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 like-minded volunteers doing their best to save the tortoise. Feed the baby and adult tortoises, care for the unhatched eggs, tag the hatchlings and collect data on them. Take time to explore the beautiful scenery, too!
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.
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.
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 helping 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Carry out research work in one of the world’s most beautiful ‘laboratories’. Help survey coral, dolphins, reef fish, whale sharks and lobster in the reefs off Honduras, or do some land-based research.
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.
Carry out valuable conservation work on the Pacific Coast. Patrol the beaches, collect and take eggs to the hatchery and record data – your efforts will help protect a fascinating species from extinction.
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.
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 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.
Walk with lions and work with rhinos on a programme that gives you an unforgettable taste of Africa. You’ll get an incredible insight into their lives, and you’ll take part in vital conservation work to save them from extinction. Learning bush survival skills, paddling down the mighty Zambezi River and seeing the even mightier Victoria Falls make for some wonderful memories, not to mention glorious photos! This is a rewarding programme that benefits an amazing country.
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.
The project is situated at the foot of the Drakensberg Mountains to the west of the renowned Kruger National Park. The emphasis is in offering the students a unique bush experience on horseback, walking and driving, where attention is paid not only to the animals, but also to all aspects of local ecology. Volunteers complete an informal course to learn all about conservation in Africa.
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.
Help take care of India’s unloved animals – donkeys, cats, dogs, monkeys, camels and elephants. Take part in rescue missions, man the hotline, promote the campaign and assist with vaccinations. A chance for animal lovers to make a difference.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
The rare opportunity to work closely with some of Australia’s most endearing wildlife. In addition to feeding and maintenance duties, you will assist staff during wildlife handling tours with the public, including breakfast with the koalas!
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.
