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Your trip at a glance

Highlights

  • Work at two different project sites in Zambia
  • Gain insight into real species conser­va­tion
  • Gather valuable research skills
  • Get to know the work of an Elephant Nursery near Lusaka
  • Get involved in elephant and nature conser­va­tion in Kafue National Park
  • Support local commu­ni­ties
  • Experi­ence Zambia's incred­ible biodi­ver­sity
  • Hands-off Policy: for ethical reasons, only profes­sional employees are allowed direct contact with the elephants

Locations

Landscape during sunset in Zambia
Lusaka
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Kafue National Park

Plan your trip

  • Included in the programme fee
    • Placement in the programme
    • Assistance with travel arrangements
    • Assistance with selecting travel insurance
    • Assistance with booking flights
    • Risk coverage certificate
Terry

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Terry, your travel agent for Southern Africa

You would like to learn more about this trip? Don't hesitate to contact me! Our service doesn't end with your departure: I answer all of your questions and support you before, during and after your stay abroad.

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Conservation volunteering in Zambia

As a volunteer in this project you will get to know two different project sites in Zambia, gain valuable research skills, support local communities and experience the fascinating wilderness of Southern Africa.

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Arrival and orien­ta­tion in Zambia

On the official start day of the project, you need to arrive at Lusaka International Airport. Here, a staff member will pick you up and take you to the programme’s Elephant Nursery near the capital, where your volunteer adventure starts. After you get settled in, you will get to know the facility and the team, learn more about the project, have a cultural and safety briefing and may start working on some initial tasks.

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Your tasks as a conser­va­tion volunteer

During your time as a volunteer in the project, you will work at two different locations: the Lilayi Elephant Nursery near Lusaka and the Kafue Release Facility, which is located in the Kafue National Park. Regardless of which location you are at, a typical volunteer day starts at around 06:00 in the morning and ends at around 6:00 p.m.

Your three-week adventure begins at the Lilayi Elephant Nursery near Lusaka, where you will volunteer for your first few days.

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Here, they conduct biodiversity surveys to better understand species presence and abundance. Volunteers gain practical research skills, including transect surveys, vegetation assessments, and wildlife tracking through spoor and scat observations. They also support community outreach projects, such as delivering conservation education in schools and empowering women's groups.

Additionally, volunteers assist local clinics and schools, with opportunities to work with expectant mothers.

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You will also spend a day at Musa Camp, where you’ll gain an in-depth understanding of the work our game rangers do on the front lines of conservation, showcasing their daily routine in the fight against poaching.

You may visit the Primate Center on the route to Kafue, where over 810 vervet monkeys and baboons have been successfully reintroduced into the wild, achieving a survival rate of 85-100%, with rescued primates trained in predator awareness before being integrated into species-specific troops for release.

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You will then move to the project site in Kafue National Park. Here you will help at the reintroduction site; familiar tasks include biodiversity surveys and working with local communities.

In addition, volunteers will learn more about our partner's elephant rehabilitation and release programme and will be trained in elephant behavioural observation conducted at the Elephant Nursery and Release Facility. Lastly, volunteers can also be involved in staff capacity building.

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Please note that your work plan is subject to change depending on the work that needs to be done. Sudden “elephant emergencies” always come first and stand above all other activities.

Moreover, an ethical way of working has the highest priority. Therefore, a “hands-off” policy is implemented by the project. As a research and elephant orphanage volunteer, you will be joining the elephants in the bush to assist in research – however, only veterinarians and professional keepers are allowed to have direct contact with the elephants.

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Accom­mo­da­tion in Zambia

In Lusaka, you will be accommodated in your own spacious tent including bedding and make use of shared sanitary facilities. Tents are set up around a grassy area with a fireplace and Braai area. Hot water is available whereas electricity is limited as only solar power is used.

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The second camp is the Kafue Release Facility, located approximately seven hours from Lusaka. Set in a remote area on the banks of the Nkala River, it sits right beside the project's release centre. As with the previous camp, you’ll have your own tent, furnished with a mattress and bed linen. Shared washrooms, toilets, a lounge area, and a kitchen are available on-site. You’ll spend the final night of your project back in Lusaka.

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As a volunteer you will receive three meals per day which are prepared together as a team. Cooking takes place with the help of a gas cooker or over a campfire. Refrigeration possibilities are limited so camp diet is predominantly vegetarian. It is likely that you will accompany your volunteer coordinator to the supermarket so you may also get some additional snacks for yourself – these are not included in the programme fee, though. Small electronic devices such as laptops, mobile phones etc. can be charged to a limited extent using solar energy. After purchasing a Zambian SIM card, you may contact family and friends at home from camp during the day.

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Free time as a volunteer in Zambia

In the evening hours of each working day, there is time for your own activities such as playing board/card games, reading a book or hanging out with other participants and the team.

You will have an off day at the end of the project, normally on the last day as you travel and make your way back to Lusaka.

FAQ – Learn more about this trip



Learn what others say about their Natucate adventure.

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Review Volunteering Zambia – Nellie

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“I would 1000% choose it again and am incredibly grateful for the memories.”

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  • Landscape during sunset in Zambia
    1. Lusaka

    Lusaka is the capital of Zambia and located in the southern to southeastern part of the country. More than 2 million people live here on an area of about 70 km². The city often serves as a stopover or starting point for further journeys through the Southern African country.

    A melting pot of cultures and a place of hustle and bustle – a characterisation that couldn’t be truer for Lusaka. However, the parks and green areas just outside of the city, like Lusaka National Park or Munda Wanga Environmental Park, offer peaceful retreats for travellers and residents. The colourful street markets and (art) museums are further stops worth exploring on an excursion through Lusaka.

    Learn more

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    2. Kafue National Park

    The Kafue National Park covers an area of about 22.400 km² and is Zambia's largest national park. The oldest protected area in the country is characterized by secluded, untouched and diverse expanses of land, which are home to an abundance of wild animals. With elephants, buffalos, leopards and lions, four of the Big Five can be found here, as well as wild dogs, hippos, cheetahs, more than 20 different antelope species and nearly 500 bird species.

    The landscape is characterized by the numerous arms of the Kafue River, wetland biotopes, Miombo forests, vast savannahs, thickets and floodplains – including the spectacular Busanga floodplains. Game drives, bush walks and boat trips allow you to explore this special place up close.

Background of the volunteer project in Zambia

Young elephants often become victims of poaching and human wildlife conflicts. Our partner’s fascinating programme takes in orphaned or abandoned young elephants in its Elephant Nursery near Lusaka and ensures 24/7 care of the vulnerable animals. As soon as they are no longer dependent on the milk, the young elephants are resettled in the project’s release station in Kafue National Park. Here, they gradually develop independence from humans and spend a large part of their time roaming the depths of the national park, slowly connecting with the area’s wild herds.

As long-term conservation can only be achieved if communities living around Protected Areas trust that sustainable protection of biodiversity is in their interest, working with local groups and institutions forms another integral part of the programme's mission. Our partner's Community Outreach Projects serve to fully educate and fully engage local communities in order to fully convey the benefits of healthy and viable ecosystems.

National and international volunteers form an invaluable part of our partner’s mission: they assist professional staff in day-to-day operations and help conduct crucial biodiversity surveys, observe elephant behaviour and deliver conservation education to local communities. The programme familiarises volunteers with each of our partner’s project sites, providing them with a particularly deep and enriching insight into holistic conservation work.

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