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Posted By: Annika F.
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Are you looking for an experience you will never ever forget in your life? Then you should definitely consider volunteering with Gnarly Troop. So far, this was the best decision in my life.
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Posted By: Solveig A.
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
If you are lucky you are also able to spend time with baby animals during the stay. Honey badgers, antelopes, servals, cheetahs, lions and even a 6 months old rhino were some of the baby animals I had the pleasure to feed and spend time with, and I loved it!
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Posted By: Giselle M.
#South Africa,#Marine Conservation,#Africa,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Hard work pays off, and this doesn’t go unnoticed by the amazing crew. I managed to go onto an exclusive boat trip which had less clients on board, giving me more opportunities to capture some great footage of the sharks who displayed incredible activity, breaching around six times in the space of two hours.
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Posted By: Ben G.
#South Africa,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
All in all, it was the best thing I have done in my entire life, and I would go back in a heartbeat. The animals, group of volunteers, amazing staff and incredibly fun weekend excursions made my time in South Africa an unforgettable experience. 
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Posted By: Marc V.
#Africa,#South Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I would totally recommend the Wildlife Sanctuary project. The mixture of hard work and animal interaction is really satisfying, and the people you meet there are awesome!
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Posted By: Alexia G.
#Africa,#South Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
When you engage in this Go Eco experience, you start appreciating life through new eyes. You become so empathetic while being with these incredible animals and listening to their stories.
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Posted By: Aine D.
#South Africa,#Education,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children,#Teens and High School Students
During my time at project I made lifelong new friendships with other volunteers, shared so much laughter with the amazing kids who we took care of, and learned A LOT about the diverse culture and life in Cape Town, South Africa.
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Posted By: Rebecca
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
In South Africa, I was greeted with an abundance of visual inspiration. Drawings of elephants, rhinos and lions now fill my sketchbook, and I have a growing list of ideas I can’t wait to get on paper! Listening to our guides as they interpret the behavior and traits of the animals and plants was immensely helpful as I illustrated my surroundings. Our work in the Research program was a refreshing change of pace and an incredible learning experience.
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Posted By: Matthew
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
My involvement allowed me to avoid being the one-dimensional tourist, but rather to provide meaningful work in the further advancement of research done on the wildlife in Africa. Seeing and working with these beautiful animals has been eye-opening, especially the black and white rhinos. The next 5 years will be critical for the survival of these magnificent creatures. Conservation becomes vital for the survival of the rhino as well as all the species that live in a very unpredictable part of the world.
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Posted By: Tim
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The sights are of course the thing I will always remember, but there was something that was even more important, the sense of community. It was a project for the animals, but we always worked with people. For me, that was the biggest surprise, all the great people I met there.The staff members were amazing and they were like the other volunteers just great and we all became such fast friends.
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Posted By: Cierra
#South Africa,#Education,#CommunityAid,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children
I feel that I gained as much as the children did from my experience that month. I really learned a lot of life lessons from the children and people of the town. One thing that I really enjoyed was getting to teach them new things and see their faces light up with their new found knowledge. I even got to learn a little of the Xhosa language throughout my stay from the children who were not afraid to share. I really enjoyed watching the children progress with the new things that I had taught them throughout my stay. All in all it was a surreal experience that I hope to soon experience again.
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Posted By: Sydney
#South Africa,#Community Aid,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children
Those kids taught me that its a choice to be happy every single day and that no matter how bad you think something is, you’re completely wrong. They taught me how to have fun playing patty cake and singing songs. They taught me how to dance and poke fun. And most importantly they taught me how to love something unconditionally and never look back; those kids taught me how to love. And for that, I am forever grateful.
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Posted By: Williams
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Through the photography aspect of the program I was given the perfect opportunity to increase my photography skills in the midst of one of the most bio diverse places I have ever been. Gnarly Troop provided us with amazing photographic opportunities through the many day trips we took. Whether it was Kruger National Park, The Blyde River Canyon, or Khami Reptile Park the photographs turned out absolutely amazing. Not to mention the fantastic daily game drives in local reserves.
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Posted By: Norine
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Then I discovered the one-month Greater Kruger Area Wildlife Photography and Conservation project. Living at Dumela Lodge in the Greater Kruger Area surrounded by game reserves I returned to the wonderful world of the South African bush. We walked, drove, and camped as we improved our photography skills and captured birds, mammals, reptiles, insects, flora, landscapes, lightening, sunrises and sunsets.
