Working Volunteers

The Care Centre focuses on the rehabilitation of primates, primarily the South African Vervet Monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops) but we will also help other wildlife.

If you are interested in volunteering to help us with our work, please contact us. To get the most out of your visit you should consider staying with us for at least 4 weeks. However, volunteers who wish to stay for shorter periods will also be welcome. Please note that the house and immediate surrounds plus the monkey enclosures are no smoking areas. As the house has a thatched roof there is a danger of fire.

Volunteer Accommodation.

Volunteer Work

Volunteers are also expected to assist with the day-to-day running of the Centre. The volunteers’ daily tasks may include any or all of the following:

- Washing and making baby bottles during baby season

- Helping to give babies their feed

- Assisting with handling of babies during baby season

- Assisting with intensive care to babies

- Assisting with the cleaning of cages

- Helping to prepare and assisting with the main daily feed

- Washing of feed bowls

- Monitoring monkeys

- Assisting with introduction of new monkeys

- Assisting with the caring of sick and injured monkeys

- Collecting and sorting food

- Going out on calls to collect monkeys

- Assisting with basic medical practices and administering medications

- Writing up reports

- Building of new facilities

- Assisting carers in relocating monkeys

- Checking integrity of cages

- Being on call 24 hours a day

Depending on the season, not all tasks may need to be done, i.e. baby season is only from September to January/February so all baby orientated tasks are unlikely to be needed outside this period.

Recreational Visits

There will be opportunities for volunteers to visit other Centres, which are reasonably local, to see what they do. These include the Centre for Rehabilitation Of Wildlife (CROW), Monkey Helpline (who do the majority of rescues) and Primates Africa (who co-ordinate rescues and do fund raising) in Durban. There is also the Tumbili Private Sanctuary for Vervets near Pietermaritzburg. It may be possible for those volunteers who are staying longer to visit the Wild Animal Trauma Centre and Haven (WATCH) near Vryheid and the Animal Protection and Environmental Sanctuary (APES) near Greytown. These are about 6 hours drive away.

Other sight seeing and shopping trips can also be arranged, i.e. UShaka Marine World in Durban, the Raptor Sanctuary near Pietermaritzburg, Tala game reserve (about 40 minutes drive away) or a shopping trip to Pietermaritzburg or Durban. There will be a selection of leaflets to other local attractions available for volunteers to look through and choose other trips.

Documentation

All volunteers must be in possession of adequate health and personal insurance, a valid passport, together with any necessary visas or required vaccinations, and the volunteer accepts full responsibility for obtaining these. If you are going to drive whilst here, please bring your own National driving licence and you may also need an International Driving Permit. Obtain these before you travel.  If you need medication, please make sure you bring enough to last for your stay. Note that although South Africa does have a National Health Service, it is not of the same standard as that in the UK or USA, although private hospitals are generally quite good.

Volunteers must be over 18 years old and will be required to sign an indemnity form acknowledging and accepting the consequences of working in close contact with wild animals while at the Centre.

Transfers

Volunteers will be collected from and returned to Pietermaritzburg Coach Terminal or Durban King Shaka International Airport by Care Centre staff.

Volunteer Contribution

If you do volunteer, a contribution to the Care Centre is required for your stay with us. The volunteer contribution covers all meals, accommodation, laundry, transfers from Pietermaritzburg / Durban and a donation to the project. Flights and travel/medical insurance are not included. The only additional spending money required will be for personal purchases (curios, soda, luxury/imported goods, chocolates, sweets, toiletries), social excursions away from the Centre, and pre/post project travel to South Africa.

Payment Details

A 50% non-returnable deposit is required to secure your place and the balance is to be deposited in the Care Centre account two weeks before you arrive.

Volunteer Contribution Rates