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Town: Plettenberg Bay
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Province: Garden Route
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Rate per week in ZAR: 2950
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Rate Extra Weeks in ZAR: R2500 per week when staying longer than one month.
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Facebook Latest Pictures and Project Updates: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.510669945613385.131801.169550263058690&type=3
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Duration: Minimum stay 2 weeks
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Dates: Projects start on the first and third Monday of each month.
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Introduction: Mission is to provide for the welfare of elephants through the application of excellent management and welfare principles. To educate the public on sound conservation ethics by using elephants as an ambassador of wildlife. The Elephant Park provides jobs to local people as well as a conservation cornerstone to the region.
the Park encompasses 100 hectares of natural fynbos and afromontane forest, as well as some reclaimed farmland that is being allowed to return to its natural state. Harry and Sally have been joined by 10 other African Elephants (Loxondonta africana) and the herd now comprises six males and six females, ranging in age from about 24 months to 23 years old.
The care that these elephants get is of the highest in South Africa. The facilities at Elephant Park are world class and the style of management ensures that the matriarchal herd only interacts with the guests on their own terms. The matriarchal herd is free to explore the Park as they please. If they wish to receive food from the guests they know to gather at certain points at the park. This system is referred to as the “free-range controlled environment” system, which the park is pleased to have developed.
Visitors to the park are privileged to have a close-up and personal encounter with these gentle giants, and leave having gained a healthy respect for these wonderful animals, and a better understanding of the African elephant and their plight across the continent.
Our friendly family of pachyderms (elephants) is the easiest part of what the park does. When we hear people coming out of the field “blown away” by their experience, it is invigorating, inspiring and reassuring to know that they will always view elephants in a new light. But other than the most fun part of being with the elephants, life at the elephant park includes:
· Working with the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism on captive elephant management.
· Working with the Department of Agriculture on Elephant Management issues.
· Contributing to the development of animal care education courses for all animals in South Africa.
· Talking to thousands of guests about the headaches and heartaches involved in elephant management in South Africa.
· Ensuring the youth who visit our park leave understanding more about critical conservation issues we as a country are facing.
· Delivering on our Corporate Social Investment promises. This includes our adoption of the Harkerville Primary School as a project by providing a source of international teachers to the school and raising funds for critical projects at the school.
· Contributing to the tourism mix in the area by participating in broader marketing strategies that draw people to the area
In November 2008, we placed four elephants that were in need of a good home at two private game reserves in the Garden Route. In January 2009, two elephants (ex-zoo) were offered a new home at our other farm in the Eastern Cape. Few people know it, but our Eastern Cape farm is a retreat for elephants. No tourists visit this farm and the staff there are trained to ensure that elephants arriving at this farm stabilize from wherever they have come from, whilst we prepare to find them new homes if need be.
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Location: Located between Plettenberg and Knysna in the Garden Route
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Getting to Project: Transfers can be arranged to and from Pletteberg and George.
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Project: Working with elephants creates a humbling and awe-inspiring experience. As a volunteer you will contribute to all aspects of elephant research, education, husbandry and conservation. From the creation of sustainable community projects linked to elephant tourism to hands on maintenance of the park. The Elephant Park’s Enterprise program includes the adoption of an underprivileged local rural school. Volunteer efforts add value to the school children in a number of ways.
As a volunteer, you will be asked to get involved in all aspects of running the Elephant Park. This includes research, marketing, functions, maintenance, training, guiding, education and much, much more.
We ask all the volunteers to be enthusiastic, dedicated, willing, able and keen to get involved with anything and have a genuine love of wildlife.
Below is a basic list of what you may experience while you are with us:
Preparing food for the elephants. This may include preparing fruit and vegetables for our elephant herd or possibly even preparing milk for the baby elephants if appropriate i.e., if there are babies at the park. Orphaned baby elephants may arrive at the park any time of the year.
Helping the guides and handlers with the elephants in the field.
Assisting with veterinary care that may be needed.
Helping with environmental education projects.
General maintenance of the park. This includes, mucking out pens, general cleaning, painting etc.
Marketing and advertising of the Elephant Park.
Helping with park functions i.e., weddings.
Assisting with elephant research.
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Animals: Elephants
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Accommodation: Volunteers are based at the Elephant Park, situated 9km west of Plettenberg Bay and 22km east of Knysna. Volunteers live in a bunkhouse in comfortable dorm style rooms, so you may be sharing with two or three volunteers depending on numbers. Separate, gender-defined toilets and showers are a few steps away from your room. Bedding will be provided and will be laundered.