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Posted By: Ryan
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
There was a wide variety of tasks to be completed, including research, conservation work, community involvement, camping, and social events. On the weekend, everyone got to sign up for a fun excursion. My trip to Swaziland proved to be memorable.
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Posted By: Heather
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Upon arriving, I was terrified. I was 18 years old and had never traveled anywhere alone before, let alone engaged in transcontinental travel alone. I had no idea what to expect for the next three weeks. Almost immediately, I learned that nothing could have enriched me more than traveling and volunteering, the abrupt thrust into the unknown that mandates meeting new people, understanding new cultures, trusting, collaborating, listening, and learning.
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Posted By: Susan
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Our guide showed us how to track her and to be wary of her as an injured Lion is a dangerous Lion. I immediately wanted to know all about her so I took on the responsibility of making an identity kit for “KF5 Unknown Lioness.” We made a total of 4 game drives in less than 24 hours. Our second drive took us upon a Cape Buffalo kill that the Ross Breakaway Pride had taken down.
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Posted By: Erica
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
One of the highlights was us watching an animal birth. A few of the researchers spotted strange blue legs sticking out from one of the pregnant buffaloes.Everyone quickly whipped out their binoculars and cameras to zoom in on what was happening. Then came out the legs of a buffalo calf, still in its amniotic sac. We were actually witnessing the birth of a baby buffalo! The mother moaned and walked around for a bit before giving the last push where the calf literally dropped onto the ground.
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Posted By: Lisa
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Every week, we went on at least five game drives to conduct data collection on wildlife. This experience alone was worth the cost of the program. The Kruger area and surrounding private reserves are incredible. Seeing animals in a zoo is not even close to how amazing it is to see animals in the wild. We had close encounters with elephants, rhinos, lions, giraffes, and countless other animals. I learned so many interesting facts about these animals and now have such a greater understanding of how they behave and the threats they face for survival in the wild.
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Posted By: Christine
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Our purpose there was to assist in the data collection of a variety of species, including elephants, rhino, lions, leopards, birds of prey, and many others, to give to conservation organizations that protect these animals and their environments. Without the help of volunteers, the staff wouldn’t be able to collect and maintain all of the information that they need.
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Posted By: Katie
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
We also saw many impala, steenbok, buffalo, zebra, and other animals. We were lucky enough to see two leopards, one of which was from a distance relaxing in a tree, but the other we lucked into seeing prowling around and hunting.
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Posted By: Gizela
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
When I went it was winter time and even then we weren’t stopped from doing things like caring for there majestic animals, I mean where else can you get this close to cheetahs, lions, white tigers, lemurs and leopards?
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Posted By: Gali
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
We arrived in Cape Town and spent a week doing tourist things; it was beautiful. It was now time to go to the African Wildlife Ranch. Upon arrival we were introduced to everyone and were given a tour. The Ranch is a beautiful place and everyone there was fantastic. We were really well taken care of at the volunteer house and at the Ranch. The staff even booked and took us on tours on our free time.
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Posted By: Leva
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I had a chance to experience a variety of tasks and jobs while there, from cleaning big cats enclosures, preparing food for smaller animals and birds to walking a massive tortoise, creating enrichment for all big cats and brushing cheetahs.
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Posted By: Laurel
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
On the weekends you can request to do a certain excursion or sign up for something someone else has already arranged to do. We went to see the Cango Caves, an Ostrich Farm, had a Spa Day and did a quad drive. Some of the others did sky diving and shark cage diving.
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Posted By: Montserrat
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
As a volunteer, I got to interact with animals that regular visitors don’t get to interact with, for example the black and white lemurs (which are EXTREMLY soft) and the bat-eared foxes. During my stay, I got to learn a lot about conservancy and animal preservation. Most of the staff there are really well informed and can answer all the questions you can have regarding the animals.
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Posted By: Stephanie
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Typical days at the African Wildlife Ranch aren’t typical at all. Each day provided for a new opportunity to help improve the lives of the animals at the ranch. Whether it was assisting with cleaning enclosures each morning, preparing food for various animals, providing enrichment to one of the many wonderful animals, building and preparing enrichment opportunities or assisting with project work, there was always something new to keep you focused on.
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Posted By: Rachel
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The whole experience was humbling, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to get up close and personal with all sorts of animals but more importantly to me it helped me learn and understand the troubles that animals are faced with and what this particular organisation is doing to protect endangered species such as the cheetah. I have a lot of fond memories of the people who I worked with and the animals I was fortunate enough to get to know and those memories will never fade.
