Overview

Are you scared of big cats?

Well, you should be. These ferocious carnivores have earned their title as 'kings of the jungle' for good reason. Though they will grow up to be prowling hunters of the night, they don’t start out that way. Actually, at two months old, they are simply adorable creatures who are always in search of care and attention. This is where you come in. At the big cat breeding center, you will help care for the cubs by getting involved in a host of activities including feeding and playing with the cubs and their older brothers and sisters!

Trip Highlights:

Helping to look after lion, tiger and other 'big cat' cubs

Holding cubs and feeding them 

Tumbling around and playing with the lion cubs

Learning about all the different big cats

Being surrounded by the beautiful wilderness of South Africa

What our projects say:

i-to-i volunteers help a great deal in the day to day running of the farm. For example feeding the cubs every few hours which can include taking turns to look after them throughout the night

Volunteers have helped build a jungle gym for the lion & tiger cubs and improved the cub nursery facility

Volunteer efforts have improved the homes of these majestic creatures

Itinerary

Your first week

Day 1 (Monday) – Arrive into Johannesburg Airport (airport code JNB)

Today you will be met at the airport and taken to our backpacker’s hostel in Pretoria. You’ll need to arrive in before 4.15pm so that you’re all ready for the orientation which kicks off at 5pm. The journey from the airport to Pretoria should take around 45 minutes. The orientation is a crucial part of settling in to life in South Africa and will take you through what it’s going to be like at your project, do’s and don’ts, how to stay safe and it’s your prime opportunity to ask any burning questions that you haven’t yet had answered. After the orientation you’ll have some time to relax and prepare before your first day at the project tomorrow.

If you aren’t able to arrange a flight to get you into Johannesburg before 4.15pm then we’d recommend you fly in a day early. We can arrange an early airport pick-up for you including one night’s accommodation. Please give us a call for more information.

Day 2 (Tuesday) – Introductions at your project

You’ll be up early this morning to take the bus, which takes around three hours, from Pretoria to Kroonstad. Here you'll be met by the lion center team who'll take you the short trip to your new home! The project and accommodation are on the same site so you'll never be late for work! Take time to settle in, because this is home for you for the next few weeks.

Your first day will be all about settling in, getting to know the staff and how things work. The team at the project will be on hand for you to ask any questions so ask away!

Days 3 to 7 (Wednesday to Sunday) – Keep up the good work

Once you’ve had a day to learn the ropes you will act as an extra pair of hands at the project assisting in whatever is needed. There’ll always be someone there to help you but the more pro-active you are the more you’ll get out of the experience. If you think something needs doing, get in there and do it! From cleaning cages to feeding meat to the lions, it’s all done with the lion’s welfare in mind. Surely the toughest job of all is Cub Duty; hand feeding the lion and tiger cubs twice a day, playing with them and giving them that all important one on one attention. You will also need to be prepared to work some night shifts too to feed these little cuties through the night! Don`t forget though that these cubs do grow up so you will also be working hands on with older cubs! This will be on a rotational basis.

You will be working throughout the week but if you do need a day off then please do let the team know, this could be a day off at the weekend or a day off through the week.  You may wish to work as much as you can though but please remember that a day off can be arranged. On your day off you probably won’t want to move too far away from the swimming pool at your accommodation but if you do want to drag yourself away, you could nip into town for a meal or savour the local pubs or if just have a chance to catch up with your emails! 

There are also fantastic views from the verandah of the animal enclosures, so relax and soak up the sights and sounds of rural South Africa.  From time to time you will also be able to go to local bars and restaurants or have a traditional South African braai (BBQ). Kroonstad is a relatively quiet area so this is an ideal place to relax and chill!

Working hours are flexible and night shifts will be included on a rotational basis.

Following weeks

You will be working hard  throughout the week with the lions and tigers at the project with a day off if requested. The more you put in, the more you get out of this project so get stuck in!

Your Last Day (Monday)

The time to leave has come around already and you can expect to leave Kroonstad on the shuttle at around 9.30am and arrive at Johannesburg International airport at around 11.30am. The team will take you to the shuttle and your ticket to the airport is included in the project fee. If you are travelling further in South Africa you will need to arrange your onward travel from the airport.

Project

What does the project do?

This project is a breeding park for lions, tigers, jaguars, leopards and other carnivores. In 1975 over 200,000 lions used to roam the African continent. Estimates from 2002 put the number at between 23,000 and 39,000, representing an 80 to 90% decline in less than 30 years. Breeding centres such as this one are key to the survival of big cats and enable a robust gene pool to be maintained. As they grow up the lions and tigers are passed between reserves all over the world to ensure the best possible gene pool is kept.

The owner started the breeding program from her love of 'big cats' and her desire to give people the opportunity to come face to face with these amazing creatures. Many of the species of cat at the project are close to extinction so breeding centers are key to their survival. All the cats need attention but the cubs especially need more than the limited staff can provide. You are needed to help raise the cubs to ensure they grow up happy and healthy. Please note that there will be times there are no cubs at the centre (they do grow up!) but at these times you will still have hands on work with older lions and tigers. Around 30 to 40 cubs are born at this centre each year.

