James Argyle

It has been a fantastic two weeks at Phinda Wildlife Research Project. I have seen so many different animals - everything I was hoping to see, all of the Big Five and many more! I've done a couple of safaris before and this completely exceeded expectations in terms of being a really unique and different experience.

I was able to get up close and personal with the animals. I stepped off the beaten track and was exposed to the work the rangers do.

It is clear there is a lot of cost involved in running a successful reserve like Phinda. The money I pay to volunteer is clearly going towards the reserve and it is satisfying seeing it being run so well. The work the rangers do day in and day out is really valuable. The fact that you're able to support them and actually have a genuine role where you're doing tasks which are going to benefit them is really rewarding.

Each day is different - you get a general idea of what you will be doing but Phinda can't guarantee activities as it depends on reserve management. But that also means you can get the opportunity to do things you weren't expecting! A typical day is waking up quite early and doing two monitoring drives, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. This includes recording where animals are located, are they healthy and in good condition, making sure their tags are working etc. It is a fantastic game viewing opportunity but it is so much more impactful than a safari. I even saw a pangolin which was so special! 

I was very lucky - I started my week working on black and white rhino translocation. I was able to see these animals up close by supporting the rhino whilst the vet’s did a health check, and helped them in monitoring each rhino they worked on. It wasn't just about this one animal but helping contribute towards the wider management of the reserve and the wider management of the species. It was my favourite experience on the trip and was really unique and special!

I have been following African Conservation Experience (ACE) for about six years but had to wait for the right time between work and university to book a trip. Eventually I found the perfect gap and jumped at the opportunity and ACE made it so easy. I called up ACE and instantly they said “you can start next week or in two weeks time, we will be able to accommodate your requests and will handle all the in-country logistics. Someone will be there to meet you at the airport, help you, guide you through the check-in process and you'll have 24-hour support should anything go wrong”. It made everything so simple and so easy. All I had to do was just say yes, which made it a really good experience and you felt much more relaxed about the whole thing and reassured throughout.