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Posted By: Kaylen
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
My two weeks at the Kevin Richardson Wildlife Sanctuary were the best and happiest days of my life. I learned so much. Kevin and his team sacrifice so much just to make these animals lives the best possible. It really is true, once you leave the sanctuary and Africa, you are a changed person. You won’t look at life the same. I have so many wonderful memories that can never be taken from me.
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Posted By: Jeff
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation
This project helped me understand the biodiversity of the oceans and the Great White Shark, dispelling my fear of sharks. It helped me decide that I need to help save our seas. The oceans and its inhabitants are being dramatically impacted by human activity including pollution, global warming and over-fishing. Please help save the oceans!
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Posted By: Martine
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation
Volunteering with Gnarly Troop on the Great White Shark Conservation Program has been a most rewarding experience! Being able to go out on the ocean almost every day, seeing Great Whites 20cms from your face, and helping manage a commercial shark cage diving vessel is possibly the most exciting thing I have ever done!
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Posted By: Stephanie
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Marine Conservation
Volunteering with Gnarly Troop has been an unforgettable experience. I knew I wanted to do the Great White Shark Conservation project as soon as I read the description online a year ago. I’ll admit I was a little skeptical seeing as how I found it online and had never previously heard of Gnarly Troop. However, it turned out to be even better than the description had depicted.!
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Posted By: Susan
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
My first trip to sea was actually aboard the Whale Whisperer. It was a cold and rainy day but I did not care, I went onto the top deck and enjoyed it! We spotted a few whales up close and saw one breaching a bit of a distance off from us, it was beautiful! Our third day in we made our first trip to sea was as a client, and the sharks were great! I had no idea I even took any decent pictures until we looked at the pictures that night. As you can see, I was inches from the teeth!
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Posted By: Karol
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Africa,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
From sea level as well as below the water, we got a closer look at the curious sharks that swam nearly up to the cage and it was such a thrilling experience. Besides working on the boat with tourists and the crew, I also met some incredible people that came from all walks of life and each had amazing stories to tell.
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Posted By: Ziv
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
While I stayed there we were scheduled a shift to go out in the bush to nurse two cheetah cubs and the baby rhino. This experience for me was beyond wonderful – to be surrounded by animals from dusk ’till dawn, all the while in close contact with them. Every night I fall asleep to the sounds of hyenas answering the roars of lions... this was a one-of-a-kind experience.
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Posted By: Kristen
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Volunteering at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center was truly one of the best experiences of my life. There is so much interaction with the animals and education about South African wildlife and conservation; spontaneous opportunities to experience something unique are bound to pop up.
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Posted By: Kimberly
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I was able to also meet a lot of amazing people from volunteers to the actual staff. There are those who are going for veterinary school and those who are not. The vets will be able to assist in more things such as emergency procedures. However, those without the vet background like me will also be able to participate in a lot of amazing things such as flying a vulture to a glove or help with the ambassador training for the cheetah program.
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Posted By: Nurit
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
In my stay at the center there was a baby rhino that was abandoned by her mother, which was no less than incredible to see and be a part of. All the volunteers were really nice and friendly and I got to build relationships with people from all over the world that will last a lifetime!
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Posted By: Sarah
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Before lunch was pool time, my favorite time of day. The baby baboons were let out of their cage and jumped onto the volunteers to be taken down to the pool. We would spend over an hour playing with the baboons as they ran around the pool, went swimming, and climbed and chased after each other.
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Posted By: Darion
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Seriously though the bonds you can create with any of the animals at the center is amazing, I never thought a monkey could mean so much to me. I really didn’t realize how much they could get into my heart. No matter your mood or your circumstances, those cuddles will surely put a smile on your face that you won’t forget.
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Posted By: Francesca
#South Africa,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
One of my favorite aspects of my project was “baby time.” On this day, one group would be in charge of taking care of the baby monkeys. We fed them bottles, spent time in their enclosures, took the baboons to the river, prepared their night boxes, and much more. This allowed us to develop a connection with the baby monkeys, which was so unique.
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Posted By: Angie
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
In the afternoon the volunteers would take the baboons down to the river and watch them play and socialize for about an hour. This also gave us time to socialize and become very close friends and family. The baboons would grab my legs and hands when they wanted me to carry them as we walked down to the river. This was my favorite part of the day.
