Volunteering with Animals in Botswana for Over 50s

Volunteer with animals like cheetahs in Botswana

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Volunteering with Animals in Botswana for Over 50s

Help protect wildlife in the wild heart of the African bush

Destination

Botswana

Age

50+ y/o

Minimum Stay

2 weeks

Start Date

Throughout the year

Accommodation

Eco-lodge

What’s included

Accommodation & Amenities

Clean, safe, and welcoming accommodation. A home away from home with comfortable amenities.

24/7 Support

Round-the-clock support on the ground and 24/7 back up from our global teams.

Transportation

To and from the airport, plus everything in between. Daily transport to your placement and back.

Certification

Certified record of volunteering activities.

Request info

Starting at €3,130 for 2 weeks

Flexible 0% Interest payments
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Trip Overview

Support wildlife conservation

Contribute to vital conservation efforts in Botswana, protecting endangered species and preserving their habitat

Experience Botswana's wildlife

Witness incredible wildlife such as elephants, lions, and giraffes in their natural environment

Become a citizen scientist

Assist experienced researchers with data collection, monitoring animal populations, and contributing to conservation projects

Explore an African nature reserve

Immerse yourself in the breathtaking beauty of Tuli and the nearby Limpopo River, on a reserve spanning 20,000 hectares

Unwind and connect with nature

Enjoy a unique and rewarding experience in a supportive environment tailored to older volunteers

What you need to know

Overview

Do you dream of seeing the world’s most spectacular scenery? Do you want to spend your days volunteering with wildlife? If you’re over 50 and answered yes, then volunteering with animals in Botswana is for you!

Imagine living deep in the heart of the African wilderness, surrounded by the sounds of nature.

You don’t need any experience to join this project as an older volunteer. Conservation workers will guide your journey, helping you spot and protect endangered animals in Botswana.

We’ve designed this project for over 50s. You’ll follow a structured itinerary with set activities. Staff will be on hand to help and support you 24/7. They can also recommend trips if you’d like to explore beyond the reserve.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to immerse yourself in Botswana’s wilderness. There are few things more rewarding than staying in stunning surroundings while helping to protect vulnerable animals.

Activities

On this project, you will:

Maintain waterholes and dams

Track and survey wildlife

Join anti-poaching patrols

Set up camera traps

Maintain waterholes and dams

Botswana’s national motto of Pula! (let there be rain) reveals just how much water means to the country’s people and wildlife. Water is the source of all life, but it is often scarce in Botswana.

You’ll help by drilling boreholes, repairing water tanks, building dams, and digging waterholes. These will collect water during the wet season and store it to keep animals hydrated during the dry season.

As a Wildlife Conservation volunteer in Botswana, you’ll be helping animals survive droughts by providing life-saving water.

Track and survey wildlife

Botswana is home to a large and diverse range of animals. The most exciting part of travelling to Africa as an older volunteer is spotting these creatures in their natural habitat. Along with conservation guides, you’ll venture out into Botswana’s wilderness to spot some of the country’s amazing animals.

Look out for Africa’s greatest wildlife, including lions, leopards, and elephants.

By tracking their movements, you’ll help conservation workers monitor their populations. This helps them detect the most endangered species and form action plans to protect them.

This is more than a safari: your work as an animal conservation volunteer will contribute to the protection of keystone species. These are the species that have a large effect on their ecosystem, meaning their survival is essential for other animals in the region.

Join anti-poaching patrols

Our volunteer programmes analyse and attempt to redress global issues. In Botswana, illegal poaching for bushmeat is a widespread problem. Through this conservation volunteer opportunity for older adults, you will become part of the solution.

You’ll spend some of your time in Botswana on anti-poaching patrols. Along with other wildlife volunteers and staff, you’ll find and remove snares. Over the course of your project, this could save hundreds of lives.

Set up camera traps

Many animals are active at night and wary of humans. The best way to monitor wildlife is through the use of camera traps. You’ll install these camera traps in key locations and collect the footage. This will allow you to observe animals without disturbing them.

This footage will be passed on to local conservation workers so that they can better understand animal movements and behaviour.

Aims & Impact

The aim of this project is to preserve the ecological wellbeing of the area and ensure the survival of precious wildlife species. In particular, you’ll monitor keystone species like elephants, leopards, and hyenas.

Over the last few years, wildlife populations in Tuli have decreased. This is largely due to growing human activity in the region. Increases in illegal hunting and poaching, as well as land degradation, have also contributed.

As an older volunteer, your research, construction work, and anti-poaching initiatives will help protect and preserve local wildlife.

The ultimate goal of Wildlife Conservation in Botswana is to create a conservation area protected by law. We are working on this with other game reserves and national parks in the area.

Map & Location

World-renowned for having the largest elephant population, Botswana is a country located in Southern Africa.

It’s considered one of the safest countries in Africa making it a popular tourist hotspot to see Africa’s Big 5—elephants, lions,
leopards, rhinos, and buffalos!

Famous for sights such as the Okavango Delta, Kalahari Desert, and Chobe National Park, it’s one of world’s last true wildernesses just waiting to be explored.

The Tuli Block

Immerse yourself in the heart of the remote African bush at our conservation reserve in The Tuli Block, eastern Botswana.

This region, characterised by dramatic sandstone cliffs, baobab trees, and the Limpopo River, supports a diverse ecosystem of spectacular wildlife. In fact, it’s home to a large elephant population that may even stroll right through your camp!

You’ll also see giraffes, lions, leopards, cheetahs, and much more — it’s a safari lover’s dream.

Food & Accommodation

We’ll provide everything you need for a fantastic experience in the heart of the African savannah, including a comfortable bed, three meals a day, and fresh drinking water.

You’ll share a safari-style tent with other volunteers during your stay at our base camp in the Tuli Block. This is a great way to get to know your fellow volunteers and share a totally different experience with the wildlife of the bushveld on your doorstep.

Despite having no electricity in your room, you will have access to communal, solar-powered charging stations and hot, running water. Your room will be cleaned weekly by our team of camp attendants and we’ll take care of your laundry too!

Enjoy your free-time under the stars around the campfire, playing cards, sharing culture, and telling stories.

Your Arrival Made Easy

When you arrive at your respective airport, a member of Projects Abroad staff will be there to meet you. You can find more detailed information on arrival airports, orientation, and visas on our Botswana Arrival Procedures page.