Working with Elephants in South Africa

Working with Elephants in South Africa

Working with elephants in South Africa, you will learn a great deal about the gentle giants – from their anatomy to their complicated history, which has influenced the present-day elephant population in South Africa. Aside from this, you will get acquainted with the Addo Elephant National Park, if you take part in the project for 4 weeks. As you work with elephants in South Africa, you will be active in various fields of work in different places and in various projects. Depending on the current needs of the different projects and on the newest research methods, your activities and project work could change.

Working in the Elephant Sanctuary

The sanctuary, about 30 minutes from Knysna on the beloved Garden Route, is a temporary home for young African elephants, with the goal of releasing the elephants into an environment, where they can live more freely.
Your tasks and experiences there will include:

• Daily work such as cleaning our stalls and preparing food
• General maintenance work
• Helping with elephant behaviour studies

You will not be working with the elephants directly, as this work belongs to experienced staff members.

Despite this, you will come in contact with the elephants, learning much about their anatomy and behaviour. Working with elephants in South Africa, you will also learn a great deal about the gentle giants and their dwindling numbers in Africa.

Local Schools

An important area for volunteers in elephant protection is teaching. You will have the opportunity to share your new knowledge of elephants and their protection in workshops with local school children, aged 3-16 years. Here, you will discuss the dangers and threats facing elephants.

Tsitsikamma Indigenous Forest

This is home to the southernmost elephants on earth. Here you will learn more about the history and plight of these elephants.

Working With Elephants in Addo Elephant Park

(4-week project only)

In our 4-week programme, you will spend several days in the Addo Elephant Park near Port Elizabeth. This is home to the largest population of African elephants and has grown to include both land and ocean reserve areas.

Here, you will experience something that few people ever see: a view of wilderness land nearly untouched by humans. During this excursion, you will sleep in a tent, receiving full board.

Aside from working with elephants, you can also work with the Big Five (elephants, bison, lions, leopards, and rhinoceroses), doing research, for example. In local communities, you will help with the organisation of workshops about wildlife, environmental protection, and much more. You will therefore not only be active in one place, but rather in many various projects.

As new research concerning elephants is always underway, you could possibly also work in further research projects along the Garden Route.