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Posted By: Sean
#South Africa,#Community Aid,#Education,#Development,#Community Aid and Development,#Africa
...I was amazed how quickly the kids gravitated toward us. Even the new guy was mobbed by hugs upon arrival and frequently throughout the day. The love from these kids is simply amazing. This in and of itself was worth the trip. These kids, who have so very little, adore the “teachers”. Most everyone is called “teacher” until you hang around for a few days then they might start with “Teacher Sean.” So, so cool!
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Posted By: Trisha
#South Africa,#Community Aid,#Development,#Education,#Africa,#Community Aid and Development,#Volunteer with Children
The most memorable moment of my whole time was seeing the children for the first time. They were waiting at the fence of the school, HUGE smiles on their faces, cheering and screaming for all of us. I could feel their love just by looking at their faces.
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Posted By: Hope
#South Africa,#Community Aid,#Education,#Africa,#Community Aid and Development,#Volunteer with Children
Although living conditions were unimaginable, the children greeted us with endless smiles and laughter. They were so happy and appreciative of our attention and interactions. I spent the next 4 weeks at Skandaalkamp helping improve the education and lives of the beautiful children of Skandaalkamp.
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Posted By: Marguerite
#South Africa,#Community Aid,#Education,#Humanitarian Aid,#Africa,#Community Aid and Development,#Volunteer with Children
I sort of became the head teacher there quickly. And the kids listen to me and trust me – and I learned a little Xhosa (pronounced kosa) too. I’m such a mess right now because I love them and I feel awful leaving them. In a perfect world I would stay and make sure I saw them all graduate from high school.
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Posted By: Ula
#South Africa,#Community Aid,#Education,#Humanitarian Aid,#Africa,#Community Aid and Development,#Volunteer with Children
I couldn’t imagine how those township kids’ childhood would be until I participated in their life. We had a totally different life with them. Finally I realized how happy and lucky I am and I’ve never felt regret to join this volunteer experience. I could deeply felt the happiness during my trip and I felt that it’s more blessed to give than to receive. I did learn a lot and also received a lot during the volunteering trip.
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Posted By: Ciera
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#International Internships,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I’ve traveled to farms to work with livestock, injecting, de-horning, pregnancy testing and artificially inseminating. I spent a lot of time in the townships, getting to know the locals – dogs and children! It was refreshing to be in community that valued love and kindness over materialistic items. We dipped the dogs (and many puppies!) for fleas, ticks and mange, de-wormed, vaccinated, and injected antibiotics to treat illnesses and injuries.
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Posted By: Floortji
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#International Internships,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
We did some game captures too, so I got to give some injections to wildebeests, impala’s and blesbucks. From wildlife we went to a farm and I witnessed the birth of a calf, and I got to do some pregnancy testing myself. Of course volunteering is hard work, but we had some time off too.
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Posted By: Ashley M.
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#International Internships,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
After being at the project for 3 weeks and being able to visit the same townships, during dog dipping, you could see the impact you were making on the animals which is honestly the best feeling in the world. You would notice the decrease in mange, ticks, fleas, and worms that dogs had.
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Posted By: Ashley
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#International Internships,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
During my time in South Africa I gained such a wide array of experience that would have never been possible at home. I participated in several game counts, tested cows and sheep for fertility, treated horses and mules in the area of Coffee Bay, and experienced both a net and helicopter capture.
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Posted By: Ekaterina
#South Africa,#Education,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children
I have never felt as upset as I felt leaving Cape Town, the city where I spent the 16 best days of my life. I don’t exaggerate. At all.Sometimes we just sat at the playground and hug each other. It seems they don’t have enough attention and care and it upset me so much. They don’t need MP3-players, bicycles and PlayStations – they just need to feel they are loved and cared about. And a football, of course!
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Posted By: Andrea
#South Africa,#Community Aid,#Education,#Humanitarian Aid,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children
The children I worked with were between five and six years old and were great. Even though they lived in impoverished homes and sometimes did not even have a real house, they were always smiling and laughing, just like children from back home. Some days were really tough, but I would see these eyes looking back at me and I knew I had to stay and help them.
