Pre-vet project in South Africa

Project Details

• Project starts every Monday (arrival on Saturday)
• Location: Chintsa, East London, South Africa
• Minimum duration: 2 weeks

Our course is designed for interns, volunteers and young professionals looking to explore or enter the professional field of veterinary science, animal welfare and animal management. Categorized into three distinct learning areas, we provide a theoretical and hands on approach to learning as it applies to African Wildlife, agricultural livestock and domestic animals.

Achieving our objectives require you to experience and interact with wildlife in a game reserve context, livestock within the farming context and domestic animals within South Africa’s rural village context, where many animals live in an uncared for manner and animal rights are low on the social agenda.

The diversity of practical work is demand driven, but with the objective for you to receive maximum exposure within the three sectors.

Learning Fields

African Wildlife

Participants on our program will spend around one third of their time in wildlife environments (commercial and non commercial game reserves). Through lecture based learning and practical interactions you will be exposed to the following:

• Health & Safety
• Immobilisation and tranquillisation of animals
• Game Capture (at least one game capture, but as this is seasonal and demand driven, it cannot be guaranteed)
• Animal management
• Ecosystems services support & biodiversity preservation
• Threats to wildlife
• Toxic and venomous animals
• Animal health and nutrition

Agricultural Livestock

Participants on our projects will visit a range of livestock farms to gain maximum “hands-on” working experience as it relates to livestock well being. Through lecture based learning and practical interactions you will be exposed to the following:

• Health & Safety
• Basic Animal Health & Animal Behaviour
• Immobilisation, tranquillisation & inoculation of animals
• Animal management
• Ecosystems services support & biodiversity preservation
• Animal health and nutrition

Domestic Animals

Participants will undertake visits to rural villages and township settlements to undertake “hands on” practical work with a broad range of domesticated animals. In the South African context, these animals are very often classified as “vulnerable and abused” and live under extremely difficult circumstances. As a result they are a high priority for our work.

As volunteers and interns, it is also the environment in which you can contribute most effectively to animal welfare in South Africa. Through lecture based learning and practical interactions you will be exposed to the following:

• Health & Safety
• Community Support Services & Understanding animal manage-ment in the South African context
• Basic Animal Health & Animal Behaviour
• Immobilisation, tranquillisation & inoculation of animals
• Animal health and nutrition

A further component to this sector of your course will be exposure to South Africa’s animal welfare agencies and you will visit and learn of the challenges faced by organizations like the SPCA.

 Volunteer Tasks

This experience is of a real, working, conservation and wildlife management program. It can often be exhilarating when working with game capture and release, elephant and buffalo tracking with telemetry. Then again, some days can be a stretch and even laborious at times when trekking perimeter fences and hunting for traps. However, this work is important! We are not a safari operation and don’t want to romanticize the work we do. There will be periods of high intensity when working directly with the animals and other times of less exciting, but 100% necessary tasks, when working on the ranch management aspect of the project.

Includes

• All meals
• Accommodation
• Airport transfer from East London airport
• Transport to and from the program
• 24 hour support and supervisor on project
• Donation to the NPO to assist its operations
• Certificate of appreciation

Accommodation

Volunteers are based in the coastal town of Chintsa which is the volunteer hub. Whilst in Chintsa interns will stay in shared accommodation in the “vollie” house, situated just a few minutes’ walk from the beach.

• Shared accommodation
• Communal kitchen & living area
• Electricity
• Hot & cold running water
• Bath & shower room facilities
• All bedding and linen included
• Washing machine available for volunteer use

Due to the nature of the Pre-Vet Experience interns work between various reserves, farms and rural villages and are mobilized to where the work is. Program accommodation reacts to this need and interns can expect to stay in a variety of accommodation in the wider Chintsa area. This accommodation will always be comfortable and safe and could include work based tented camps, bush cottages, farm houses and occasionally lodges.

Terms & Conditions for volunteers

• Up to date CV/ resume
• Copy of return flight itinerary
• Police clearance
• Basic level of English; understanding and speaking
• Acceptance subject to availability of position

Payment & Cancellation

€300 deposit is required for booking. The outstanding amount is due 4 weeks prior to departure. 100% of total fees will be refund in case of cancellation up to 2 weeks prior to departure. In case of cancellation 2 weeks prior to departure, deposit will be withheld.

Our local charity relies on travellers to volunteer on various schemes around South Africa. We place volunteers into local communities and projects, assisting in building projects and allowing travellers to contribute to a growing community as well as making new friends.

The organisation is non-profitable and always ensures that all funding goes directly into the projects. The fee price for the volunteer experience will cover your accommodation and transport as well as a donation the projects.