Big Cat Conservation Research in South Africa

Project Life

In order to ensure that you are fully prepared for your time in the field, you will receive comprehensive training from our local staff in South Africa.

Your training will include the following:
- The use of research equipment including radio telemetry
- Identification of large mammals
- Tracking and monitoring of focus animals
- Data collection, input and analysis
- Local conservation awareness

Your time will be spent tracking big cats and collecting data from the research vehicles. However, in the field you will also participate in conservation efforts on a variety of other species that live in the ecosystem.

When you are not on a game drive you will be back at camp entering the data you have collected, some of which will be utilised by the Endangered Wildlife Trust, or helping with camp and cooking duties.

Accomodation
You will be staying in a fairly rustic setting with shared sleeping arrangements in an old farmhouse. You will however have access to solar powered electricity and flushing toilets. Participants will share facilities such as bathroom, kitchen and living areas and camp duties are allocated on a rotational basis.

Project Details

The detailed monitoring of big cats is the objective of this program and typical activities you can expect to get involved in include:
- mastering the skill of track and sign
- setting up camera traps to capture the movement and behaviour of the big cats
- make use of radio telemetry equipment to monitor the big cats and their overall health
- cheetah kill utilisation studies (This involves setting up camera traps near fresh kills to observe how much time the cheetahs spend on their kill and what potentially -
encourages them to leave. The traps capture not only cheetahs but all subsequent activity occurring on and around the kill).
- gather data to update the I.D. kits of all our big cats

Depending on the needs of our partners at the time, you may also get involved in a range of other projects, including:
- herbivore sex/age ratio and its effect on predator movement
- elephant impact vegetation surveys to monitor the impact on sensitive areas of the reserve
- community projects that teach the importance of conservation
- darting/fitting radio collars to predators
- invasive vegetation species eradication
- reserve work including bush clearing and soil rehabilitation
- compilation of I.D. kits for rhinos to assist with anti-poaching efforts

How this project makes a difference
We spend up to 8 hours a day collecting data to help you develop a holistic understanding of all aspects of the bush. While you practice your new found research skills you will also be contributing to valuable groundbreaking research about these species.

We have an ongoing partnership with the Endangered Wildlife Trust. Your involvement enables us to contribute the data collected on our big cat research program to their established databases. The information gathered is used to give an accurate picture of the predators’ impact on prey populations, determine social structure, genetics, and spatial movement. This vital information ensures genetic health of the big cats and is crucial for their longevity in South Africa.

Limpopo's short, mid, and long-term objectives
All of our programs have short, mid and long-term objectives that fit with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This enables us to report on our collaborative impact across the world in a streamlined manner, measuring which UN SDGs we are making a substantial contribution to. Furthermore, this will help our local partners and communities measure and visualize their contribution to the UN SDGs.

Upon arrival to base, you will be educated about the history of the UN SDGs. You will learn about the specific goals of your location, the long-, mid- and short-term objectives, and also clarification of how your personal, shorter-term involvement contributes to these goals on a global level.

Our aim is to educate you on local and global issues, so that you continue to act as active global citizens after your program, helping to fulfil our mission of building a global network of people united by their passion to make a difference.

Specific long term objectives you will be contributing to in Limpopo:
1) To provide long term and consistent data for Karongwe Reserve Management to assist with Reserve Management decisions based on scientific data
2) Increase local awareness of GVI's purpose and impact on Karongwe PGR
3) Increase scientific output
4) Contribute to three large scale reserve management projects alongside the Warden in accordance with the Reserve's Management Plan
5) Increase our in-country capacity by providing environmental and conservation education and training
6) Increase our in-country capacity through community upliftment projects

What's Included

What's Not Included

Exploration

Participating with GVI not only allows you to work on programs assisting disadvantaged communities or endangered ecosystems but it also offers wonderful opportunities to travel in the local area in your down time or further afield either before or after your program. Below is some information on trips and travel options in South Africa.

Side Trips Included
While at the Karongwe Base, participants will visit the renowned Khamai Reptile Park as part of the training. Later on during the phase, participants are also taken to a local curio market where a variety of quality carvings and other gifts are sold.

Optional Side Trips
Participants at base have one day off per week. For longer duration participants, at the end of each 4 week cycle there will be the opportunity to take 4 consecutive days off.

Independent travel from Karongwe is best done by renting a car, something participants usually do in groups to make it more economical. Bear in mind there are additional costs associated with pick-ups or drop-offs at the reserve gate.

Hoedspruit, the nearest town is about 45 mins drive away. In the area around Karongwe Game Reserve you can visit the Kruger National Park, with entry gates no more than an hour drive away. There’s also the ‘panoramic route’ which takes you on various scenic drives along the edge of the Drakensberg escarpment, the Blyde River Canyon and to the historic towns of Pilgrims Rest, Graskop (where Harry’s Pancakes will serve you the best pancake on the planet!) and Sabie, where you can also book onto a variety of adventure activities such as zip-lining, quadbiking, canyoning and hiking, or just chill out with a picnic lunch at one of the many nearby waterfalls.

Further Travel Opportunities
South Africa has a wealth of fantastic opportunities for further travel available for you to explore, should you wish to extend your stay at the end of the course. Possibilities include the spectacular Drakensberg Mountains, the beauty of the Kalahari Desert, historic Zululand, the vibrancy of Cape Town (check out GVI’s Cape Town volunteer programs!), the fantastic Garden Route along the Southern Coast, the world-renowned National Parks of Kruger and Hluhluwe-Imfolozi, and many more highlights that will leave you wanting more. Talk to our support staff about some options for you to explore!