Anyone looking to get hands-on with a range of animals. Working to rear orphans and care for injured animals is key and so it's a great project for anyone wanting to work as a vet or vet nurse, or in other animal care roles.

Vast stretches of "bushveld" lie to the north of the metropolitan areas of Johannesburg/ Pretoria and the ancient buttresses of the Waterberg Mountains escarpment. The Tambotie wildlife centre is to be found in the middle of this bushveld biome.

The centre itself is situated within a large game reserve with populations of zebra, buffalo, giraffe and wildebeest to name but a few of the mammal species to be found here. Being situated in an area that is dominated by the wildlife industry, the centre is perfectly placed to deal with orphaned, injured, sick and quarantined animals.

Warthog and antelope species roam the grounds of the centre before being released onto the nearby game reserve and mongooses, servals, and even the rarely seen aardvark have all called the centre home. Monkeys, birds of prey, lion cubs, rhino and many other species of animals regularly pass through the centre as they are brought in for treatment and then rehabilitated back into the wild or to other reserves.

• Daily rounds of the animals resident at the centre, feeding and cleaning enclosures. If orphaned young are at the centre feeding is done throughout the night!

• If veterinary procedures have been performed changing of bandages or the administration of drugs may be necessary.


• Regular game drives to monitor rare species such as roan and sable antelope on the surrounding game reserve as well as observation of the disease-free buffalo that are bred on the reserve.
• Blood testing of disease-free buffalo.
• Game capture and translocation operations - students will be afforded the opportunity to view and partake in actual game capture operations which may take place in the area.
• The local veterinary school uses the wildlife centre for practical exercises and the centre is used as a base for doing operations during which local veterinary students are instructed. Volunteers on the project will be able to observe these procedures.







0845 344 7518





African Conservation Experience has been sending volunteers to Africa for almost a decade and is the original, most experienced organisation for conservation placements in southern Africa. We can offer you the chance to work on game and nature reserves alongside conservationists, zoologists, wildlife vets and reserve managers.