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Posted By: Katja
#South Africa,#Community Aid,#Education,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children
One Saturday the manager of this project, Nikki, had her birthday. Instead of celebrating it herself she threw a party for the kids with games, jump house, scooters, facepaint, birthday cake, hot dogs etc…She dedicated her birthday to the kids because she thinks that every child deserves a birthday party, but she can’t throw one for each child so her birthday is the celebration of all the kids birthdays together – what a great, inspiring idea! The kids had a blast and so did we.
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Posted By: Madison
#South Africa,#Community Aid,#Education,#Humanitarian Aid,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children
The school we taught at was called Wings of Hope. We were with these kids for two weeks and I can’t even describe how much I miss them! They were the sweetest and most caring children I’ve ever met. I’m so happy that I took advantage of this opportunity to volunteer in South Africa because it really helped me grow. I have made friends from all over the world, saw beautiful sights, and got to make my mark within their community. I cannot wait to go on another volunteer trip with the help of Gnarly Troop!
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Posted By: Jennifer
#South Africa,#Community Aid,#Education,#Humanitarian Aid,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children
Just to offer a few hugs, kisses and a little bit of attention made all the difference in the world to these kids and it warmed my heart. At the conclusion of my trip, the principal of the pre-school I was working in, Babes Educare, complimented my attitude while working in the classroom and recognized my admiration for the students.
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Posted By: Natalie
#South Africa,#Humanitarian Aid,#Education,#Community Aid,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children
My time with the project focused more on rebuilding this site and supporting the community in their new home of Wolwe-rivier, Cape Town. We rebuilt the playground, developed a sustainable vegetable garden, and prepared the grounds for school to resume. Quite often the children would grab shovels or rakes and help us with this project!
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Posted By: David
#South Africa,#Community Aid,#Education,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children
Our afternoons consisted of 1.5 hours of personal surf time including instruction from an awesome surf instructor if you needed it. Once we were done with our surf session, 13-15 year old students would arrive and we would spend another 1.5 hours with them doing exercises and playing games on the beach to warm up. We then hoped in the water and assisted them with their surfing. You did not have to be a professional instructor, but rather needed to stay out in the water with them to make sure they stayed safe, and give them the occasional power boost through the water!
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Posted By: Abby
#South Africa,#Community Aid, #Education,#Humanitarian Aid,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children
Since I was on the surf club, in the evenings after coming back from Zusakhe, I joined the other surf club volunteers and helped give surf, skate and swim lessons to kids from Dunoon who were around 8-14 years old. Often, this was time for us to try to get closer to the kids and learn about their life stories. On days when the weather was too bad for surf club activities, we played board games and even had a pizza cook-off between different teams.
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Posted By: Jonathan
#South Africa,#Community Aid,#Teaching,#Humanitarian Aid,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children
When I arrived in Cape Town, I was positively surprised by how welcoming not only the staff but also the volunteers were. I had no problems at all finding new friends and engaging with everybody around. The average age was about 21, even though there were exceptions with ages ranging up to 65! I was immediately briefed on the project and on what to expect from it and never felt lost at all.
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Posted By: Ana
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
While I was there, we were working on a new space for Roger the caracal. We also assisted on daily tours of the facility. In between working, there was plenty of free time to spend quality time with the animals of our choice, including cheetahs, caracals, lions, servals, monkeys, and more.
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Posted By: Christina
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Aside from relaxing time, remember, that you will have to work. There is a fixed schedule according to which you will have to get up early and go around your chores. Sometimes there is not much to do and sometimes there is a lot of hard and even dirty work to be done during the day, including construction, helping around the house, cutting meat, feeding etc. It is important to remember that you came here not to enjoy, but also to help and, thanks to your contribution, the farm will grow and prosper. You will be able to see its progress with your own eyes even if you stay only for two weeks.
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Posted By: Kate
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
A main reason this sanctuary stood out for me is because they are against canned hunting and captive bred hunting. The leaders of this project do everything possible to ensure that their animals are safe and have a long and happy life. If you’re looking for an ethical volunteering project; you’ve found one. I could not recommend this project more, and the founders and owners of the project are incredible, inspiring people. Their dedication to their work and their love for every single one of their animals is awe inspiring.
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Posted By: Kailin
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I met so many lifelong friends and so many were from all across the globe. When you meet these people and bond so much, you will feel like family by the end of the trip. I now know that if I ever want to travel somewhere where one of these friends live, I will find them willing to take me in. I would do the same for them if any of them came to where I live as well.