What’s the project like?

This project is in a fairly rural location on the outskirts of Kroonstad. At night you will be able to listen to the sounds of the wildlife on a beautiful verandah and enjoy the feeling of being completely immersed in South African life – what are you waiting for?

Why does the project need volunteers?

The project is run by a small number of permanent staff but volunteers are really needed to help give extra attention to all the cats. At such a crucial stage of their development, the staff need all the help they can get to ensure the cubs wellbeing. You'll also be lending a hand with maintenance and repairs, feeding cleaning, enclosure inspections, even tour guiding! Someone has to get involved in the rough, tumble and scratching, it might as well be you.

The breeding centre funds itself through visitors fees, donations and selling the older cats to other reserves. The cats are very well cared for at this project (every single one is known by name!) and they will always make sure their new homes are just as good. Through these funds the project is constantly improving the facilities for the resident cats and you'll likely get involved in this work too.

Activities and schedule

Your working hours on this project will be flexible and according to the requirements of the project. 

You’ll be working very closely with these majestic animals on a daily basis by feeding and caring for them, raising the cubs and being involved in all the day to day activities of the lion center. You will be working alongside lion experts who have years of experience in the field. You can also help give tours to visitors to the project. This isn’t where it stops though! There are a variety of tasks to get involved in, including:

Inspecting the lions, tigers and jaguar enclosures, making sure that there is no damage to the fencing

Feeding the lions - this will involve fetching animal carcasses from nearby farms and helping to prepare the meat for the cats -please be aware that you will be handling meat!

Cleaning the lion, tiger and jaguar enclosures, removing old bones, giving the cats fresh water and maintaining the lion enclosures 

Cub duty - hand feeding twice a day, playing and giving attention, there will also be some night shifts on a rotational basis as these little cuties still get hungry through the night! 

Guided tours, take visitors on guided tours 

General farm maintenance and improvements, repairing and improving the enclosures 

Learning about the breeding of lions, jaguars and tigers, being a tour guide, and any other topics that you are keen to know more about

Where the project is based

This project is based in Kroonstad, around four hours south of Johannesburg. Your accommodation lies on the same site as the project so forget all about commuting!

Project resources and advice

You will find all resources that you need at this project so there’s no need to bring anything along from home. If you do have a specific interest in a field that you’d like to get involved in at the project please let us know.

Please make sure you bring durable clothing - jeans / khakis / combat trousers - as you will be getting dirty and even lion cubs do have claws! Please don't wear brightly coloured clothing. The project does not allow facial piercings or large visible tattoos - if you have them please take them out / cover them up.

Kroonstad is not a very touristy area and as you will be working very hard most volunteers spend their free time relaxing at the project and chilling aroung the pool. 

Please note that the weather can become quite cold during the months of May to September, please remember to bring some warm clothes with you.

What exactly do i-to-i provide?

It may seem like a strange concept to pay for your volunteer experience. You'd be right if you think you shouldn't and the truth is you actually don't! Your placement is free; it's the benefits around it that you pay for. It's important to note that i-to-i is a travel company and not a charity. We provide a professional travel service. We are responsible for finding and assessing worthwhile projects across the world, preparing you for the volunteering experience and supporting you whilst you're there.

Here’s some more information about what your placement fee covers….

Project sourcing and assessment

We work with hundreds of locally run partner projects around the world and are constantly sourcing new opportunities. We visit all projects to check that they are worthwhile and legitimate and we also conduct a thorough safety assessment before we'll send volunteers there. More

Expert help-desk

Almost everyone who works for i-to-i has traveled extensively or worked overseas. This means we're a goldmine of information; we're always available to offer support and guidance before, during and after your trip.

Thorough project briefing materials

Once you book on to a project you'll receive an online account that contains loads of general information about volunteering, about your chosen country and how to have fun and stay safe. We'll also give you advice on visas and inoculations.

Airport pickup

It can be pretty daunting arriving in a different country for the first time - especially after a long flight! If you arrive on your project start date, there'll be a welcoming face at the airport to pick you up and take you to your accommodation.

Arrival orientation

Soon after you arrive you will attend a thorough orientation with our in-country team. This is to cover important safety and security information. You'll also get some tips about sight-seeing options for your time off and maybe even learn some of the local lingo!

Accommodation and meals

Accommodation is included with all projects and meals are even included with some. We only use locally-owned and operated accommodation so that part of your placement fee is filtering back into the local economy. Most projects offer homestay, guesthouse or shared volunteer houses as standard accommodation, but some offer the chance to upgrade to a more comfortable living standard. More

Local in-country coordinators

Your in-country team will arrange a pick-up for you at the airport and will conduct your orientation upon arrival. All coordination teams are English speaking and are locals of your destination country. They won't be at your project every day, but will be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week if you need them. More

24/7 emergency support

Aside from the local support from your in-country team you'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line manned by our response team in case any problem should arise while you're overseas. We also hire crisis management professionals to be on hand in case of a situation that requires additional expert support. More

Ongoing training

The safety and security of our volunteers is paramount. For this reason we provide ongoing crisis management and emergency response training to our local teams around the world. We also fly in our in-country coordinators to the UK regularly for thorough training to help them offer the best safety to the thousands of volunteers they support each year. More

Supporting our projects

We don't fund our projects directly from the project fee that you pay us. Instead we choose to support a number of projects through our Big Giving initiative to provide resources to those projects that really need it.

