An Animal Lover's Eden // A Place Where You Actually Help, a lot!

I have volunteered with five different organizations in Southern Africa over the course of three trips. Without a doubt, Twala is my favorite. I have visited twice and will continue to return!! I think part of what makes Twala special is that it’s this universe where all the staff treat the animals as their equals. At other places the animals will be symbols of the place’s identity, or a means to promoting conservation, an attraction. But at Twala they are living beings deserving of happiness and respect and that’s the end goal. What an eden! Full disclosure: you must love animals with all your heart. Compared to other programs, volunteers do more work at Twala, but it's way more fun work. We are not just there on vacation, we are actively contributing the animals' happiness and safety. We are constantly moving, petting, feeding, cleaning, petting again. By the end of the day I was exhausted but I was so caught up in taking care of the animals that I didn't realize how much work I had done! The staff are warm, welcoming, accepting, and they are your friends. The individual animals will capture your heart forever. I'm talking about you, Casper the Cockatoo!