Voluntourism & Eco-Adventure

Kuchanga Travel has partnered with African Impact and ALERT, the African Lion & Environmental Research Trust, a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of the African lion. ALERT supports the Rehabilitation & Release into the Wild Program, founded at Antelope Park in Zimbabwe, which is seeking to provide solutions to the problem of rapidly decreasing lion populations by releasing into appropriate National Parks and reserves the wild borne offspring from rehabilitated captive bred lions, using a unique four stage program.
The program is a multi-faceted one as ALERT believes that for the lion to survive in viable numbers then its programs must also consider the environment within which it can thrive as well as the communities that live alongside it. The program incorporates the Conservation Center for Wild Africa (CCWA) and the ALERT Communities Trust (ACT) to ensure that habitat is protected, that research is conducted to provide a basis for sound conservation management plans to be developed and that those communities bordering the conservation area are involved every step of the way to foster support for wildlife conservation.

All elements of the project are carried out in partnership with appropriate national and local authorities and we work alongside partner organizations to ensure that cross program cooperation is maximized.
Commercial enterprises are encouraged to develop around all programs to provide long-term financial security to the projects, and here in Livingstone we work very closely with Lion Encounter Zambia which operates stage one of the rehabilitation program. Volunteers are given the opportunity to join the lions on their daily walks through the wild and experience our program first-hand. The additional funding raised by these walks goes back into the project to further our conservation and community development aims.
The highest standard of care for the lions whilst in captivity is paramount, and as such the program is linked to PAAZAB, which provides an ethical code for us to abide by in good animal husbandry techniques.
Further detailed information regarding ALERT and the lion release program can be found by visiting www.lionalert.org
where a number of PDF documents are available to download providing a step by step guide to the project in full.
fences and windows, and rebuilding and painting classrooms. This project will also involve community litter, glass and rubbish collection.

Your involvement:
The involvement of volunteers on the project is paramount to achieving our aims on all fronts. You can expect days to be long, but you will also be able to end each day knowing that you have given something back to Africa; having made a difference to the animals and people that you come into contact with.
Your primary task will be to assist management and their team of guides, handlers and scouts in all aspects of care for the animals in their charge, giving them the opportunities to develop their natural instincts in preparation for their release into the next stage of the program.
Research is a significant part of your role; collecting data not only on the development of the lions, but also joining our elephant monitoring team in the National Park.
You will also help us with our various community programs that may include conservation or health education as well as a number of other projects that you will told about on arrival.
To give you an idea of how your time will be split between the different aspects of the program, the following should be taken as an approximation:
Lion Rehabilitation & Release into the Wild Program 75%
Conservation work within the National Park 20%
Conservation Education & Community Development 5%

Your daily tasks may include: 

Lion Walks. 
Spending time with the lions in the wild each day is an essential part of the cubs upbringing. If the cubs are to be successfully released it is important that they spend time out in a natural environment. They need to adapt to it, learn from it, understand, observe, feel and smell the wild.
Since the start of this intensive lion walking program, we have noted a marked increase in the lions’ awareness of their natural surroundings, as well as an improvement in their hunting skills. The larger cubs are now able to take down smaller game species while on walks, and these abilities are being enhanced each day under the supervision of volunteers. These are invaluable discoveries, which have earned us further support for our world first endeavors.

Alongside the walks you will be involved in the care of the animals which overnight in enclosures. They need feeding, cleaning, and occasionally will need veterinary care to ensure that they are kept in the best of health.
Join our team of professional guides and other dedicated volunteers, gain a deeper understanding of the King of Beasts and assist us in gathering vital information that will facilitate their eventual release back into the wild.


Research.
As part of the program we conduct a number of research activities to better understand lion behavior and ecology. The lion walks offer unique opportunities to observe lions close up in their natural environment with the data collected assisting us to make the best decisions for the animal’s welfare and eventual release. Volunteers will assist our research technician in gathering and analyzing this vital data. The research studies being undertaken whilst on your placement will vary depending on the needs of the project at the time but may include looking at hunting development, character traits, spoor sizes or mane growth. You will receive all the training you need in order to ensure that you are able to provide valuable input to this program regardless of previous experience.

