Join Our Student/Volunteer Program

The Global White Lion Protection Trust's (WLT) primary objective is the 'world-first' reintroduction of White Lions back to the wild in their endemic area - the Greater Timbavati region. The WLT operates within a modern conservation paradigm: conservation through sustainable development, with particular emphasis on community participation, education and cultural upliftment.

The WLT offers an exclusive opportunity for suitable participants to volunteer at the TSAU Centre for White Lion Reintroduction. Successful candidates are trained as active members of the scientific monitoring and research team. Participants have a unique opportunity to gain hands-on game-ranging experience whilst making a valuable contribution to the long-term conservation of the white lions.

Watch a video of one our volunteer’s experience at Tsau White Lion Conservancy .

Participants can come from a variety of backgrounds:

  • All participants between the ages of 19 and 90 are welcome!

  • Participants in the fields of conservation, environmental science, wildlife management, ecology or wildlife biology, wildlife journalism, wildlife photography, veterinary science, animal behavior studies, or related fields will benefit from the scientific aspects of the project.

  • Participants with a genuine interest in sustainable conservation who wish to make a practical contribution to the protection of the White Lions, their habitat and the sustainable living of surrounding communities can participate in related WLT programs. The indigenous cultural aspects and spiritual belief systems relating to the White Lions may be of special interest.

  • Participants need flexibility, adaptability and self-sufficiency: as a member of the research team, the volunteer / intern prepares meals together with the team and is responsible for his / her own ‘house-keeping’

Duration and Cost

  • 2 to 12 weeks
  • Factor in minimum R300 per week for food

  • R3,500 (ZAR) per week - 25% deposit to secure a placement (non-refundable). Click here for currency conversion or contact our office on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Please note that all volunteer / internship payments to the Trust are non-refundable once volunteers / interns have entered the programme.

Please factor in an additional £10-£15 / $15-$25 as a contribution to a festive evening meal with WLT field employees at the resident staff eco-village.

 

Includes

  • Accommodation
  • Personalized training by qualified members of the scientific research team
  • Cooking and laundry facilities
  • Weekly trip to town for food & other supplies, internet & e-mail

Volunteers can expect to engage in the following activities:

Lion Monitoring

  • Lion-tracking using telemetry
  • GIS mapping
  • Recording lion behavior
  • Veterinary care of lions (*)

Anti-Poaching Activities

  • Fence maintenance and fence patrol with the security team
  • Dawn, dusk and midnight security patrols
  • Study of anti-poaching techniques (*)

Habitat Management

  • Bush thinning
  • Erosion control
  • Gabion construction
  • Alien plant control
  • Lion Predation Activities
  • Supplementary feeding (during boma bonding)
  • Boma clearing
  • Game capture and release (*)

Scientific Research

  • Predator / prey study
  • Data capturing of research information

Community Development

  • Eco-Educational program (*)
  • Organic food-growth program (*)
  • Eco-Construction of dwellings (*)

(*) When available

Click Here for a detailed list of activities (PDF format).

Excludes
  • Flights and transport to nearest town of Hoedspruit
  • Food

To apply, send your CV to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it