Volunteering with desert-dwelling elephants

About your volunteer work with desert elephants

Your place of work is a non-profit organization. This has been working for several years for the protection of the desert elephants living in Namibia.
The local team, for example, does educational work and documents the elephants' movement patterns. Furthermore, it ensures that the water supply systems of the farms (e.g. water storage tanks, pumps) are not destroyed by elephants looking for water. Because the destruction repeatedly leads to conflicts between humans and pachyderms. As a volunteer, you will help to implement these measures for the conservation of the elephants. In addition, your commitment will help to resolve the tense situation between the population and the elephants.

Your role in volunteering with desert elephants

In the elephant conservation project, you will work in various areas. One of your main tasks will be to secure waterholes and create alternative water points for the animals. You will also support measures to protect local water supply systems. This includes helping to build protective walls around windmills. Your place of work depends on where help is needed.
You can also take part in the regular exploration tours to monitor the animals. In the Namibian desert, you collect GPS data from the elephants. This allows you, for example, to create a movement pattern and thus see where a waterhole protection program is needed.
Your volunteer work also includes educational work. This way you create awareness for animal welfare among the population.

Your daily routine volunteering with desert elephants

The elephant conservation project takes place every two weeks and the days are very different. The first week is always the so-called construction week. In the second week, you will go on an observation tour in the desert.
During the construction week, you will lend a hand wherever your support is needed. For example, you will also take care of the maintenance of your base camp or build protective walls around the water holes for the elephants. In the second week, you will mainly be out and about in the desert on foot, following in the footsteps of the desert elephants. On weekends, you can relax at the base camp of your assignment location.