Zimbabwe – Family-Friendly African Wildlife Orphanage

Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe and home to more than 650,000 people. This city is considered the business and industrial capital of the country. The wildlife orphanage is located about 30 minutes from the city and set on a beautiful, family-owned property. Nearby lays the Matopo National Park, which has the highest concentration of leopards of all national parks including Victoria Falls.

​Celebrating more than 50 years of Wildlife Conservation, this orphanage is a haven for animals that have little hope for survival in the wild. These are creatures which have been orphaned, abandoned, injured, born in captivity, or brought up unsuccessfully as pets. Additionally, it is home to an increasing number of animals that have been confiscated from illegal wildlife traffickers.

This project was established in 1973 by a former game ranger and is family-run. The wildlife orphanage is not a zoo. Wherever possible, rescued animals and birds are rehabilitated and returned to the wild. If safe release into their natural habitat is not possible, animals are cared for and kept for educational purposes and zoological study.

Some of your tasks may include:

• Preparing food for the animals (keeping in mind the different diets of the various animals, including meat preparation)
• Feeding the animals
• Cleaning out enclosures
• Contributing enrichment ideas for the animals
• Assisting staff with educational outreach at local schools – not available during local school holidays
• Assisting staff with hand-rearing animal orphans when possible
• Observe and participate in the rescue and release efforts for injured and rehabilitated animals when possible

Please note that volunteer tasks depend on the current needs of the community and the wildlife and also upon the volunteers’ length of stay. Volunteers may only participate in some or all of the tasks.

Typical Schedule: Volunteers are expected to work six days per week, with Mondays off. Volunteers will work eight hours per day (8:00 AM to 4:00 PM) but will always be on call when there are babies on-site. Baby shifts will be shared between the volunteers, as we would not expect you to be awake with them all night.

2021 Achievements: Throughout 2020 the orphanage stayed open and functioned throughout COVID. We assisted the local communities with the capture and relocation of several animals. This included a brown hyena, leopard several snakes, genets, civets, and white-tailed mongoose. With the help of volunteers, we completely renovated our kudu enclosure.

We successfully released:

• 25 tortoises,
• 5 genets,
• 9 vervet monkeys,
• 1 brown hyena,
• 1 leopard,
• 3 hedgehogs,
• 1 black sparrow hawk and 2 pythons.

Internet: WiFi is available. Volunteers receive one free voucher of 10 GB and further wifi may be purchased for a $15 voucher. The local team will help also volunteers purchase a SIM card locally.

Laundry: Laundry is washed and freshly ironed by the staff twice per week. Delicates and undergarments are washed by hand personally by volunteers and hung to dry, supplies are provided.

Accommodations: Families may be placed in a private cabin, but this is subject to availability. The rooms are equipped with a bed, mosquito nets, shelves, wardrobe, bedside table and electricity. Additionally, volunteers will be provided with clean sheets, blankets and a swimming towel. The site has hot water showers, Western-style toilets, braai (BBQ) area, kitchen and a small swimming pool, available for volunteers to use during the summer months. The volunteer entertainment room is equipped with sofas, games, library, pool table, dart board, and a projector to watch movies.

Food: Three meals are provided per day. Most meals include meat dishes but vegetarian meals can be arranged. Dinner is usually eaten together with the team of volunteers and/or local family. Tea, coffee and cold water are available throughout the day.
*Note: Due to the remote location, the project team cannot accommodate volunteers with a strict vegan or gluten-free diet.

• Good level of English
• Motivation to work with animals
• Vaccinations – please consult a doctor before departure
• Flexible attitude and hard-working
• Dietary Requirements: This project cannot accommodate volunteers with a strict vegan or gluten-free diet
• Visa Requirements for staying more than 4 weeks: If you are volunteering in Zimbabwe longer than 30 days, you must apply for a Temporary Employment Permit (TEP), which costs around $300–$400 USD. It’s best to apply for this before arriving, through an embassy. To qualify for the TEP, you must have a bachelor’s degree and be at least 21 years old.

Families can join add-on weekend excursions to travel destinations such as Victoria Falls for an additional fee.
Some places you may want to check out include:

Matopos Rhino Walk: You won’t want to miss this opportunity to see white rhinos in this beautiful national park.

Harare: Harare is the capital of Zimbabwe and is full of history and culture. It is the perfect place to learn about Zimbabwe’s past struggles and triumphs.

Victoria Falls: The options here are extensive. Go bungee jumping off the bridge at Victoria Falls or white water rafting on the mighty Zambezi river. Take a leisurely walk around the Victoria Falls National Park to see “the smoke that thunders,” one of the natural wonders of the world. To finish off the day, go on a nice relaxing sunset cruise and witness the animals bathing in the river. *Consider booking this at the end of your stay and departing from Victoria Falls International airport.

Hwange National Park: If it’s the wildlife you are after, we have many different game parks to choose from. Hwange National Park is the biggest and is said to be the best, covering 14,600 square kilometers with the largest number of animals in any national park in Zimbabwe. Volunteers will have the chance to see elephants, lions, giraffes, buffalo, hippos, crocs, leopards, rhinos and many more, including over 400 types of birds.

Lake Kariba: Lake Kariba is the world’s largest artificial lake or reservoir at a massive 220 kilometers long and up to 40 wide. It is very popular with the tourists who enjoy using the lake as a mini cruise. Volunteers can rent a house boat or use the ferry to get from Binga to Kariba. Is it a good place for fishing but also for wildlife watching as the animals come to the edges to drink. It is not advised to swim though as it now has a population of Nile crocodiles and hippos.

Great Zimbabwe Ruins: The Great Zimbabwe Ruins are an ancient village built of stones on a hill top. This is where the name of the country was derived from; “Dzimba dzemabwe” means houses of stones.