Elephant Monitoring.
Conflict with humans is a major issue for elephants in the region, but understanding how to mitigate the conflict first requires an understanding of the ecology of the species within the National Park. Volunteers will join the research team to identify individual elephants, to track seasonal changes, score body condition, record location and group sizes; all so that these data can be correlated to crop raiding incidents. Through this program we hope to be able to find patterns in elephant use of the Park to understand why the conflicts arise and therefore be able to provide reasonable solutions to reduce the conflict.

Conservation Education. 
Volunteers will join our conservation education program visiting local schools to garner support for conservation through education. The syllabus was originally devised under the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) “We Care!” project with lesson plans designed to offer children a full understanding of their environment and to build an appreciation for the need to conserve what remains of the wild areas of Zambia. Each lesson may focus on a specific species or introduce conservation methods. Learning is achieved through a mixture of classroom-based talks and discussion as well as involving the children in smaller groups and practical activities such as visits to the lion program, or Victoria Falls themselves.
A few days prior to each lesson you will work with our team and other volunteers to prepare the lesson plans while also receiving training on how best to teach the children that you will meet.

Community Development. 
During your placement you will have the opportunity to be involved in a number of community programs which may include health education, training in the sustainable use of natural resources or reading classes. The nature of the programs operating at the time of your placement will be given to you on arrival.

A day in the life of a Livingstone volunteer… 
Every day is different as animals rarely operate to our schedule. We ask that you remain flexible, but here is an example of a typical day on the project, as a guideline only:

Project Support:

Throughout your placement you will have the support and guidance of our experienced project managers. They are part of our greater African Impact support team, which will provide you with competent 24-hour field support and assistance.

Project Orientation:

On arrival at the Livingstone project, the following orientation will take place:
You will receive your volunteer’s manual which includes information that will help with your integration into the project, as well as give you further tips for your involvement at the Livingstone program
Introduction to all senior project staff and heads of department
Familiarization of the work areas – including rivers, internal roads and tracks and some of the wildlife species
Introduction to the lions and cub enclosures
Briefing on how to complete data capture forms and enter data into the computer systems
Further information on the lion breeding program and our ultimate objective of free releasing lions into the wild
Familiarization with all duties you will be involved in

Project Travel Highlights…

There are a huge number of optional activities and trips that are available to you, at additional cost, whilst on your placement. Here are just a few ideas:
On your time off why not take advantage of the multitude of activities available at Victoria Falls itself, Africa’s “adrenaline capital”; there are helicopter or microlight flights over the Falls; bungee jumping; white water rafting; horse rides; elephant rides; game drives; gorge jumps; skydiving; canoeing and a host of other options. There are also day and weekend trips available to the neighboring countries of Botswana and Zimbabwe.

During your stay in Livingstone you may have the opportunity to enjoy an excursion to some of the other spectacular spots that the region has to offer.

Day 1: Leave after breakfast from Livingstone for the breathtaking Matobo Hills in Zimbabwe, home of the Matopos National Park. Enjoy a half-day Rhino Walk & Game Drive as well as a bushman Cave Painting tour. You will also have the chance to visit Cecil Rhodes’ resting place at ‘worlds’ view’

Day 2-4: Today you travel to Antelope Park, the breeding base for the Lion Rehabilitation & Release into the Wild Program. In addition to touring the facilities to see the adult lions, here you can also ride through the savannah plains of the game reserve on horseback or take a swim on the back of an African elephant (seasonal) whilst staying at our safari camp on the banks of a beautiful river.

Day 5: Journey to Hwange National Park; the largest national park in Zimbabwe. You will get the opportunity to go on a game drive where you could get up close and personal with a herd of elephant, buffalo, a pride of lion, clan of hyena and many more.

Day 6: Leave after breakfast from Miombo for your return to Livingstone

Project Age Limit  
Minimum 17 years old

Required Experience  
No specific prior experience is required for this project but an interest in and passion for wildlife and conservation is important

Project cost

2012
2 weeks - USD $2080
3 weeks - USD $2925
4 weeks - USD $3770

Project Accommodation:

You will be staying at our volunteer house in the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park a stone’s throw from the lion enclosures and the mighty Zambezi River. Rooming will be sharing with up to 3 others although we try and make sure you do not share a room with more than 2 other volunteers. We can also arrange for couples or groups of friends to share rooms. The accommodation is simple but comfortable and completely suited to your needs.