African Wildlife Care Expedition

Company : Worldaway Learning Tours
Location : Johannesburg, South Africa
Duration: 1 week to 6 weeks
Approx Costs: 1000 to 3000+ $ Dollars (US)
Group Size 5-10

Participate in wildlife management and care interventions in Africa. Join us on our 15 day African Wildlife Care Expedition!

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Journey through the South African Wilderness on the trip of a lifetime! Experience the animals, their habitats, and an amazing culture of people who take care of them!

Animal and travel lovers rejoice as the African Wildlife Care Expedition tours you around this beautiful country to some of the finest National Parks and Wildlife Conservations on the entire continent.

Learning and adventure abound as you visit the most exotic Nature Conservatories, see hundreds species of animals, and check out the the Big 5 (Lions, Leopards, African Buffalo, Rhinoceros, and Elephants) up close and personal!

When this amount of education, travel, and fun come together, you just can’t beat it. The African Wildlife Care Expedition is one of the most valuable experiences you can participate in during your life, as a student, an animal lover, and as a human being.

Instead of taking a regular vacation, do something more with your time and money! Sign up before the spots run out!

Itinerary

Day 1: Welcome to South Africa!
Upon arrival at O.R. Tambo International Airport – Johannesburg you will be welcomed by someone from our local team and transferred to the Journey Inn Lodge, after stretching your legs after the flight, and following a sundowner beverage we will be ready for a welcome dinner. (Depending on flight arrival times we might go directly to Silkaatsnek)

Day 2: Talk About Rhino Conservation!
Travel to Silkaatsnek near the town of Brits. After lunch an introduction and talk on Rhino Conservation and the Economics of African Wildlife Conservation by Prof. W van Hoven, President of Ecolife Expeditions and former Head of Department of Wildlife Management at the University of Pretoria.

Day 3: Silkaatsnek Nature Reserve
In the morning we receive an introduction to the Silkaatsnek Nature Reserve by the warden and thereafter proceed on a leisurely guided walk in the reserve and for those interested can do wildlife viewing from horseback. In the afternoon we visit a Vulture Research and Rehabilitation Center.

Day 4: Kruger National Park
After breakfast we travel to Skukuza/Pretoriuskop Camps in Kruger National Park. We will be travelling through some beautiful scenery and our guide will explain features as we reach them. We should arrive in the early afternoon, check in and have enough time for a leisurely drive for wildlife viewing before dark.

Day 5: Ralf Kalwa - A Veteran Kruger Ecologist
In the morning we rise early and travel through the southern part of the park to visit well-known Ralf Kalwa, a veteran Kruger Ecologist who has an intimate understanding of this majestic five-million-acre park.

In his informal way he will first explain the management of wildlife and particularly the overpopulation of elephant in Kruger National Park and thereafter the management of vegetation ecology to the benefit of wildlife health in Kruger National Park.

After lunch we will take a leisurely drive back to base while viewing the many wildlife species with ample opportunity for photography. After dinner a night drive will be available for those not too tired. Spot lights will be used to see the nocturnal species.

Day 6: Elephant Museum at Letaba
Today we travel to the northern districts of the Kruger Park and view the changes in ecology on our way and how the wildlife adapts to this. We visit the Elephant Museum at Letaba.

Day 7: African Elephant Management Lecture
We remain in the northern district and with game viewing and interpretations. This is elephant country. After dinner there will be a talk outdoors on African Elephant Management by Dr. Wouter van Hoven.

Day 8: ENDIP Wildlife Reserve & Disease Research Centre
After breakfast we will travel at ease through the park in a westerly direction, viewing the great variety of wildlife and the varying biomes of Kruger National Park in the northern districts. We later settle in at the Endip Wildlife Rehabilitation and Disease Research Centre in the District of Greater Kruger Park.

Your host at this remote camp is Cornell Vermaak, B. Tech, M. Tech, Tropical Parasitology (Duke University) Wildlife Disease Ecologist and Veterinary Microbiology graduate from Onderstepoort, University of Pretoria. You will be greeted by his array of friendly camp wildlife, such as the cheeky meerkats, and wandering wildebeest etc.

The focus during our program here will be on Wildlife Rehabilitation and Care of a variety of species in this region. We will also go on foot (for those that want to do a bit of walking) to track wildlife in the bush. The day is concluded with a night drive with spotlights to view the nocturnal wildlife.

Day 9: Elephant River
Spend the day with Cornel Vermaak and his activities of the day that he will lead in the wildlife areas where he works. In the afternoon/evening we do a 2 to 3-hour boat ride on the Elephant River to view the wildlife on the banks of the river and enjoy some sundowners. This will be followed by an outdoor barbeque and dinner.

Day 10: Jessica The Hippo
Depart Endip and visit Jessica the Hippo and stop by the wildlife capital town of the district, Hoedspruit for shopping of souvenirs etc. We then visit a local rural community and experience their life style, history and way of living and meet the mother of the chief.

Day 11: Zion Wildlfie Reserve
We depart from the lowveld Kruger Park region and travel to the central part of the Limpopo Province in the Renkens Pass district to the Wildlife Reserve Zion, where we meet Dr. John van Zyl and his family and settle in in the various chalets on the reserve. He is the district wildlife veterinarian.

Day 12: Wildlife Capture/Relocation Techniques
Introduction to Wildlife Capture/Relocation Techniques and the use of Immobilization Guns. Then we visit wildlife quarantine facilities. Participate in/or observe various wildlife capture and relocation activities out in wilderness areas.

Day 13: Observe Various Wildlife Capture & Relocation
Today we visit a local Rhino Orphanage.

Day 14: Farewell Dinner
On the last evening we have a farewell dinner to remember and depart the next morning.

Day 15: Elephant Sanctuary & Departure
On our way back we stop to spend several hours at an Elephant Sanctuary to experience the intelligence of these gentle giants. Transfer to O.R. Tambo International Airport – Johannesburg for departure.

* Please note that items in the program itinerary are subject to change or swopping of days due to practicalities and/or weather.