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| Viewing: Volunteer work with desert elephants in Namibia |
Package ID: 1588 |
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| Volunteer work with desert elephants in Namibia |
Track, study and research desert elephants in a beautiful remote area of Namibia
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This project takes you to ‘Damaradland,’ in the northwestern regions of the Namib Desert. This harsh tribal wilderness area runs parallel to the Skeleton Coast national park, and is home to a small population of desert-adapted elephants. This project is not about being an observer of conservation from the comfort of a game drive vehicle. Volunteers will spend days out in the desert on patrol, camping wild and living close to the earth, elephants and people. The majority of the work is with the local subsistence farmers, building protective walls around their water points, and teaching them the skills needed in managing the conflict with the resident elephant populations. You will also assist the project staff in monitoring the elephants. movements.
Besides a willing mind, and a strong back, you do not need any special training to work on this project.
During your time spent with us, we will teach you all about camp craft (cooking over a fire, setting up a bush camp, safety and hygiene), bush craft (tracking, approaching animals on food, animal behaviour, navigation etc), compiling identification kits on elephants and traditional building skills.
Location
The project is located in Damaraland one of the most scenic wilderness areas in Namibia. Prehistoric water courses with open plains and grassland, massive granite koppies and distant mountains create the Damaraland landscape. As well as the desert elephant, expect to find black rhino, ostrich, springbok, giraffe, kudu and the roar of desert lions!
During the project week you will be living in a mobile camp or at the project base camp, depending on the distance from the project site. You will be accommodated in 2 man tents. Whilst on patrol, we camp wild, and sleep under the stars on our bedrolls with mosquito nets.
A day in the life of a volunteer
To cheat the heat, we wake up early for our first cup of coffee around the campfire. After the team member on duty has served breakfast, we head out to our project site for the day. Activities will include
building a wall around a local farmer's windmill, teaching some farmers wives to make paper using elephant dung,
doing work on our base camp. For each volunteer group the projects will be dependent on where the greatest need is at that time.
Depending on the distance from camp to site, we head back for lunch, and a bit of a siesta. You may have to update data forms, be on kitchen and camp duty for the day, or have to work out an educational play for the local school! The evenings are spent in the boma, eating and talking about the day's events. We live closely in our desert camp. Then we head of on a patrol for a few days at a time. We pack some basic camping equipment in the 4x4, and set of looking for the elusive elephants. On patrol we camp wild, and sleep under the stars. We follow elephants on foot and by vehicle, sometimes for hours under the desert sun, and sit patiently observing from some rocky outcrop whilst they laze away in the shade!
What is included
Pre-departure support and discounted services
Welcome and Orientation session
In country transport
All your food
Full accommodation
All in country 24 hour support
Minimum Participation age is 18 years old
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