Big 5 Monitoring, Conservation, Sustainable Living

The aim of the LEO Africa research project is to provide park wardens and ecologists with detailed information about wildlife within Abelana Game Reserve. This information is used to evaluate the impact of re-introduced animals and to maintain balanced, stable, and sustainable ecosystems.

Your time at LEO Africa 

At LEO Africa you will live a truly African Experience guided by expert field guides and rangers, all really passionate and active about conservation. Our commitment towards nature and animals is really serious and we are out on the field every day to make a difference. We wait for you, come joining us and give your hands on contribution to real conservation!

Our volunteer wildlife monitoring programme records and monitors the movements, behaviour, numbers, kills, and habituation of lions, white rhinos, leopards, elephant, buffalo, cheetahs and hyena. This research will play a vital role in the management of reserves and conservancies throughout South Africa.

Broadly speaking, volunteers help on the two daily monitoring drives which are sent out to monitor the animal populations in the reserve, and  also help with management work such as alien plant removal, bush clearing, road repair, or game capture. When on drives, volunteers help track and identify animals, and observe and record data about the key species monitored and conservation work done. Volunteers can also take part in excursions to local attractions such as the Kruger National Park, the Panorama Route and activities in the reserve such as sleep out in the bush for anti-poaching purposes.

During the monitoring drives, LEO staff will also provide informative guiding about the local flora and fauna, identifying and explaining the wildlife encountered on drive. Longer-term volunteers will gain a significant insight into both practical conservation as well as the ecology of the Lowveld.

Volunteer with LEO to gain wildlife management experience in your gap year or simply to have an amazing lifetime experience.

Doing volunteer work with LEO Africa in South Africa, you will:

• Determine and monitor predator numbers in the reserve including lions, leopards, hyenas, and cheetahs
  
• Monitor the feeding behaviour, prey selection, kill frequencies, and the ecological impact of lion and other predators in the reserve
  
• Monitor the social dynamics of the resident lion, leopard, hyena, rhino, elephant population
  
• Monitor the spatial movements and territories of predators and mega herbivores
  
• Monitor elephants and assist us developing their identification kits
  
• Specifically monitor the white rhinos in the Reserve
• Monitor and habituate resident leopards to be able to monitor them more efficiently
  
• Collect and analyze data with the goal of creating monthly reports for the reserve managers to maintain the balance and general health of the reserve's ecosystem
  

Your volunteer work will have a significant positive impact on the conservation practices of the reserve.

Work Focuses 

Our work focuses on collecting, analyzing data and monitoring of the Big 5, cheetahs and hyenas. We closely collaborate with the reserve managers and veterinary, setting priorities for the benefit of fauna and flora. Our work on the Reserve is really important for different aspects: We monitor the animals and take care of other aspects such as the flora and the land itself, the base of the circle of life.  A balanced ecosystem grants a quality life to the animals. For this reason, you will also help the team with some reserve management activities such as bush clearing, road re-opening and alien plants removal. The reserve has a great biodiversity.  We have a great respect for the wild animals and their behavior; we try to avoid any interference with the animals’ lives when we monitor them and any sort of ‘hands on’ interaction is only done if completely unavoidable and usually only in medical emergencies. 

Field Conditions

As a conservation volunteer working with LEO Africa, your interests will be in wild animals, nature conservation, and research.

You must be reasonably fit and be prepared to spend many hours tracking and observing animals behavior, taking photos to create ID kits and help with conservation work while enjoying breathless landscapes of the Abelana Game Reserve.

Life revolves around the animals' movements and most activity takes place in the early mornings, late afternoons, and frequently well into the night. The middle day is usually spent at the base entering data, equipment maintenance, house duties, cooking and just relaxing, reading a book or chatting with your friend volunteers. (Note: those prone to heat exhaustion are recommended to plan their visit for cooler months, discuss their trip with their doctor, and take proper measures to avoid dehydration.)

As a LEO volunteer you will receive training on all aspects of the conservation and monitoring work that we do. Most days follow a similar pattern: morning and afternoon drives during which you track, spot, observe, and record the behaviour of the monitored animals and will take part into conservation activities.

While out in the bush, you will have the chance of seeing some of the park's resident wildlife population like giraffe, eland, kudu, zebra, nyala, impala, bushbucks, and many more.

The Bush

The bush gives us a lot of satisfactions and surprises, even if, of course, we can’t expect to see the Big 5 every day! There can be very intense and lucky days, others more quiet. Everything depends on a lot of variables which are outside our control (such as climate, animal interactions, water sources, and so on). Wild animals can’t be controlled! They are fascinating because of this unpredictability and it is fantastic to study them and their behaviour in their natural habitat!

Economically

LEO Africa is financially sustained only by the volunteers as we provide a free service to the Reserve. All the money from the volunteers is used to run the entire project, namely to buy and maintain vehicles, petrol, monitoring and research tools, computer, camera traps, batteries, salaries, food and accommodation etc.

Activities for the free time: reading, data analysis/Camera Traps (in depth, at the volunteer discretion), see ID kits, educational FGASA Talks on request, excursions, relax, watching movies.

Volunteers also have the opportunity of visiting the surrounding areas taking part in some excursions that we are happy to organise for you accompanied by a LEO guide (all the excursions are not included in the price). The excursions available are to the Kruger National Park, Panorama Route and Blyde River Canyon Boat trip.