The reptile park is nestled in the heart of the Limpopo province, close to the world famous Kruger national Park. Whether you have a fear, or interest in reptiles, this project is designed for you. Our staff of world renowned herperolofists will educate you into the mysterious world of snakes, crocodiles, lizards and arachnids. The wide variety of chores make this project suitable for all persons who wish to further their knowledge on reptiles.
Most days at the park involve going out and capturing problem animals from surrounding farms, you will be asked to assist with most of these captures. You will help with collecting and recording all relevant information from each animal before they are released into local nature reserves.
The reptile park is in the process of building new specialized enclosures that you will help construct and maintain, this involves a bit of daily manual labor.
The Reptile Park is open to the public and plays a very important educational role to all age groups. You will be taught how to deal with the public and give lectures about reptile conservation. Lectures are sometimes given with live animals which you will learn to handle in a safe manner.
Other Duties Include:
Consulting with local farmers so as to establish release sites for research animals
Assessment of release sites
Outdoor camping on release sites for observation purposes
Community work within the local rural areas
Marekting and fundraising exercises
Assisting with the making of documentaries, BBC, National Geographic, Discovery Channel etc.
Volunteers are required to make their own travel arrangements to arrive in Hoedspruit.
There are daily flights from Johannesburg
In addition to the above activities, there are numerous external excursions which the volunteers are urged to go on in order to maximize their experience.
Accommodation
Volunteers are accommodated in a private, comfortable house at the reptile park. There are telephone, e-mail and laundry facilities available to the volunteers.
Additional Information
Maximum volunteers: 6
Minumum duration: 1 week
Maximum duration: 12 weeks
Telephone facilities: Pay phone at reptile park
E-mail facilities: Yes, in town (pay per usage)
Mobile phone coverage: Yes
Laundry Facilities: Yes, twice a week. Pay per load. Wash and fold only (no ironing)
Responsible tourism practices: The centre is at the forefront of education, capture and release. We believe that educating people about the importance of snakes and the role they play in the environment is an essential component of our work. In a society where snakes are often discarded with impunity, we feel it is our duty to represent these animals in a new light. Furthermore, our association with the local community has allowed our centre to be called to many sites in the area to capture snakes which have been found in domestic dwellings. We are thereafter able to release the snakes back into the wild and give them a second chance at life, soemething which, without a centre such as ours, they would probably not have been given. |
