Helping Hands 4 Wildlife, formally known as DIY Wild (under new ownership since May 2021) is a wildlife rehabilitation association located in South Africa in the Mpumalanga region. It was created in 2012 by Sarah and Greg Mitchell in order to protect the unpopular vervet monkeys in this area.
The association was created because there was no center for vervet monkeys in the Mpumalanga region. The monkeys were therefore euthanized. So now we have a place to take care of them and rehabilitate them into the wild so that they can be released in a more secure area. The association has now extended to all wounded, orphaned, or ex-pets. So we have baboons, antelopes, mongooses, predators type servals and all other species.
Our main goal is to give back the freedom to the animals.
We currently have more than 100 animals undergoing rehabilitation, which requires a lot of time and work. That's why we need volunteers all the time. Without the volunteers the association could not exist.
The majority of animals arrive during the baby season (from November to February) because the mothers were killed for different reasons.
During this time, you will be a foster mom for babies . So you will need to bottle feed them, look after them, and take care of them as a mother would do with her child. Depending on the age and situation, we may ask you to sleep with them and to be a permanent mother or father for them which is an incredible experience to live.
For the rest of the year, you will be involved in the routine (feeding and cleaning) but aslo other projects as helping in the garden, building new cages, making enrichment, ...
Our association is based in the Mpumalanga bush near Badplass, about 1.30 hours from Nelspruit and about 2 hours from Kruger Park where you can go see the big 5.
Being far from everything, we live as a community which is also an experience. Relearn how to live together, working for the same goal.
If you love animal protection, nature and want to give your time for a cause you care about or for the experience, Helping Hands 4 Wildlife is the perfect place to volunteer.
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