Transfers leave JHB (South Africa) at 10h00 every
Tuesday morning and arrive back at 17h00
every
Wednesday afternoon.
Brief Overview
This is an exciting opportunity to help
out with conservation efforts and also
to experience the amazing diversity and
wild landscapes of Tuli in Botswana. The
Tuli Block is an area which forms part
of the Limpopo/Shashe Transfrontier
Conservation Area, which incorporates
the borders of South Africa and
Zimbabwe. This allows for natural
migration of Elephant herds and other
animal species in the area.
This
project will consist of three basic
elements; the research, the educational
aspect and the physical aspect. The
research is that of the study and all of
the data, collection and analysis.
The educational component comes in the
form of the lectures and the daily
learning through you will receive
through the staff as well from working
on the projects. The physical component
is that of the walking, reserve work and
physical projects that are set for you,
the volunteers.
Tuli is stunning and vast and thus
little is known about its wildlife and
the area, it has not been studies
extensively. So, this is where the
conservation research comes in and where
you get to assist in collating the data
whilst experiencing one of the most
amazing places in Africa!
Three major animal research projects and
their necessary data collection have
been outlined: elephants, leopards and
baboons. With the
elephants in the area forming the key
research component.
Individual identification cards
are created for each elephant you study
and the research will involve using GPS
and computer mapping systems to assist
in monitoring the elephant's home range
utilisation as well as habitat use and
vegetation damage.
Here is a brief overview of what you
will be studying for each species:
Elephant Study
i) Rate of population growth
ii) Social structure
iii) Movement patterns and what
determine these
iv) Population and social dynamics and
the determining factors
v) Ecological densities and how these
influence the structure and dynamics of
the system
vi) Incidence of tusklessness amongst
females
vii) Occurrence of musth in bulls and
the effect on behaviour
Leopard Study
i) Territory sizes and determination
ii) Interactions with other animals,
particularly hyenas
iii) Diet
iv) Behaviour patterns
v) Sex and age ratios
Vegetation
i) Mapping
ii) Biomass distributions and the effect
on animal spatial utilisation
iii) Changes in vegetation due to animal
impacts
iv) Rare or threatened species
v) Phenotypes in which elephants are
found
You will also cover Birds, General
Game and Weather.
FULL
information will be sent you on
receiving your enquiry.
You can also expect to be involved with
restoration and maintenance of the land.
This work may include;
Removing old fence wire from
previous farming in the area to reduce
harm to animals
Erosion control from the effects
of the Limpopo River system
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