This is the ultimate experience for anyone who loves nature and CHEETAHS! It allows you to get hands-on experience and care with injured and sick animals, so if you are considering a career in Veterinary Science or Nursing, this is the placement for you.

The Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre

Situated on over 100 hectares within the Kapama Game Reserve, Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC) was established in the late 1980s by Lente Roode as part of a breeding programme for the endangered cheetah. The centre has expanded to breed and conserve other African species for reintroduction into the wild, and now has an extensive array of wildlife being rehabilitated within it.

The centre has cheetah and wild dog, both on the endangered species list, and are under the expertise of a dedicated veterinary surgeon and team of young conservationists. Extreme care is taken in creating the most suitable environment for cheetah to breed, for example the carefully constructed breeding enclosures which are diligently maintained to suit the behavioural habits of the cheetah as well as provision of the most nourishing diets.

• Assisting in hand raised animals – very hands on


• Feeding of animals in the Hoedspruit Research and Breeding centre for Endangered Species


• Capturing of wild animals when required by the reserve or the sanctuary


• Assisting in hand raised animals - very hands on

Kapama Private Game Reserve

HESC is located in one of the most exciting Big 5 game reserves in South Africa , situated in the Limpopo Province and was proclaimed a private nature reserve in December 1993. Covering approximately 13 000 hectares of prime big game territory, Kapama Private Game Reserve has succeeded in combining the wilderness of the bush experience with working in the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre.

The name comes from Kapama, a Swazi king, whose tribe inhabited and hunted the northern Drakensberg mountain region aroundMariepskop back in the 1880s.

A game relocation programme was introduced and the reserve now supports a wide variety of game including elephant, buffalo, rhinoceros, and large populations of giraffe, impala, blue wildebeest and kudu. Predators include lion, leopard, cheetah, spotted hyena and many smaller species.

The majority of the volunteer's work is within the HESC, but students do get the opportunity to have some involvement within the reserve, allowing for an exciting and varied placement.

Some of the more common activities where students will be involved in, are as follows:

• Monitoring programs (general antelope and the Big5)


• Environmental education on conservation


• Lectures on various topics of reserve management


• Camping in reserve to get the African feeling


• Star gazing


• Immobilizing of wild animals


• Target Shooting (various calibers - in order to expose volunteers to anti-poaching)


• Assisting the vet with veterinary proceedures


• Game drives through the reserve


• Elephant back safari's

0845 344 7511

Worldwide Experience offers volunteers a unique conservation opportunity to work on some of Southern Africa's premier private game reserves or leading marine ocean research projects. A conservation placement is the ultimate life changing experience gives you the chance to give something back and make a difference to the natural environment.