Company : Lilongwe Wildlife Trust
Duration: 2 weeks to 3 months
Approx Costs: 1000 to 3000+ £ Pound (UK)
Join the team at Malawi's only wildlife sanctuary, the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre, and help rescue and rehabilitate injured, orphaned and abused animals.
About us
We are Malawi’s first and only wildlife sanctuary and environmental education facility. Our remit has grown in response to the emerging conservation challenges of the past decade and we focus on where we can deliver the greatest impact. Our mission is to save wildlife, campaign for conservation justice and inspire people to value and protect nature in Malawi.
All of the money raised through our volunteering programme goes towards supporting our wildlife rescue and welfare work. It also supports our education and community projects which are essential for the future of conservation in Malawi and allows us to provide employment for local staff.
Your support enables us to provide food and essential medical care for the animals, as well as improving and implementing our rescue and rehabilitation projects to ensure their survival not only within the centre but also when they are released back into the wild.
All year round.
2 Weeks - £1,370
4 Weeks - £2,235
6 Weeks - £2,885
8 Weeks - £3,450
10 Weeks - £3,930
12 Weeks - £4,350
We welcome volunteers of all walks of life and whilst relevant skills and past experience are very helpful, it is those with enthusiasm, a positive attitude, flexibility and a good work ethic that leave the biggest mark and who get to go home with the greatest sense of achievement. Volunteers are of mixed nationalities and ages, the minimum age to join us is 18 but there is no maximum age limit, the oldest volunteer was 72! Please be as honest as possible on your application form about any concerns about the type of work you can or can’t do and if you have any medical conditions. This will be treated with the utmost confidence and we will let you know if there is something you declare that would compromise your experience with us and what the options are.
I took part in the Lilongwe wildlife trust’s veterinary medicine course in june 2017. It was an amazing experience and I would do it again. The people I met on the course were all extremely knowledgeable, helpful, passionate about wildlife and a pleasure to be around! The course included both theory and practical classes and we spent the last two days on safari between Kuti wildlife reserve and Liwonde NP.
I would highly recommend this course, especially if you are thinking of going into veterinary medicine. Malawi is a beautiful country and the LWC was the cherry on top :)
I had an amazing experience volunteering here, I met like-minded staff members and volunteers, and you can really make a positive impact on the animals.
The sanctuary takes in mainly orphaned primates, but also any other animals that need care-taking. For every animal taken in, the goal is to release it into the wild again, and handling animals always follow strict protocols, where interaction is only allowed where absolutely necessary. Animals receive all the necessary care to ensure adequate nutrition and a social setting as close as they would experience it in the wild as possible. Enclosures are large and allow animals to avoid proximity to tourists during guided tours. The staff are very friendly and professional, including qualified veterinarians that monitor the animals' health.
Daily tasks can depend on when you participate season and the centers current need, but include a balance between feeding the animals, physical work (center maintenance), enrichment, and community outreach.
