HI, I'm interested in volunteering for a cheetah/ big cat conservation organisation. I've come across many sites that offer 2-week to 4-week volunteer placements in various regions of Africa ( they cost a bomb!). I would like to know how genuine these sites are.Any volunteers, ex-volunteers out there?I'm especially interested in working at Mokolodi/ Moholoholo. The placements for Mokolodi are being done thru http://www.workingabroad.com/.I want to know if these placement programs are genuine, esp as applicants are supposed to pay some amt in advance. Thnx...

Replying to Cheetah 137 about volunteer work with cheetah conservation. Just got back from visiting DeWildt Cheetah Centre in South Africa.
They are starting up a volunteer program. It's about $2000 for a month of work there. And you DO get to work and touch and be with the animals. Heard from some friends who wanted to do volunteer work with CCF, in Namibia and were not happy, they could not work with the animals although they were told differently. They went to DeWildt and worked (volunteered). Check out their website. You can get their email, contact
email, that is and talk to Vanessa.
www.dewildt.org.za good luck. I'm going to do it, too.

Cheetah chick

Thank you, Cheetahchick, for the info. This sounds good; shall get in touch with the De Wildt Centre right away! ( I've visisted their website about a thousand times, and wondered why they do not have a volunteer program...). Thanks again. Cheers...

Thanks to both of you! This is great information.

One of my lifes dream has always been to see Africa and be able to reach out and touch a Cheetah. To work with them would be a bonus. To help conserve the species would be sense of accomplishment and pride.

So thanks for the information!

Hi there Cheetahchick and Cheatahfanman...I've tried e-mailing Vanessa Bouwer of De Wildt Cheetah Centre; unfortunately all of my e-mails have bounced back. However, Victoria Mc Neil from Working Abroad, replied to my e-mail, and it seems Mokolodi is a good opportunity to work on the Cheetah Conservation Project in Botswana.

All the current info about the same is posted at: www.workingabroad.com/organis/cheetah.htm

I'm thinking of going there in Aug-Sept 2006 (need time to gather funds for the trip!).

I'm hoping this will be of use to you in case you plan to do something of this kind.

Cheers !!!

To Cheetah 137.....Vanessa has been out of town. Try www.dewildt.org.za or www.cheetah.org.za and try again. V. said she had received yor email.

CheetahChick