Vacancy Elephant Care and Research in South Africa

The Elephant Care and Research project studies the biology, behaviour and husbandry of their elephants with the aim of enhancing the welfare of captive and wild elephants throughout South Africa.

Join the local expert team to care for and research their herd of 10 captive African elephants, which includes relocated elephants, orphaned calves and elephants rescued from situations such as culls. The elephants live in a 110 hectare park where tourists visit daily to interact with the elephants on educational elephant tours and walks.

Volunteers learn about elephant welfare, help to collect data to guide best practise management of captive elephants and assist in research for wild elephant management. Working closely with and monitoring the elephants, volunteers examine the behaviour, interactions and relationship of the elephants with the guides and visitors to the park.

Volunteer roles depend on the current research and tasks may include:

• Monitoring and recording the elephants’ social interactions and feeding behaviour
• Observing the elephants at night
• Dung collection and analysis for health checks
• Preparing food for the elephants
• Making elephant enrichments to encourage wild foraging behaviour
• Elephant park maintenance e.g. mucking out pens, cleaning, painting, making improvements
• Environmental education with the community
• Data input and analysis
• Helping to grow food for the elephants
• Making dung paper for fundraising projects
• Weekly monitoring of the zebra herd who live in the park