Step Off
The Beaten Track

Conservation travel and wildlife volunteering in Africa

At African Conservation Experience, we give people with a passion for wildlife the chance to volunteer with animals in Africa. We are driven by the desire to support and enable worthwhile wildlife conservation work and create worldwide ambassadors for conservation. To accomplish this mission, we provide each traveller with a vital role to play in the story of wildlife conservation.

As a wildlife lover, chances are you’re already aware of major conservation issues such as climate change, animal poaching and habitat loss, which threaten the survival of thousands of animals across Africa. Through wildlife volunteering and responsible travel, you can do something meaningful to stop this widespread damage and improve the lives and well-being of many important species.

A new era of ethical wildlife travel

When you compare sustainable tourism with other types of travel, it’s easy to see why wildlife volunteering and conservation travel are growing in popularity. For centuries, people from around the world have visited Africa to see the wildlife. But being a major international attraction hasn’t always been advantageous for the animals themselves. From hunting to exploitation, Africa’s wildlife has often suffered as a direct consequence of people’s fascination with them.

As a conservation volunteer in Africa, you can help to reverse this trend and combine unforgettable wildlife encounters with a truly positive impact on the animals. By engaging with Africa’s wildlife through sustainable travel, you’ll provide invaluable financial and physical support to the conservation projects we work with. And by joining together with other like-minded animal lovers and conservation volunteers, you’ll continue writing a bright new chapter in the story of Africa’s wildlife.

Who travels with us?

We cater for travellers of all ages, from all walks of life and every corner of the globe. Many of the conservationists and responsible travellers we work with have held a lifelong ambition to volunteer with animals in Africa. Others see conservation volunteering and ethical wildlife travel as a natural next step towards a career in biological sciences, animal management and other similar fields of work.

People at the start of their careers, whether they’re students, taking a gap year, or embarking on an educational field trip, often choose wildlife volunteering for an immersive and meaningful way of working with Africa’s animals. Likewise, people taking work sabbaticals and career breaks, many of whom are over 50, regularly choose ethical wildlife travel and conservation volunteering as a way to fulfil their lifelong dream of working with Africa’s wildlife and making a difference.

Responsible travel is now even more accessible

We understand that a great many people would love to work with Africa’s wildlife in a positive way but are limited by time, work and other commitments. So we are proud to now offer ethical wildlife travel and volunteering opportunities that last just two weeks or less. This is a major step forward for wildlife conservation and sustainable travel in southern Africa, opening the door to more people than ever who want to help protect Africa’s animals.