Volunteering in Zimbabwe – Experiencing Unique Wildlife

During my stay at the African Wildlife Orphanage project in Zimbabwe, I spent more time with the animals than I did with the volunteers. I dug a pond for the lions and prepared food for all the carnivores. I loved feeding the servals, especially since they were very friendly and gave plenty of kisses. I witnessed two lamb births and got to spend lots of time with the newborn lambs. I would go into the enclosure every night to kiss them goodnight.

There was the most beautiful sunsets the volunteers could watch every night and the sky was so clear that i could see thousands of stars. I spent the first night by the pool staring at the stars for an hour and a half. It was such an amazing change to see more than 5 stars in the sky.

The staff was so loving and caring. They were available whenever we needed anything and were more than happy to make a trip to town for us. We even got to party with them every couple nights. They really know how to play party games.

The staff organized a trip to Victoria falls for us and recommend many activities, like a gorge swing from the falls, and shops for us to buy souvenirs. I bought a lion tooth necklace and a crocodile skin bracelet. The falls were absolutely beautiful.

The staff also organized an activity on a near by lot that taught us how to track animals for research. We got to split up into teams to track down a collar, my team won. I loved every second of my placement in the African Wildlife Orphanage and wish I could’ve stayed longer