dangerous animals, it is also important that you are responsible enough to follow all instructions of the animal keepers.

    What's Included

    What's Included

    Services by The Lions Foundation

    HOW YOUR VOLUNTEER FEE IS SPENT 

    When you volunteer at TLF, the fee you paid is divided in two parts: 

    Volunteer housing and food 

    Part of your fee goes to your stay here, including all your meals, water, accommodation, and the staff that help look after you during your stay. 

    Animal care 

    The other part of your fee goes to helping us care for the animals and the general running costs of The Lions Foundation, as well as the staff needed to help care for our animals. Without you, the volunteers, we would be unable to help as many animals as we do. 


    Accommodation

    As a volunteer you will stay in one of the accommodations at the Rescue & Conservation Centre. There are cottages and rooms, sleeping 2-4 people. Most have an ensuite bathroom, some a shared bathroom. The accommodation is new and very comfortable. At the centre, in the main building, there is a big kitchen.

    Food & Beverages

    Depending on the number of regular guests we have at Schrikkloof Lodge and at the Rescue & Conservation Centre, you can enjoy the food our chefs provide, or you can prepare your own food in the kitchen in the main building.  Once a week we organise a 'braai' (BBQ) or dinner. 
    Tap water is safe, but there is also purified water available. Normal coffee and tea is also provided. 

    Internet Access

    Good access at the project site

    What's NOT included?

    What's NOT included?

    Airport Pickup at O.R. Tambo International Airport

    An airport pickup isn't included within the program fees either.

    Flight Tickets

    The nearest airport is O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg. We assist you to find cheap flights to South Africa. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

    Travel Insurance

    Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for South Africa provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

    Vaccines

    If you are intending to volunteer in South Africa you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for South Africa. VACCINE CHECKER

    Details on arrival

    You can currently start any day you like. We can pick you up and drop you off at the Johannesburg airport, or any hotel not too far away. Please contact us to discuss your pickup. 

    Availability
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

    Program fees

    1 week (min. stay) 500€
    2 weeks 1,000€
    3 weeks 1,500€
    4 weeks 2,000€
    5 weeks 2,400€
    6 weeks (max. stay) 3,000€
    Average fees 500€/week

    Program fees

    500€ per week 1 - 6 weeks Age 18 - 50+

    Payment methods

    Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

    NO CREDIT CARD FEES


    Duration

    1 - 6 weeks

    Deposit

    The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.


    Final Payment

    Your final payment will be agreed with The Lions Foundation during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.


    Meet your organization

    The Lions Foundation

    Outstanding 4.9 rating (10 reviews)

    Non-profit - founded in 2019

    Verified by Volunteer World

      Good response rate

    Coordinated by

    Lloreen

    Spoken languages: English, Afrikaans

    About the project

    We are a Sanctuary for lions and tigers, that were abused for human entertainment, and a Rescue Centre for native felines and other animals.

    Meet your organization

    The Lions Foundation is located on Schrikkloof Private Nature Reserve in the Limpopo province of South Africa. TLF was founded in 2019, with the intention of providing big cats that have been used in circuses, in the tourist or hunting industry, as pets or that were illegally trafficked, a safe forever home in an environment as close to nature as possible. The Lions Foundation is a sister organization of Stichting Leeuw in the Netherlands. Stichting Leeuw rescues, rehabilitates, and shelters big cats and if possible, relocates them to The Lions Foundation, for the well-being of the cats and to make room in the Netherlands for new big cats in need. 

    Since the start, The Lions Foundation has given shelter to dozens of big cats. Many of these were rescued from circuses, private possession and zoos by Stichting Leeuw in the Netherlands and were rehabilitated and relocated to TLF to their forever home. These cats can, unfortunately, not be released back to the wild. They have not learnt to hunt, some of them were bottle-fed, declawed and/or defanged. They simply would not be able to fend for themselves in the wild. At TLF every couple lives on 1.5 ha of savannah land and is well taken care of in terms of food, enrichment and medical attention. Most of our 'residents' have a turbulent past, with malnourishment, maltreatment, declawing, defanging, too little excercise etc. So they require frequent medical inspection and intervention. 

    Since 2023 TLF also runs a Rescue & Conservation Centre. Here we rescue and rehabilitate native predators and other native animals, if possible to be released back into the wild. We take care of servals, caracals, black-footed cats, African wild cats, bat-eared foxes, genets, leopards, hyenas, wild dogs, porcupines, bush babies, tortoises, mongoose and more. We run a Conservation program with wild dogs, as these wonderful animals are severely threatened and need help to once again thrive in the wild. 

    The Lions Foundation has a strict hands-off policy. We do not allow the animals to be touched or be triggered in any other way. Our goal is to provide them with an as natural environment as possible, which means as less human intervention as possible. Of course we do need to take care of the cats, but we aim to keep contact with them to a minimum. 