Recruiting people like you

We make no secrets of the fact that part of your placement fee is reinvested in to recruiting volunteers just like you! The volunteers recruited in one week will typically deliver over 2000 man-days of service. The difference this makes to projects overseas is immeasurable. Many of our overseas projects rely on assistance from international volunteers, so it's necessary for us to put together brochures and websites to find the people who can support them. This recruitment process is vital to ensure programs have a constant stream of reliable volunteers.

The intangible benefits

Volunteering through a company like i-to-i has a lot of intangible benefits to developing overseas communities and the individual projects that we work with. To find out more about our placements. click here

Next Steps

What we will do after you've booked:

Once booked on you will instantly receive a welcome email confirming your booking with access to your online account

Community Development and Teaching customers will be requested to complete a police check (where relevant)

We will contact you if we require anything else e.g. CV/resume for some projects, doctors note for medical conditions etc.

We will prepare for your trip and you will receive all information required to prepare yourself in your online account 

We will ask you to complete personal information and pay your final balance if they are still due when required

We are available for any questions you may have on 1-800-352-1793 or support@i-to-i.com

What you need to do after booking your place with us:

Book your flights

Arrange suitable travel insurance

Fill out your personal details through your online account

Complete your police check if requested

Make final payment at least 90 days before you go

Make sure you have a visa for your trip if it's needed

Visit a nurse or travel clinic for advice on inoculations and malaria prevention

Read all details and prepare as much as you can for your trip

Take contact details of the in country team and where you're going in your hand luggage - just in case!

Get on the plane!

Orientation Information

The following information details what will happen during the first few days of your arrival.

We aim to provide you with a safe and soft landing into your destination by picking you up from the airport, giving you an orientation that helps to settle you into the country as quickly as possible. It’s also the best time to ask any questions you have about your time in South Africa.

You will arrive on the Arrival Date (days will vary) and will be met at the airport on (we recommend you arrive between 8.00 and 16.00 in order to attend your orientation). You will be taken from the airport straight to the Pretoria Backpackers where you will have your orientation introducing you to life in South Africa and at the project. You will have a South African meal and spend the night at Pretoria Backpackers. Rooms are based on dormitory style and can be mixed sex rooms. 
You will take the 7am bus from Pretoria to Kroonstad and be met by the team at the station. The team will drive you to the project.

Flights & Insurance

Insurance

It's important that you get adequate travel insurance for your i-to-i experience and as many of you will be working this often means standard policies won’t work. The good news is that no matter where your coming from we have already found a policy to suit you.

The best time to get your insurance is when you book your project as this means you can get a fully tailored policy exclusive to i-to-i, just ask your consultant for further details at the time of booking.

EU Customers – find out more here >>

Australian customers - find out more here >>

All other customers - find out more here >>

Flights

As with insurance we advise you get these booked as early as possible to avoid high prices and to make sure you arrive on the right day. The i-to-i team is right up to date with the best deals no matter where you’re flying from; their insider knowledge could save you some time and money.

Accommodation

What type of accommodation will I be in?

You will be sharing a room with up to three others in a beautiful chalet lodge on site at the center. The chalets are well equipped and have modern amenities such are hot running water, showers and western style toilets. There is even a swimming pool on site! There is also a stunning verandah with views over the project, the animal enclosures and some friendly monkeys! In the evenings feel free to relax, listen to the wildlife and savour the experience of being in South Africa.

Accommodation facilities

Your time in Kroonstad is on a self-catering basis so you will be responsible for preparing your own meals and there will be a weekly shopping trip where you can stock up on all the essentials. You should budget roughly $50 per week for food. The kitchen at the lodge is fully equipped with a fridge, utensils and anything else you might need to prepare delicious meals. While in the lodge you will be responsible for keeping the place clean, so please tidy up after yourself, especially in the kitchen. You don’t need to bring bedding with you as this is provided at your accommodation. There is a laundry nearby where you can get your washing done, too.

Internet is available at the project but the project does charge you for the amount of time you're online.

Things to bring from home

If you are travelling to the project between May and September please ensure that you bring some warm clothes. Although the days are usually bright and sunny, nights and early mornings can get very cold. Finally, don't forget some books and other entertainment for relaxing in the evenings.

Where is the accommodation?

Right on site! No need to walk far or get up any earlier than you absolutely have to.

How far is it from my project?

Stone-throwing distance. You’ll be able to hear the wildlife from your accommodation or as you relax in the pool or on the verandah, the choice is yours.