Big Cat Rescue
South Africa

You'll be helping at an ethical sanctuary and rescue centre for big cats and other animals. There are 3 groups of rescued animals that you'll be helping to care for:

• Big cats - over 40 lions, tigers and leopards
• Wildlife - over 45 other animals including African wild dogs, hyenas, servals, caracals, black-footed cats, mongooses, tortoises, meerkats
• Donkeys - around 100 donkeys, rescued from townships and farms

Most of the big cats in the sanctuary have been rescued from Europe - from circuses, zoos, pets, and other difficult situations, like war zones in Ukraine. The other animals have been rescued from a canned hunting / breeding centre and zoo. The donkeys have been rescued from manual labour and abuse. The project is an NSPCA accredited rescue centre and does not allow breeding.  

Volunteers help with the following activities, working closely with the local team of animal caretakers:

• Preparing meat and supplements for the big cats and other animals 
• Feeding the animals 
• Cleaning enclosures - picking up poo, scrubbing and refilling water pools, cleaning big cat feeding areas (removing meat scraps and washing down) 
• Cleaning the feeding facilities (cold stores and preparation areas)
• Preparing and giving out enrichments – things that help stimulate the animals such as bags containing scents and catnip which the lions love!
• Taking care of the rescued donkeys, including brushing and health checks
• Improving / building new enclosures 
• Carrying out general reserve maintenance - fencing, road clearance, planting 

There are two separate sections of the project which you'll alternate your working days between: the big cat sanctuary and the rescue centre.

The big cat sanctuary - large 1.5 hectare natural savannah enclosures for lions and tigers (who live mainly in pairs), located in the wildlife reserve. The aim is to allow them to live the rest of their lives in a safe environment, close to nature and with the best care. Unfortunately they are not able to be released back to the wild as they do not have the skills to hunt and some have been declawed or defanged before being rescued. 

The rescue centre - historically this was a zoo with unethical practices, which was purchased by the project in order to rescue the animals from exploitation and canned hunting. The site has since been transformed into a rescue centre and enclosures are being upgraded into larger and more natural enclosures for the different animals.

Rescued donkeys roam freely around large parts of reserve and the rescue centre. They are very interactive and volunteers always seem to have a favourite donkey!

Important notes - hands off policy and meat preparation

There is a strict hands-off policy for the safety of volunteers and to allow the wild animals their freedom. You must always maintain a minimum distance from the fencing and follow the rules. There is zero touching or direct feeding allowed - apart from the donkeys.

All volunteers are required to be involved in the handling and cutting of raw meat for feeding the big cats – regardless of your dietary preferences. 

Typical Day

On your arrival you will settle in and receive an induction from the volunteer co-ordinators.

Volunteers work 6 days a week, with Sundays off. The day usually starts with breakfast at 7am followed by the first work shift at 7.30am. There are several breaks throughout the day including lunch and work normally finishes at around 5pm. 

During the evening, you can relax and spend time with volunteers and staff at the volunteer lodge. Dinner is usually at 7pm and there may sometimes be a South African Braai (BBQ) or a fire pit in the boma. It's an amazing place to watch the incredible African starry night sky!

On your day off, you can relax at the volunteer lodge, head into the local town or take advantage of some of the activities in the area such as zip-lining! 

Other volunteers

There are usually 2-5 volunteers, numbers vary throughout the year. 

Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) award

This placement has been approved by the DofE as meeting the requirements for the Residential section of the Gold Award.

Local support

You will be supported by the local team which includes volunteer co-ordinators who live at the volunteer lodge with you. They are passionate and friendly team who you'll get to know well.

“Volunteer support is instrumental in helping us restore dignity to these animals and build a better future for South Africa’s native wildlife. ” Albert, project founder

You will stay at the very comfortable safari style volunteer lodge, located alongside some of the animal enclosures so you may wake up to the sound of lions calling! There are several accommodation buildings (with 10 bedrooms in total), located in a very pretty garden. 

You will have your own private bedroom and most bedrooms have an en-suite bathroom. Each room has a fridge and tea-making facilities.

There is a main building with kitchen, bar and dining area, where you will have all your meals. Outside there is a plunge pool, BBQ area and ‘boma’ with fire pit.

There is WIFI throughout the volunteer lodge.

Meals

All meals are provided for volunteers by the local cooks.

