Volunteer work with animals in the Greater Kruger National Park

Among the most adventurous weeks of my life...

Hello fellow globe-trotters,

I spent six unforgettable weeks in the “Land of Sun”! These weeks definitely number among the most adventurous, impressive, and overall wonderful weeks of my life.

After 14 long hours on the plane, my friend and I finally touched foot on South African soil. We suddenly found ourselves in the middle of the bush, surrounded by wild animals of all sorts, and in the care of our two rangers, Jacques and Cobus. We would spend the next three weeks in the Struwig Eko Reserve, a private game reserve in the Greater Kruger Park.

This region of northeastern South Africa belongs to the “Big-5” area, so named, because with a bit of luck, you are likely to see leopards, lions, rhinoceroses, elephants, and buffalo here. This also means that this is not a zoo or petting-zoo, and coming into direct contact with the animals is strictly forbidden.

Together with the other volunteers, we lived and worked in a camp in the middle of the wilderness, about an hour’s drive from the next town. The normal work day began at 7 a.m., we had a break from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., and at 5 p.m. we were free for the evening. I have to admit, we “stressed-out Europeans” had to get used to the local “African time”. 7 a.m. can also mean 8 a.m. or even 10 a.m., and why should a person strictly plan out the entire day? With this helpful attitude, (I find everything too stressful in Germany now), we were able to experience many unforgettable and adventurous days.

Our duties included, among other things, taking wood and stones out of the bush (watch out for scorpions!), minor construction jobs like parking lots and signs in the camp, cleaning the watering hole for the animals (danger of water fights ;)!) and keeping the streets in the bush clear. Still more activities were on the schedule, including game drives and bush walks, climbing hills with gorgeous views, target practice with guns, and sunset drives.

You cannot miss a visit to the nearby Cheetah breeding station, which clearly showed the contrast between tamed, encaged animals, and those which are wild and free! Due to the convenient location of our camp near the Olifant River […] we were able to enjoy watching numerous animals each day. This included the many cavorting giraffes, elephants, impalas, hippos, warthogs, monkeys known as “bush babies”, “Zazu-birds”, and buffalo.

An unforgettable experience was the lion visit directly in front of our camp, when a pack of lions decided to hunt a “bush buck” and later a hippo, right before our eyes! Both attempts were unsuccessful, but it was an experience nonetheless! We were also privy to the nightly dinner of a hyaene, and ever since then, I have a newfound respect for this clumsy-looking animal ;)! Unfortunately, our days in the camp flew by, and at the beginning of September we already had to pack our bags.

After three weeks in the middle of the bush, we plunged back into the world of humans and painted the town red in Cape Town. Here, we of course had to visit Table Mountain and the Cape of Good Hope (gorgeous). After that, we went along the Garden Route and Wild Coast, through Durban and Drakensberg and by Baz Bus back to Johannesburg.  

Overall, we were thrilled by the varied and breathtaking landscapes, as well as the friendly and interesting people. As far as landscape is concerned, we were especially taken by Wilderness and the Tzitzikamma National Park. For an adrenaline fix, we did the Bloukrans-Bungee-Jump (at 216 metres the highest of its kind, what an experience!) and sand boarding in Jeffrey’s Bay, and we had some new cultural experiences in Lesotho. An absolute highlight was a hiking tour through the Drakensberg mountains, for which you really can’t have a fear of heights.

There are tonnes of things to do and see in South Africa. If you are thinking of going there as a volunteer, do not cut your time too short – you will regret it! Make sure to plan in enough time after and before your project to travel around and get to know the rest of the country.

Ieeeeeramapanga and best regards,

Johanna Grabow