Want to take some time out from the office and book yourself on a gap year for adults? There are just so many options. You could teach children English in Peru, study for a qualification in catering, or even join a Rastafarian commune in the Scottish Highlands. However, if you’re passionate about wildlife conservation, then South Africa is the only place to go.
Animal conservation work may sound like great fun but, before embarking on your gap year for adults, you need to ensure that you have chosen animal conservation work which is suitable for you.
The Caring Kind
If you have a caring nature and are always looking after your friends once they’ve had a few too many, then your nurturing qualities may come in useful on a gap year for adults at Moholoholo Rehabilitation Centre. Animal conservation work at this South African centre involves nursing sick animals back to health, from the moment that they are admitted into the centre to the time of their release back in the wild. Whilst staying in Moholoholo you could find yourself personally responsible for the upkeep of anything, from a three legged porcupine to a boisterous baby rhino.
The Tortured Artist
If you love nothing more than sitting in front of an easel, painting portraits of your friends and family, then you’re bound to enjoy a gap year for adults at the Bruce Little School of Sculpting. Here your subject matter will be of the slightly more exotic variety; just don’t expect them to stay still for very long. Once you’ve sketched some of Africa’s big five out in the wild you will be able to go back to the studio and make your designs into a sculpture under the guidance of Bruce Little, an esteemed sculptor and artist. This gap year for adults can be paired with other animal conservation work in the reserve, such as game drives, in order to get the full South African experience.
The Natural Leader
If you’re always taking control in group situations and love nothing more than regaling your contemporaries with new and fascinating facts, then why not become a game ranger? You might think that this is easier said than done in the cold climes of the UK, but in South Africa you can make this dream a reality. Becoming a game ranger blends animal conservation work with hospitality management, ecology studies and even astronomy. At the end of your six week course you will receive your full FGASA qualification, which allows you to work as a game ranger in South Africa. A prospect that sounds lot more appealing than heading back to the monotony of the office.
The Wild Child
If you’re wild at heart, then you have a lot in common with the famous cheetahs of Hoedspruit. Hoedspruit is a big five game reserve best known for its work with South Africa’s cheetah population. Therefore, a gap year for adults at this reserve is very hands on, as the species centre deals with all manner of sick, injured and orphaned animals. Volunteers at this reserve will not only have the opportunity to assist in animal conservation work, but will also be offered a rare opportunity to see the endangered King cheetah, which the park has been instrumental in breeding over the past decade.
Author Resource:-
Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering extended breaks focusing on animal conservation work (http://www.worldwideexperience.com/wildlife_conservation_placements.htm) and various adventurous gap years for adults.
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