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Posted By: Margaret-Amelia
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The biggest shock for me was when one volunteer mentioned that we had the opportunity to spend the night with a cheetah—Zena was rescued from a family who kept her as a pet and therefore she is unable to regulate her own body temperature. At night, she either sleeps with the project leaders or two volunteers. Sleeping with Zena was like sleeping with a dog-sized cat; she purred, cuddled, and gave kisses.
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Posted By: Reanna
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
At this project you will get up close and personal with most of the African mega-fauna. These are beautiful, enchanting animals. I remember blowing into the mother elephant’s trunk so that she would remember me – they say that an elephant will never forget your scent... I remember being in awe of the might of the grown lions as they growled over haunches of meat!
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Posted By: Jen
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
How should I begin telling my story? Well, when I arrived I didn’t even know the name of the place where I was going to stay for the next 16 days, so I was pretty excited and curious. The first two pictures I took where from a gorgeous area in the sanctuary and a stunning sunset, which was not a bad way to start! The following days where full of once in a lifetime experiences, great people and unique animals. I worked (or played?) with lion cubs, fed a lot of different animals, walked with lions and elephants...
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Posted By: Jessie
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The Wildlife Sanctuary really opened my eyes, I was able to meet so many different people and learn about their different cultures as well. I want to thank Gnarly Troop one more time for allowing me to have this amazing opportunity. I will definitely remember volunteering in South Africa for the rest of my life!
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Posted By: Kellie
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Every day here at Wildlife Sanctuary was different but each day was just as exciting as the next because there can always be surprises. For example, one night in the middle of the night it started to rain. I did not think anything about until I got woken up suddenly and was asked to help put the baby ostriches in the bar. As it turns out, baby ostriches do not handle cold temperature.
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Posted By: Samuel
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The tigers are a new experience for me, they weren’t there last year. It was amazing to get to work with them, never thought I’d do that! The three lionesses are now 18 months old and substantially bigger than when I last saw them. My biggest surprise came when we fed the animals and got to see Sheba’s cubs again. They were a month old when I left them last year; I’d actually sat with them and looked after them for some time. Now, they look like full grown lions! What a difference a year makes in the life of a lion.
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Posted By: Kenzie
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I did not think I was going to get to get up close and personal with so many of the beautiful creatures. There was definitely a lot of manual labor involved in this volunteer project such as cleaning up after the animals, building a new enclosure for the tiger cubs, and picking up trash around the farm. Although it was a lot of work it was such a rewarding feeling knowing you are helping better the lives of such fascinating animals.
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Posted By: Aleksandra
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
There are many unforgettable moments and things I got to do there, also we had many opportunities to go on to different excursions especially during the weekends – we went to crock city (a reptile house), visited a proper African village, ate amazing African food and watched a dance show.
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Posted By: Matilda
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Working with the lions, tigers and the elephants was probably my favorite. Everyone that works on the project are all so caring and nice. I have never met people so passionate about their job. They also make sure that you have the best possible photo that you can have with the animals.
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Posted By: Alessandro
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
They soon took me for a tour of the farm and the animals and I soon understand I was not going to forget my three weeks easily. Everything surmounted my expectations. There was always something new to do, starting from simply chopping wood for the fire to walking with the lions or building a pool for the elephants (which was really fun!)
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Posted By: Samantha
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Everyone always asks me to tell about my adventure but the only words I can get out are \'It was a truly amazing, once in a lifetime trip.\' Waking up in the morning or in the middle of the night hearing the lions roaring truly made me feel like I was dreaming. I played with the 4 month old leopard cub like I would play with one of my kittens at home.
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Posted By: Cathrine
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Looking back there is only good memories. I came back to Norway under 24 hours ago, and I am already looking for new tickets back to my real, African home. If you consider travelling to the sanctuary, don´t hesitate. I can promise you the only thing you will regret is not staying there forever.
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Posted By: Bridie
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Booking through Gnarly Troop gave me the opportunity to take part in orientation in Johannesburg for 2 days, which I thought was a great idea. This is where I met 3 of my closest friends, which helped me settle significantly as I had been on my own prior to this. We were given a guided tour around the city visiting places such as cool independent shops and places where pivotal historical moments happened. I won’t spoil them for you as they were truly eye opening.
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Posted By: Ali
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I was very surprised by one aspect of the trip; the friendships I made in such a short amount of time. I never knew it was possible to become so close with a group of people so quickly. I became friends with people from all over the world and learned so much about their countries and cultures, while also teaching about mine.
