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Six weeks volunteering on a wildlife conservancy in Laikipia

Laikipia

Counting zebras, fixing fences and learning what conservation actually involves. An honest account, including the cost.

Volunteering with animals is a minefield. Too many “sanctuaries” exist to take volunteers’ money, and the animals pay for it. So we spent months looking for a project that does real conservation work, and found one on a community conservancy in Laikipia, north of Mount Kenya.

The work was less glamorous than the brochures: data entry, camera-trap sorting, fence repairs, water point checks. But it was real. Our zebra counts went into a survey of Grévy’s zebra, one of Africa’s most endangered animals, and we spent evenings with the rangers who protect them.

What to ask before you sign up

Where does the money go? Is there hands-on contact with wild animals (there shouldn’t be)? Who runs the project, and do local people have a say? Ours cost $1,400 for six weeks including food and a shared room, which is typical for a well-run programme.