Our career break volunteer with wildlife programmes provide the opportunity to get involved in animal conservation work, helping towards the protection of some of the most endangered species in the world. As a volunteer with wildlife you can work hands-on with a wide range of animals or take part in vital research work.
Wildlife volunteer work
Our wildlife volunteer work spans Africa, Asia, Latin America, Australasia and USA. As a wildlife volunteer you can make a real difference to wildlife conservation projects, wildlife rehabilitation and research efforts throughout the world.
Listed below is our full range of wildlife volunteer work.
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Join our action packed adventure tour and take in amazing scenery and incredible animal experiences. Enjoy the best South Africa's wildlife and try out thrilling abseiling, zip slides and sky high canopy tours.
This project is a wonderful opportunity to see some of South Africa’s most amazing wildlife and spend time on an interesting volunteer project on a stunning Big 5 Game Reserve. Volunteers can play an active part in the conservation effort, develop useful skills and gain fascinating cultural insights assisting with a nearby community project.
This distinctive programme offers the opportunity to help the cheetah by clearing the sickle bush, allowing them to exist and hunt in their natural habitat. You will also track and monitor both cheetahs and leopards as well as enjoy being in close proximity to these incredible creatures.
Care for orphaned, injured and rescued animals. You’ll play a vital role in the rehabilitation of big cats, primates, bears and other animals. Help with feeding and cleaning their cases, building new enclosures, fundraising and other tasks.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live the life of a real-life cowboy? Then you won’t want to miss out on this fantastic western experience.
Not only is this a hugely worthwhile programme, it also gives you the chance to experience at first hand these amazing creatures. The nearby beach also offers fantastic surfing and you will get the chance to learn the sport or hone your skills as part of the project.
Assist in a giant panda sanctuary and help to save this incredible species from extinction. You will be involved in feeding and observing the pandas, as well as the opportunity to help with important research projects.
Assist in the running of an animal rescue centre set in the Amazon. Your new furry and feathered friends could include monkeys, parrots, ocelots, pumas and lions.
This conservation project in the Namib desert is about getting out into the field and really making a difference at the forefront of elephant conservation. This is your chance to get involved in vital elephant conservation in Namibia.
Play a vital role in rehabilitating wild animals that have been maltreated. Get involved in their daily care, feed them, monitor their behaviour and make sure their enclosures are clean.
Assist local members of staff in habitat restoration and community development within Malaysia. Get involved in husbandry, data collection as well as spending time in a local zoo and visiting an Orang-Utan rehabilitation centre.
A unique opportunity to interact with the only great ape outside of Africa, the orang-utan. Take part in volunteer work in Borneo to help protect this highly endangered species from extinction.
Volunteering on this programme gives you an exciting and rare opportunity to work with and care for the animals of Africa on a daily basis. You will look after numerous species, ranging from baboons and meerkats to lions and cheetahs, helping to feed, care and clean them, while also maintaining the centre’s enclosures and grounds.
Work with some unusual but very friendly creatures at a wildlife society. It’s a hands-on experience, which allows you to feed and exercise baby sloths, monitor eating habits, help with specialist care and more.
Give neglected, abused and abandoned wolves the love and care they’ve been deprived of. Learn all about these fascinating creatures and get involved with efforts to stop them being maltreated.
Set off on the adventure of a lifetime through Africa’s wide and varied landscape! Get up close to big game, take a trip to Kruger National Park and help to preserve the continent’s most iconic wildlife. Zimbabwe - Namibia - South Africa.
On an epic journey across Thailand, China, Malaysia, Africa and Australia, the ultimate wildlife experience gives you the chance to see some of the world’s rarest and most incredible animals and contribute to their preservation. Zimbabwe - Thailand - China - Malaysia - Australia - USA.
Work as a zookeeper and experience hands-on interaction with animals. This is a rewarding programme where you will be taking care of the animals and their daily maintenance in a choice of zoo either just outside of Kuala Lumpur or Taiping.
Working in both Elephant Conservation as well as with the local community this project on the beautiful island of Sri Lanka is both interesting and varied. Help to improve education and promote improved elephant care and conservation throughout the country.
A fantastic opportunity to work on a pioneering lion breeding and rehabilitation programme supported by some of the world’s leading ecologists. Walk and work alongside lion cubs and take part in research activities, facilitating the lions’ safe release back into the wild.
As seen on ITV’s incredible Lion Country series, meet the stars of the show yourself!
Discover stunning Zambia on this unique programme as you assist with lion walks, gather research and teach conservation, all of which will help to achieve the ultimate aim of the project; to release wild borne offspring from captive bred lions into appropriate national parks for their survival.
As seen on ITV’s incredible Lion Country series, meet the stars of the show yourself!
A great way for wildlife enthusiasts to see the world and make a contribution to volunteer projects, this is a fantastic opportunity to explore the world’s most incredible destinations from Thailand to Australia! Thailand - Australia - USA.
Learn about the ways of the African wilds and the culture of the Massai by volunteering on this incredible project. You can help to gather vital data about wildlife activities, immerse yourself in the nomadic culture, and explore the stunning landscapes of Kenya.
