If you wish to experience working hands-on with a variety of animals, you care about animal welfare and want to be involved in animal rehabilitation then Free to be Wild is the place for you.
I have recently had the pleasure of volunteering at FTBW and I was so sad to leave that I have already made arrangements to return again later this year! I am so grateful to be able to contribute to such a worthy cause and hope that even in my short time as a volunteer I was able to make a positive impact on the lives of the residents (whether temporary or permanent) as they have certainly had a positive impact on mine.
Even though the Sanctuary only opened four years ago and this is only its second year of accepting volunteers I was thoroughly impressed. Once you’re through the gates you enter a mini paradise, the grounds are clean and well maintained and it’s really peaceful. When I arrived I had the pleasure of being greeted by Peck (the resident ostrich), Jupiter (a male impala) waiting for release and Klipie the klipspringer. Within 10 minutes of arriving, Miles (a baby monkey) was on my shoulder and Klipie was doing his best to lick the suntan lotion off my arm.
The main section of the house is open plan and spacious. There isn’t a fixed external living room wall so even though you have a roof over your head you still have the feeling of being outside in nature. Being on my own, my double bed came in handy as I shared it with some of my furry friends, which by the end of my first day now included Pax and Bindie. So even though for the majority of my stay I was the only volunteer, I was never alone.
My daily activities/duties were listed on the information board, these included food prep and feeding, orphan sit, bushwalks, enrichment, maintenance, cleaning and much more. The bush walk involved taking the babies (5 orphaned Baboons) out of their enclosure to allow them to forage and play and gain confidence in preparation for their release in the future. My only advice is not to wear your best clothes. The Babies, Lucy, Kuda, Darrel, Mana & Naleti, each with their own personalities are amazing to watch and interact with. I played with them every day and allowed them to use me as a launch pad to reach tall branches etc. and in return they ensured that I was always lice and tick free 🙂
Every day I worked and socialised with the Handlers and staff, who are really friendly; I thoroughly enjoyed working and chatting with them and can’t wait to see them again. They are all dedicated to the welfare of the animals and you can see how much they truly care. I even had the opportunity to share traditional foods e.g. Mopane worms, maybe not for the faint hearted but delicious none the less. We also had a Braii and sat around the fire toasting marshmallows.
During my stay I also visited the markets to purchase food for the animals, was involved in animal enrichment; where we made objects to hide food in to give to the monkeys, baboons and mongoose and had a wonderful opportunity to spend the night at the Phase 2 release site; Longueville Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary is spectacular and has already become the home of many released animals.
My time at FTBW was an amazing experience and I have some wonderful memories that I will cherish. FTBW has reignited my desire to work with wildlife and conservation and this is not only from spending time with the animals (all of which are not mentioned above) but also from the people involved in making my stay an incredible one.
Firstly Katie, thank you for helping me organise my stay at FTBW and also for arranging my return visit. You have been very helpful and informative and are happy to answer any questions that I have.
Dingani, your dedication to the wellbeing of the animals in your care is evident. You can see your love for the animals and in return, their love for you.
Zweni, I enjoyed our conversations and you really are a fountain of knowledge, I have yet to find something relating to wildlife and nature that you are unaware of. You can tell that you are working for a cause that is really important to you.
Thank you for showing me how to cook traditional foods, nothing was ever too much trouble and I’m really grateful for having the opportunity to try your local delicacies.
Khumbu, even though our time together was short I enjoyed working together, you are very easy to talk to and thank you for showing me how easy it is to develop and maintain a garden, you’ve given me ideas on starting my own.
Aimee, Alec and little Oliver, you are some of the most wonderful people that I have met. You have great aspirations for the sanctuary and are at the start of a journey to lead exciting, fulfilling lives in the field of animal rehabilitation and wildlife conservation.
And finally to Baye, you are a true inspiration. Your perseverance and dedication to animal rehabilitation is second to none and you should be proud of all you have achieved in such a short time. Your plans and ideas for the future of FTBW are truly encouraging that it will continue to be a success and any animals that pass through your care are lucky to have you.
Hello,
I am contacting you in regards to becoming a potential volunteer within your sanctuary. I have been following your journey for a while now. We are FINALLY going to go to Africa, not until jan-march 2020 which is know is a long way off yet but we’re beginning to plan our trip out.
I am also a photographic travel blogger and would love to document and support you by spreading your message.
http://www.theadventurousmum.blog/
We are a family of four, our children will be 3&5 and I think will be excellent baboon-guardians!
I’d love to hear more,
Look forward to hearing from you soon,
Elle
Hi Elle, Thank you for the message, your upcoming adventure does sound wonderful and we hope you and your family will spend some time at our Sanctuary. We will email you all our details and see how we can make this happen. Kind regards, Katie (FTBW)
I would love to volunteer at FTBW Sanctuary! Do you have a minimum stay? Price per volunteer stay?
Other stuff, I am a writer, amateur photographer and starting up a travel company in West Africa and looking to interact with wildlife and understand some of the important issues around wildlife conservation in Southern africa as well. I follow Baye on Instagram and am inspired by the work being done here..
Thank you for the message Ryan. We have sent you an email about volunteering with us and hope that you will be with us sometime in the future. Thanks, FTBW team
Hi, I would love to hear from you about volunteering at your sanctuary
Hi Liora, We have sent you an email with our volunteering information. Thank you!
Hello. I an in awe of your sanctuary. I recently spent 2 weeks in Namibia at Naankuse and fell in love with the African wildlife and would love more information on volunteering with Free to be Wild. Thanks in advance. Amanda
Hello Amanda, Thank you for your comment. We have sent you an email with the requested information. Thank you and we hope to have you volunteering with us soon.
Hello!
I would love to hear from you about volunteering at your sanctuary. I am 18 years old and in spring I will graduate from highschool. After school I would like to do a voluntary service with animals.
HI Miriam, we have responded to you with information about our Volunteer programme via your email. We hope to have you volunteering with us soon. Katie