On departure, if there are any items that you wish to leave behind, please place them in a bag and let your coordinator know. They will be distributed accordingly.
Some of our resident cats have settled in the volunteer house, so please bear this in mind if you struggle with allergies. If you notice the food bowl is empty, please refill it and make sure there is clean water. Always leave the lounge door slightly open so they can come and go as they like. At night, please make sure the front door and the passage door leading to the restaurant is locked.
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Upgrade to Single: Not Available
Upgrade Dbl/Twin: Not Available
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Program: It was recently identified that there is a serious lack of research done on captive elephants in South Africa, particularly with respect to their welfare and husbandry in their own unique environments.
The first research unit dedicated to captive elephants was established, AERU, The African Elephant Research Unit.
The objectives of AERU are the following:
To conduct and facilitate research studies of the elephants based at the Elephant Park and other captive elephant operations in South Africa.
To promote ethical and non-harmful research of captive elephants in South Africa.
To guide management of captive elephant operations through science.
To provide information relevant to wild elephants to improve their protection and conservation.
“Conservation through education”
What research does AERU and the volunteers do?
The Director of AERU (Dr. Debbie Young) will ask you as a volunteer to assist with her many research projects. Below are some examples of the information you will be asked to collect and observe.
Monitoring of behavior – Following and observing elephants in the field, recording behaviors such as grazing, drinking, playing, dusting and walking.
Recording social interactions between elephants – how they relate to, and communicate with, each other using their trunks and bodies
Night-time observations of elephant behavior – what is a good night’s sleep for an elephant?
Observing and recording interactions between elephants and tourists
Botanical surveys of the park – relating plant diversity to grazing patterns and elephant distribution
Studies of feeding behavior and plants eaten by the elephants
Collection of dung, urine and other samples for physiological analysis
Recording and assessing elephant response to training and new behaviors
Data input and analysis
Compilation of educational presentations
Volunteers are directly involved in the elephant research and providing information that relates directly to the welfare and management of captive elephants at not only the Elephant Park, but also throughout the whole of South Africa.
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Includes: Accommodation and linen
Volunteers have access to the internet through office computers, but only during office hours. Telephone and fax facilities are also available.
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Excludes: Laundry and food
There is a fully equipped kitchen area (stove, fridge, kettle, and microwave) for you to prepare food. But volunteers are responsible for buying and cooking their own food. You will be responsible for the cleaning of all dishes and equipment immediately after use. The Elephant Park is a water scarce area, so we ask you to keep this in mind. The kitchen area must be clean before working hours start in the morning. We ask that all volunteers write their name on their food items as this helps to relieve confusion between volunteers. There is a restaurant at the park, which is open between 08:30 and 17:00 every day.
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Applicants: Must be fit and healthy with a open mind and a love of animals and enjoy working with people
Elephant Park only requires volunteers to be dedicated, hard working, mature and motivated. You should be of good health and physical fitness as you will be out following the elephants. Specific wildlife experience is not a necessity. Veterinary students, biology students and animal lovers will benefit from this project.
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Hours: Working hours during your stay at the Park vary, according to the different activities you will be asked to participate in. However, an elephant working day starts at 06h30 and lasts until 17h30. In order for you to gain as much as possible from the program and for us to benefit as much as possible from having you at the Park, you will be asked to work the same hours as the elephants. As a rule, you will work 5 days per week, but we may ask you to help over weekends and evenings, should the need arise. We encourage you to use your days off to explore all that the region has to offer.
Many of the research projects involve long hours of data collecting in the field so this project is not for the faint-hearted. You will also be required to work in all weather conditions. The rewards for the long hours are amazing, especially when the elephants start to recognize you and trust you. You will become part of the herd!
Can vary but we ask volunteers to work the same hours as our elephants: 06:30-17:30
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Freetime: Weekends but we may ask volunteers to work over weekends should the need arise (functions, weddings, research projects, etc.)
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Contact us for more info +27 (0) 83 661 5393
e-mail:
Mail us here
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Rate per week in ZAR: 2950
Rate Extra Weeks in ZAR: R2500 per week when staying longer than one month.
Duration: Minimum stay 2 weeks
Dates: Projects start on the first and third Monday of each month.
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Rates Valid till Oct this year, All Rates
subject to change
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