The word Zingela is the Zulu word meaning 'to hunt', making it particularly fitting for this project, where you can study some of Africa's most elusive and persecuted predators.
Set on a vast reserve in the rugged and wild bushland of the Limpopo Province of South Africa, this project gives you the chance to track and monitor the cheetah, leopard and brown hyena populations, witness their natural behaviour first hand and contribute to the ongoing conservation effort to help secure a future for these stunning animals.
Tracking Cheetah on Foot
Uniquely, cheetah are almost exclusively approached on foot on the Zingela project, which brings wildlife monitoring to a whole new level as you follow in the footsteps of these wonderful and endangered predators; moving when they move, resting when they rest and watching them stalk, hunt and feed. The work includes:
- Tracking collared animals using telemetry equipment and traditional tracking techniques.
- Locating and following animals on foot.
- Watching hunting and feeding behaviour, and their social interactions with one another and other species.
- Recording GPS positions to determine home ranges and movement patterns. Recording kills.
Leopard
This notoriously hard-to-spot predator is often seen at Zingela, and you will be involved in a baseline study to help determine the number of individuals within the reserve. Working mainly at night, when the African bush comes alive with a whole new set of animals, you will work to establish the home ranges and prey species of the resident leopards by:
- Locating animals from the open back of the research vehicle by (sensitively) using a high powered spotlight.
- Watching and recording hunting, feeding and interactions both between leopards and with other species.
- Recording GPS positions to determine home ranges and movement patterns.
Brown Hyena
The brown hyena is a lesser known predator but a beautiful and vital component of the environment. By studying these animals you will help to bring a greater understanding of this nocturnal animal's movements and habits. The work done will include:
- Using tracks as well sightings to identify and monitor individuals in the population
- Watching hunting and feeding behaviour as well as interactions with their own and other species
- Recording GPS positions to determine home ranges and movement patterns Recording kills
The surrounding area is dominated by safari ranch land where these magnificent animals can come into conflict with man, which all too often can lead to problems. The ground-breaking Zingela predator conservation project aims to help resolve some of these issues - the research you carry out will be used to help show the real impact the predators have on the land, and how they can in fact be a positive addition to any reserve.
Factbox!
Duration: 2-12 weeks.
Cost: From £2290 for 2 weeks up to £5270 for 12 weeks. Includes return international flights from London, transfers, all meals, accommodation, all project-related costs and back up and support.
Accommodation: Tented camp. Twin tents, separate ablution blocks, flush toilets, hot showers, kitchen, open air lounge/dining area
Time of year: Open from January to mid-December
