11 independent reviews for Endangered wildlife conservation in South Africa

Thank you for your comments and feedback, Egle. We are saddened by your perception of your experience. However, we feel it necessary to point out that according to our records you in fact chose to remain in camp, deciding not to join the monitoring team, on approximately 10 out of the 23 possible lion monitoring sessions and 12 possible elephant monitoring sessions for those 2 weeks - it is therefore clear when comparing your feedback to the other participants who did take part in all sessions, that the quality of the experience would differ due to the decision to remain in camp instead of participating with the monitoring work. On these monitoring sessions the volunteer team participated by scanning for signal, recording sightings and mapping behavioural data. Among numerous (and lengthy) sightings experienced by the team, most notable from these 2 weeks included an exceptional visual of lions mating, and a very fortunate sighting of a leopard. As your team were also able to be present when a white rhino was sedated and dehorned for security purposes, as well as involved in resetting cameras for the camera trap survey in the northern section of the reserve, and assisting with the Wild dog pup ID kits, updating data and sorting camera trap images, we are rather surprised at the boredom you express. Nevertheless we feel grateful for all the assistance received from all the members of your particular volunteer team, and for the time and contribution you were all able to make to the important conservation work being done on our projects; we could not do it without our hardworking and dedicated participants. Kindest regards and best wishes from the whole team here.

Thank you so much for filling out a review of our project, Karin and Sydney! We would like to thank you once again for your contribution to endangered species conservation in Africa. We are so glad that you enjoyed the time with the team, and thank you for the kind offer of referring more people to us, via your website. We look forward to welcoming many more participants that will enable the conservation work to continue. Karin, with regards to your comment about the director not being able to meet you when you arrived, we do understand how much you would have appreciated some time with a director of the organisation. Whenever possible, he does make time to join the groups whenever the opportunity presents itself, since he sincerely misses spending time with the monitoring team. He himself used to perform all the monitoring work on that reserve, but now with added responsibilities and increased fieldwork, much of which is enabled through the funding and donations that come in through increasing participation by people such as yourselves, he is kept busy and is therefore less able to spend time with people, as the demands for the practical work increase. It is for this reason that each volunteer group is given into the care of a dedicated wildlife monitor, employed by the directors, to welcome, orientate and lead the volunteer group, and answer all questions, while performing the monitoring work. This enables the directors to focus on administrative and fundraising work, as well as sourcing and facilitating work being done in the field, like collaring or relocating animals. We thank you for your part in making that possible, and we thank you also for your understanding of the fine balance between keeping our participants happy, and maintaining our role as a conservation organisation within an ever-changing and demanding environment. Thank you once again, and we hope to see you back in Zululand, at some point! Until then, please keep in touch.