Kruger Conservation and Leopard Monitoring

I did not know what to expect. There was bunkhouse accommodations, we prepared our own breakfast and lunch from supplies provided, and a different group cooked for all each evening. If a group wasn't cooking then the group was assigned to other activities. Early each morning we left the lodge and either counted all the herbivores along a transect, counted birds, identified predator tracks, managing the camera traps, or made or repaired bush roads. We had a few hours off each midday and then did one of the above activities in the afternoon. In camp we had to keep baboons and vervet monkeys from getting into the buildings. The lodge was on the bank of the Oliphants River and was not fenced. At night we had lions and hyenas near by. A herd of elephants visited our camp daily to forage along the riparian area between the camp and the river. A young bull elephant would walking in through the front gate and forage on the shrubs just 15 yards from where we were sitting or standing. The rangers held training sessions on bush craft which was essential for our safety when interacting with elephants and other wildlife that we met in the bush or in or near camp. This was an experience of a life time. The data we collected would be/was submitted to an ecologist which would make recommendations to the game warden. As a short term volunteer we never found out what was in the reports or how the report was used by the warden. I would highly recommend this placement for anyone.