    We also have a strict no-breeding policy. We believe the world already has enough big cats in captivity and there is no rational reason to breed any more in captivity.

    We do realize that big cats are threatened with extinction and that it would be very useful if we could contribute to the conservation of the species. We are always open to conservation programs that work on this cause and also aim to look into the possibility of releasing lions in reserves. The Lions Foundation is NSPCA accredited.

    The major goals of our organisation are: 

    • To rescue captive big cats and rehabilitate them as far as is feasible, allowing them to live the rest of their lives in a safe environment, as close to nature as possible and providing them with the best care possible. 

    • To rescue and rehabilitate native South African animals, mainly predators, and if possible release them back into the wild.

    • To contribute to conservation programmes, at the moment for wild dogs and in the future for vultures and more.

    • To educate and encourage people to appreciate, understand and protect wildlife and their natural habitats through education. Tours are given regularly to visitors of the lodge at the reserve with the aim of raising awareness for the plight of big cats. 

    • To assist in and develop new projects involved in the protection, rehabilitation, humane captive environments, and welfare of all wild animals. 

    South Africa has rich biological diversity. However, sadly increasingly, humans are influencing the lives of many beautiful animals. Big cats are turned into breeding machines, used as entertainment, or discarded by animal parks. Donkeys are being abused or left to die. Monkeys are exploited, injured, or taken from their mothers. Rhinos are poached, orphaning their young. The list goes on and on. TLF is trying its best to get those animals out of the miserable conditions they are living in.

    We are based on Schrikkloof Private Nature Reserve, a 1200 hectare nature area within the beautiful Waterberg biosphere. The reserve was previously a game farm, so there are still many species of antilopes, giraffes, zebra etc. living on the land. They no longer have anything to fear from hunters, as the reserve is strictly no-hunting. The animals do require some looking after and extra feeding in winter. Of course the reserve has many free-roaming species too, for example brown hyena, porcupines, aardvark and sometimes even the elusive leopard. The reserve itself is an amazing scenery of 'koppies' (hills), valleys and savannah. 

    Schrikkloof is also home to a herd of donkeys, rescued and rehabilitated by Rest ur Ass Donkey Sanctuary in Johannesburg. These donkeys can roam free on part of the reserve. Sadly, due to a combination of lack of education and people's need to survive, many donkeys are subjected to neglect and abuse, overworked and left to die in agony. Rest ur Ass takes care of many donkeys and arranged for a large group to come to Schrikkloof. These wonderful animals need care. 

    The Lions Foundation is the perfect place for volunteering with big cats, donkeys and native African wildlife. We require a team of dedicated volunteers throughout the year. With us, you will have the amazing opportunity to volunteer in South Africa working with animals and helping us to care for a wide variety of wildlife. 



    10 reviews · rating4.9

    Noortje de Cleen rating5

    2023 at Assistant Animal Caretaker

    I decided to volunteer here because of the good experience I had when visiting the attached lodge in 2022. We went on a lion feeding drive and that’s the moment I decided I wanted to help out. During my volunteering I got to prepare the food for the lions, clean their enclosures and more. Besides ...
    Marjolein Schrama rating5

    2023 at Assistant Animal Caretaker

    The Lion Foundation is a good foundation, love for the animals and a great staf/caretakers. Helped with: - preparing meat with supplements/medicine - feeding the lions - cleaning the feeding space - cleaning the outside enclosure - helping with making enrichment for the lions - giving ...
    Hilda Pals rating5

    2023 at Assistant Animal Caretaker

    I volunteered at Lions Foundation in march for one week. It was a great experience. The owners and staff work tirelessly to give these amazing animals a new safe and happy life. It is a beautiful place to visit and to see these animals in a stimulating environment. Thankful for places like this ...
    Patricia de Ruiter rating5

    2023 at Assistant Animal Caretaker

    A beautifull place to stay, with very kind and good service of the staff. The animal caretakers have a lot of knowledge that they love to share, so that you also leave with an educated mind. They treat the animals with a lot of care and they let them be as the wild animals they are. No petting or ...
    Tessa Hageman rating5

    2023 at Assistant Animal Caretaker

    The Lions Foundation is a great place to volunteer. The work is very diverse and there is always something to do! The zookeepers are nice to work with and easy to communicate with. There are also plenty of learning opportunities and time for relaxation! ...
    Irene Voigt rating4.8

    2023 at Assistant Animal Caretaker

    Being a volunteer at The Lions Foundation in Bela-Bela, South Africa was one of the best experiences of my life. The location at Schrikkloof, 2.5 hrs drive from Johannesburg in the Waterberg area, is breathtaking. Quiet and peaceful reserve with plenty of wildlife. Imagine waking up in the ...

    Location


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    Contact Lloreen
      Good response rate
    English, Afrikaans

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