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GYC1255 - Molemane Conservation Project Country: South Africa Cost: £3900.00 Please note: Travel insurance compulsory. £20-£25 personal spending money recommended per week. Cost Includes: The price includes flight, accommodation, food and pickup from airport but does not include insurance, kit or visas      Duration: 8 weeks Company Rep Nearby: All the time 0845 344 7518 or

 

	This placement would suit... Anyone looking to get close to and to study African Game in a very wild and unspoilt part of South Africa. Situated along the banks of the Molemane river is one of the jewels in the crown of South Africa's North-West Province. Molemane reserve, which is not open to the public, is a haven for white rhinos, cape buffalos, wildebeest, zebras and many other species. The ACE volunteer team are the only group having access to this protected area. The status of the project co-ordinator, as an Honourary Officer of North West Parks Board, also allows the Molemane ACE volunteer team access to carry out conservation projects on the nearby internationally renowned Madikwe Game Reserve. This unique position gives volunteers access to restricted areas of Madikwe. Molemane reserve itself is divided by a gravel road into two sections, the larger of which is managed as a breeding reserve for valuable disease-free game species. Volunteers will be based at Molemane, but will travel to Madikwe to carry out the predator studies. Much of the research on the project involves the monitoring of large mammal species, including... White rhinos - GPS recording of rhino activity - Identification by means of ear notches - Rhino habituation - Photographic identity sheets for all rhino on property Buffalos - Assist with darting and blood-testing of buffalos. - Monitor all disease free buffalos on the property. Predators - Lion, leopard, hyena and wild-dog surveys and monitoring. - Jackal research by means of telemetry in order to establish territory size etc. Molemane has a rich history and a remarkable heritage; Owned since 1909 by the Gubbins family, it was left to the state by the last member of the family, with a provision in the will that it only be used for conservation and environmental education. In addition to the zoological research, volunteers will study the ecology of the reserve as well as help to maintain and manage this valuable legacy. Ecological aspects - Elephant vegetation damage surveys at Madikwe. - 24-hour full moon waterhole game counts and night-time monitoring. - Establishing and recording fish species in the Molemane River. - Species, tree, grass, flower, bird, insect, reptile and amphibian surveys. Reserve management - Game capture and game introductions into Molemane. - Building game viewing platforms at waterholes. - Fence-line patrols and repairs. - Erosion control and road maintenance and management. Volunteers will also learn skills from local inhabitants such as basket weaving and broom making as well as taking part in weekly discussions on various aspects of conservation and wildlife, and will learn tracking and survival skills during sleep-outs in the Bush! 0845 344 7518 African Conservation Experience: We arrange for young people to work on Game and Nature Reserves throughout Southern Africa, playing an active role in Conservation and the maintenance of the Environment – working in intimate association with Game Rangers and Conservationists in the Wild