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Posted By: Britney
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Never having been out of the country, I had worries and therefore researched EVERYTHING, from the conservation to the hostel in Johannesburg and everything in-between. Everything went off without a hitch. The orientation in Joburg was a blast! I felt very safe at the hostel; the staff was warm and accommodating. There were 13 volunteers the week I started, four went to a different project and nine went to the same as me. We are all still in contact!
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Posted By: Meghan B.
#South Africa,#Africa,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
I have nothing but positive things to say about this program- it was truly the adventure of a lifetime! I can’t wait to go back to the beautiful country, and meet up and do more traveling with the new friends I have made. A huge thank you to Gnarly Troop for helping me find this project, and to the wonderful people in Gansbaai who have given me bright and unique memories! 
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Posted By: Charles M.
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I can honestly say it was a life-changing experience. To work in such close proximity with such glorious animals was a breathtaking experience and changed my life forever.
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Posted By: Emma M.
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation
Being on the sanctuary was definitely one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced...I was so excited for so long about this opportunity to bring a dream of mine to fruition, that when the moment finally arrived it didn’t even feel real!
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Posted By: Michelle F.
#South Africa,#Education,#Community Aid,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
This experience helped me see that I want to relocate to Cape Town, South Africa permanently to teach primary school. I can\'t wait to go back one day to work with the school again because this was the most amazing experience of my life. 
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Posted By: Dave P.
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Every day was amazing and full of incredible experiences and new people. The days flew by as we were so busy working on the farm, hanging out and making new friends, and learning about the wildlife in a very hands on manner.
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Posted By: Rachel F.
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Prepare to get your hands dirty. But most of all, prepare to have a life-changing experience. It was difficult saying goodbye to the animals, the family, and the amazing volunteers. I can’t wait to go back!
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Posted By: Roberta D.
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I came to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center project to make a contribution, and I feel I did, but the center’s contribution to me was even greater.
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Posted By: Stephanie B.
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Africa,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Overall, I would highly recommend this experience to anyone with a love of the ocean and respect for the magnificent Great White sharks!
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Posted By: Michelle
#South Africa,#Community Aid,#Education,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children
The other volunteers that were on the trip were some of the most incredible people I have met. To hear their stories and learn about where they came from was extremely interesting. To see the interest to come help in South Africa from all over the world was heart warming and inspiring.
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Posted By: Alexa
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#International Internships,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The hands-on involvement was unlike any other! It felt great being able to help the local vets and townships. Volunteering in South Africa was by far one of the most rewarding experiences of my life!
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Posted By: Kristen
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I definitely have some life long friendships to take away from this experience. If you go I would recommend staying minimum 3 weeks, it takes a full week to really adjust to the experience.
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Posted By: Tegan
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I truly loved my time volunteering in South Africa at the Wild Cat Sanctuary and look forward to returning in the future to see for myself the fantastic work they continue to do for their animals.
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Posted By: Diana
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
We got to visit three adorable lion cubs a few times a week, which was unforgettable! Giraffes, zebras, donkeys, and an ostrich are always roaming around free without any barriers between you and them, which is truly amazing.
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Posted By: Gabriella
#South Africa,#Community Aid,#Humanitarian Aid,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children
I will never forget the incredible time and 19th birthday I had in St. Lucia. This volunteering experience changed me for the better, and I can’t recommend it enough.
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Posted By: Megan G.
#South Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation,#Africa
To the animals that have enchanted and inspired me! To my Dear Horses, Victoria, Oliver ,Selati, The Lions, Tigers, Rhinos, Hippos, Giraffes, Zebra, warthogs, Dug beetles, Preying mantés, Wildebeests..... I will miss you deeply and hope for you to continue inspiring others.
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Posted By: Hannah
#South Africa,#Africa,#Volunteer Vacations and Tours
Besides traveling through gorgeous nature you get to experience yourself in a new way, too. I think if everyone took this journey, our world would be a little bit more open-minded and mindful of each other because this travel experience also gives you an insight into Southern Africa that you would normally not have...
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Posted By: Alyssa
#South Africa,#Africa,#Volunteer Vacations and Tours
This trip is a must! I went to South Africa in August and it remains my favorite travel experience...
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#Africa,#South Africa,#Volunteer Vacations and Tours
I can\'t recommend this trip enough! You\'re missing out if you don\'t put this opportunity on your bucket list. You will ever have a travel experience like this. I wish I could have this same experience in another destination. 
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