Make a significant contribution to essential conservation work in Zululand by setting up, and helping to
run, projects that will help to save some of South Africa’s most endangered species.
Every year thousands of dolphins are hunted and killed illegally along the Peruvian coastline. Volunteer help is urgently required on this pioneering programme to protect the dolphins. You will form an integral part of the research team, collecting important information on the dolphin’s distribution areas, their behaviour and interactions.
If you have an adventurous streak and love the outdoor lifestyle then this could be the perfect programme for you. You will have the most amazing once in a lifetime experience, as you get up close and personal with these notorious creatures!
You will have a unique chance on this project to work closely with the beautiful black-faced Vervet monkeys, along with other African wildlife, caring for their welfare, and rehabilitating them before allowing them to be released back into their natural habitat.
Zimbabwe is a well-established country for voluntary work in conservation, especially for working with wildlife in Africa. At this project, volunteers actively participate in lion conservation practices, working closely with the lions and wildlife re-introduction programmes.
As seen on ITV’s incredible Lion Country series, meet the stars of the show yourself!
Assist in the local community and help to protect and conserve these endangered turtles in Sri Lanka. Volunteers will get involved in cleaning, feeding and releasing the turtles and by doing so, increase their chances of survival.
Live and work on a safari ranch, helping with efforts to protect black rhino, elephants, buffalo and more. Assist with anti-poaching measures, look after rhino, help with training elephants and get a feel for the real Africa.
The Whale Shark is the world’s largest living fish, and the idea of seeing them up close is either scary or exhilarating, depending on whom you talk to. Volunteers on this project will be able to learn about and observe the behaviours of the whale sharks off the coast of Mozambique, during many scuba diving sessions.
Get up close to jaguars, parrots and other wildlife. The creatures have been held captive, but will hopefully be returned to the wild. Help nurse them back to health and educate the public about the centre’s work.
Ideal for anyone fond of wildlife and the outdoors, as you will be helping sanctuary keepers to care for animals such as koalas, kangaroo and other native Australian species.
This unique project based in the Kruger National Park looks at the role of the game ranger in managing a game farm or wildlife reserve. It is ideal for those interested in wildlife, African conservation and people who want to learn something during their grown up gap year.
This family run farm dedicates its time to establishing the most suitable and secure home possible for neglected or orphaned wild animals in the African Savannah. Volunteers are trained to care for the injured or orphaned animals.
Based on the incredible island of Florianópolis, you can help to give the local wildlife a better chance of survival and standard of life. You will be focusing your efforts on injured, neglected and orphaned wildlife including river otters, weasels and stoats, helping them to flourish and preserving their environment.
Experience the wonders of the African savannah and a five day Kruger safari, help to conserve it and gain an intimate understanding of the ecology. Your work will take you to a variety of areas including a nature reserve, a National Park, a Community Reserve and a Private Reserve.
Get away from the beaten Thai tourist track and do something about different with your time in Thailand. This project gives you the chance to volunteer at a wild animal rescue centre that rescues and rehabilitates exploited, neglected and uncared for animals, with the intention of re-releasing them or providing the best possible care for those that must remain in captivity for the rest of their lives.
Feed your love of animals by looking after gibbons in South California. Help out at the only centre dedicated to their care by feeding them and cleaning their enclosures, observing their behaviour, fundraising and more.
Based in a truly stunning part of this fascinating country, volunteers choosing this project have the unique opportunity to develop their knowledge about native Australian wildlife.
If you are looking to learn more about the diversity of Africa's animals and eco-systems during a career break, this programme will provide you with a special experience. The project takes you to the forefront of numerous species re-introductions and conservation work.
Work with rescued gibbons, a primate native to Thailand, as they are rehabilitated to be introduced back into the wild. You’ll get to witness this work as you monitor the gibbons adapting to their new environment as well as being involved in the day-to-day activities of the centre. A really great experience!
Spend a year in South Africa and become a fully qualified field guide. Learn about field research, game capture, patrolling and more, through practical tuition and on-the-job training. You’ll then be eligible to work all over Africa.
Volunteer in a wildlife sanctaury in tropical north Queensland, Australia. You will make new feathered and furry friends as you assist with the care of the animals as well as the general upkeep and running of the park.
Get involved in hands-on work with wildlife. Feed kangaroos, wallabies and birds, monitor koalas and help with tree planting and presentations to the public. A challenging but extremely rewarding project.
This programme deals with the rehabilitation and care of abused horses in the Wild Coast area of South Africa, and is a must for anyone who really loves horses. You will ride on trails through the dramatic scenery of the Wild Coast, passing through beach lagoons and lush green game reserves.
Help with the day-to-day running of a wildlife centre. Feed and handle the animals, show them to the public, take part in guided night walks and get involved with ongoing conservation projects. Perfect for animal lovers.
Spend your time encountering and photographing a large variety of animals and birds, the project also involves you spending time amongst the local communities, communicating to them the areas conservational needs.
If you are interested in African reptiles and hands on conservation, then you should consider joining this unique voluntary project. Working directly with reptile experts, your days will be varied and full of adventure.
