Save China’s Tigers (SCT) Volunteer Program at Laohu Valley Reserve
Background
Save China’s Tigers is a registered charity in the US, UK and HK. One of the sub-projects within the ambitious Chinese Tiger Reintroduction project SCT is the Chinese Tiger Rewilding Project, based at Laohu Valley Reserve, South Africa. The nature reserve, recently established from 17 sheep farms, is 330 km² in size and has a magnitude of work to be undertaken with regard to the establishment of the reserve, development of land and the Tiger Rewilding Project.
The reserve is not open to the general public due to the specific requirement of the South China Tiger Rewilding project and because we have a skeletal team. However, we do invite donors, long-term volunteers and supporters to visit the project when resources are available for such visits. This is a massive financial undertaking and the donations made to the charity from individuals and corporations are making a huge difference in funding the operation.
The SCT Volunteer Program is geared for those who are willing to participate in the day-to-day work of the reserve. This will include: fence construction and maintenance, removal of old stock fencing, road and track maintenance, building construction and maintenance, maintenance of water pumps for game, game counts, alien plant control, tiger monitoring and all other activities related to the daily management of Laohu Valley Reserve. Volunteers will take instructions from their supervisors regarding the day-to-day work.
Application procedures
- All applicants must send an email application to SCT at: info@savechinastigers.org
- All applications must include a detailed Resume with full contact details (address, phone and emails) and a short essay explaining why they would like to volunteer and what they would like to gain from this opportunity.
- SCT will determine whether to accept the application and reply to the candidate within two working weeks.
- Applicant shall sign this document as well as the Rules and Regulations of Laohu Valley Reserve and an indemnity form at the end. Each page needs to be initialized. These signed documents should be either faxed to SCT at a designated fax number or converted into a PDF file and emailed to SCT by the applicant.
- Applicants shall pay the donation amount by providing SCT with relevant credit card details or through bank transfers or cheques.
- Once all the above are completed and the candidate accepted, he/she will liase with a designated Reserve staff member to arrange for his/her visit.
Conditions
The following general terms and conditions apply.
General terms:
The Volunteer shall make a donation of GBP 1000.00 and the maximum volunteer time at Laohu Valley Reserve is four weeks.
The candidate
By accepting the payment conditions below and signing the application form you are entering into mutual entangling agreement with SCT and agree to be bound by below stated terms and conditions
Payment conditions & cancellations:
- The program is to be paid by the due date, otherwise the volunteer risks cancellation.
- Please be aware that flight fares are not included and SCT holds no responsibility of any flight delays, cancellations or other similar unexpected actions.
- If you are applying 8 weeks before departure please pay the full amount. If you decide to cancel the program, the conditions are as follows:
- 60 + days before departure: full refund
- 20 – 60 days before departure: refund 65 % of total donations
- 10 – 30 days before departure: refund 40% of total donations
- Less than 10 days before departure – no refund, unless due to stated medical condition, in that case SCT will provide refund 60% of total donation.
- If SCT cancels the program you will receive a full refund.
- In case of visa cancellation or declination SCT will provide a full refund on the basis of provable documents – rejection letter etc., otherwise above stated cancellation conditions will apply.
- SCT stipulates the right to change the donation amount caused by currency changes or other unexpected reasons.
- If the volunteer decides to end the agreement during the program, no refund will be provided.
- If the volunteer dishonours the rules, terms and conditions, SCT reserves the right to release the volunteer from the program without any refund.
- The volunteer will cover his/her living expenses such as food, drinks, phone calls. An estimated GBP £100 (or US $200) provision for food should be made for the four weeks’ duration.
Insurance and Health Conditions:
- All volunteers should carefully consider their health condition before entering and participating in the program and any injections required for South Africa should be taken care of prior to the trip.
- All volunteers are asked to provide detailed information about their travel/ health insurance before departure.
- All volunteers are to have their own travel and health insurance. SCT will not provide any form of insurance.
Travel and transport in South Africa
All volunteers are liable for their own transport to and from the SCT volunteer location (Laohu Valley Reserve) in the Philippolis district of the Free State province, South Africa. International flights to South Africa either enter the country at Johannesburg or Cape Town. There are two options of travel to the reserve from either Cape Town or Johannesburg. Internal flights from these two cities are available to the city of Bloemfontein (more expensive option) or long distance bus travel (cheaper option) to the nearby town of Colesberg. Volunteers will have to find their own way to the bus terminal in either Johannesburg or Cape Town. Volunteers will be collected from either Bloemfontein (air travel arrivals) or Colesberg (bus arrivals) by staff from the reserve.
What to expect
Laohu Valley Reserve is a 33 000 ha reserve in the centre of South Africa. It is extremely isolated and quiet. The nearest town of Philippolis (25 km away) is a true sleepy hollow and offers very little (if anything) in the form of entertainment. The house where volunteers will be staying has all the basics, but is furnished in a very rustic manner. There is no electricity and cooking is done on gas as are the geysers for hot water. Volunteers will not have to share a room. A generator provides power at night for a limited number of hours.
The summers are extremely hot and windy (average temperature 30 – 35 C) whereas the winters can be equally cold (minus temperatures early morning, mild midday).
Basic food stuffs are available in Philippolis. Excellent meat is also available. Fresh produce is however limited and will be purchased in Bloemfontein once every 10 days when staff undertake official trips to the city. Philippolis has a medical doctor, post office and a bank. There is no pharmacy and a sufficient supply of any medicines required by the volunteer is essential. The town does have two liquor stores supplying the basics.
The telephone lines on the reserve are not normal lines, but operate on a radio system, making internet connections very slow. There is an internet café in Bloemfontein where lengthy exchanges can be done every 10 days.
Clothing:
In winter, a warm jacket is essential and a good sleeping bag would add warmth to cold nights. The reserve does provide towels/bedlinen etc. During summer, cool clothing is a must. Decent hiking boots are essential as is a hat, very good sun block and dark glasses. Insect repellent is also essential for the summer months.
If you are interested in applying to become a volunteer please email: