Adam Peerally

I embarked on my journey to South Africa via a night flight from London. When I arrived I was met by the exceptionally friendly African Conservation Experience (ACE) team. They were waiting with an ACE signpost in the arrivals hall and helped me sort out a SIM card straight away. They then took me over to one of the restaurants for some food, which I really appreciated!

After my meal, I began the journey to Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. Once I was settled in, the staff showed me around and then the action started straight away! One of the staff members asked if I fancied jumping in the truck to head over to the vulture restaurant to help with the daily feeding. On the way there I also saw the feeding of some of the big cats, including a cheetah and a leopard! 

For the first few days, whilst I was getting into the routine, one of the staff members helped me with my rounds and showed me where everything was. As I got used to it I began to take tasks on by myself! 

A typical day at Moholoholo would start at around 6:30am. Once we had completed the morning rounds we would have breakfast and then a whole team meeting to go over any things we might need to do urgently that day, and also share out all the other tasks. Those tasks might have included cleaning out the enclosures of the jackals, warthogs, honey badgers and the aviary. This usually took us until around 12:00pm.

After a long and lovely lunch break, we would start the afternoon rounds at around 3:00pm. The afternoon rounds sometimes got a bit messy as I chose to get involved in preparing the food for the big cats.

During my time at Moholoholo, I was put in charge of several tasks such as attending to the servals by cleaning out their enclosures, filling their water trays and feeding them later in the day. I was also involved in feeding a few bird species such as the Spotted Eagle Owls and Wahlberg's Eagle. I even got to help care for the lions by poo-picking in their enclosures and refilling their water. 

All of the animals I looked after had their own personalities which was really nice to witness. During my lunch breaks, I loved going to observe the animals and I managed to get some great photos of them!

Alongside the daily tasks I was involved in, I got to witness some really unforgettable things at Moholoholo. On my third day, the centre had a call from a farm around 40 minutes away saying there was a baby giraffe that had been orphaned due to drought (when drought occurs it is common for mother giraffes to abandon their young due to food scarcity). The baby came to the centre very dehydrated and with a broken hoof. The baby sadly passed away at Moholoholo but I suppose that is the reality of wildlife rehabilitation - some cases are a success but you can’t win them all.

There are some cases where the animal requires 24/7 care and feeds every two hours. We worked well as a team to support all of the animals, and it's so refreshing to see the care and attentiveness of the staff towards these animals - it’s second to none.

Hearing a cheetah purr as you put out its food, or hearing the lions roar during the night, or listening to the hyenas and wild dogs is something that I won’t forget very quickly. As you are sleeping at the centre, surrounded by the animals, I did experience a few noisy nights but I would give up sleep any time to hear such amazing sounds from these animals.

After a great week at Moholoholo, I then visited the Phinda Wildlife Research Project and it was amazing! We would go out on two game drives every day - one in the morning and one in the afternoon. During our lunch breaks, we would spend time relaxing back at camp. I would recommend bringing some books or a pack of cards to play games with your fellow volunteers!

The work at Phinda was fantastic. You simply cannot get bored of driving around such a beautiful area and seeing so many animals roaming freely. I was lucky enough to see elephants, lions, rhinos, buffalo and so much more, including the elusive leopard - being able to observe one sitting in a nearby tree was incredible! I also got to witness baby lion cubs playing with one another and it brought me so much joy! It was wonderful to see these animals in their natural habitat.

The work the staff do at Phinda is phenomenal. We did a range of different activities including tracking animals using telemetry and using a drone to monitor areas of dense vegetation which are difficult to monitor from the vehicle. Whilst I was at the reserve I even got to see some management work in action. I witnessed a cheetah being darted and treated for mange by the vet and I also got to observe a rhino horn trimming. It was even more special as it was a black rhino!

I saw the animal being located by the helicopter and darted. The team then ran to go and tend to the darted rhino. I even got to help out with the process by logging information about the rhino into the database as it was happening - something I’ll never forget!

There was someone to support me at every step of the journey and I knew that if I had any issues ACE were always on hand to answer queries on a call, or over an email. The team was exceptional.

This whole experience has had an undeniable impact on my life. Being in nature and seeing these animals so close and in their natural habitat is unbeatable. It has inspired me to live a more stripped-back and refined life going forward.

I know that I made a difference at these conservation projects. I know the data being collected and logged at Phinda, and tending to animals that could not necessarily be released at Moholoholo, had a really positive impact. 

Also seeing volunteers who have returned a few years in a row is a sign that ACE have it right. I can’t stop speaking about my experiences, I’d highly recommend this to anyone and I will most definitely be back. If you want to see these amazing animals first-hand, being so up close and personal, I would definitely recommend travelling with ACE. It is well worth it!