Here are typical examples of the food you will have:

• Breakfast – fruit, yoghurt & muesli bowls
• Lunch – sandwiches, toasties
• Dinner – meat, potatoes, rice, pasta, vegetables

Vegetarian and vegan options are available. If you have any other allergies or specific dietary requirements, please let us know in advance and we will check if these can be catered for.

There is a well which provides safe, fresh drinking water. There is also coffee and tea available. 

You will need to fly into Johannesburg Airport (JNB).

We will arrange for you to be met on arrival at Johannesburg Airport and have a private transfer to the project, which takes about 2 hours.

Location

You'll be living on a beautiful 1,000 hectare wildlife reserve in the rural Limpopo province of South Africa, 2 hours North of Johannesburg. The reserve is beautiful and is rich in biodiversity, home to many native wildlife species including zebra, giraffe and gazelles. It is located in a malaria-free area.

During your stay, you'll get to do a game drive around the large wildlife reserve, where you'll have a chance to see native wildlife such as buffalo, zebra, giraffe, eland, porcupines, aardwolves, aardvarks, forest baboons and many different birds.

There is a local town around 30 minutes’ drive away which has supermarkets, restaurants, pharmacies and cash machines. 

Free time on days off

You have one day off per week (Sundays) and there are some great activities to do locally. The most popular choices are:

• Zip-lining
• Game drives on other reserves in the area - a chance to see some of the Big 5 such as elephants and rhino
• Horse riding
• Quad biking

The local team provide advice and recommendations for days off and they will help arrange transport and book activities for you.

Or you can simply relax at the volunteer lodge and enjoy the beautiful garden and abundant birdlife. During the South African summer it's lovely to cool off with a dip in the plunge pool!

Climate

The summer period is from October to March (December to February are the hottest months), with a mild winter from April to September (June to August are the colder months). There can be rainfall at any time of year, but the wetter months are usually November – January.

In the summer temperatures average around 28-30°C. In the winter the mornings and evenings can be cold (it can get down to around 5°C) but by midday temperatures are usually around 20°C.

Travelling in South Africa before or after your placement

Popular activities in South Africa that you might like to combine with your project are:

• Visiting world-renowned Kruger National Park
• Travelling the beautiful coastline along the Garden Route
• Visiting vibrant Cape Town and sampling local wines at the famous vineyards

For more information on South Africa and some of the things we loved when we visited there please see our South Africa country page. This also features all our other South Africa volunteering projects as you might like to consider combining this project with one of the others we offer to make a trip of a lifetime!

Daniela - 2025

“Even though it can be heartbreaking to see the conditions some animals have endured, I found if to be incredibly humbling and rewarding experience. My time at the project was absolutely amazing – from the heartwarming hospitality of the staff to the dedicated animal carers who patiently educated us about animal care and their mission. It’s hard to pick just one highlight, but feeding times were definitely among the most memorable experiences.”

Loes - 2025

“I wanted to volunteer with animals at an organization that really makes a difference and has the best interests of the animals at heart. It is a fantastic experience, wonderful to be able to care for these impressive animals.”

Patricia - 2025

“There is no place like here! A beautiful place to stay with very kind and good service of the staff. The animal caretakers have a lot of knowledge that they love to share. They treat the animals with a lot of care and they let them be as the wild animals they are. No petting or touching is allowed. You can help out with feeding, preparations, cleaning etc. It can be dirty and hard work during warm temperatures, but it fills your heart with joy and you will leave with warm memories.”

Tessa - 2025

"An unforgettable experience! The work is very diverse and there is always something to do. The animal caretakers are nice to work with and easy to communicate with. There are also plenty of learning opportunities and time for relaxation."

Kirsten - 2025

"Feeding the lions was amazing. Cleaning the enclosures, help making platforms....it was amazing to do. The caretakers are so nice for the animals but also for the volunteers, had a lot of fun with them."

Noor - 2025

“I had a fantastic time there, because of the lovely people who welcomed me with open arms and the work I did there. It’s very cool to be able to feed the lions and see how each lion has its own character."

Jennifer

"I worked closely with a passionate team and participated in the daily care of rescued animals, including feeding lions, preparing enrichment activities, and even assisting with the arrival of three tigers! I learned so much about animal welfare and the immense dedication it takes to care for these incredible creatures.

The staff and the rest of the team, went above and beyond to make us feel at home. They not only took excellent care of us but also ensured we had plenty of fun and memorable activities during our free time."