Animal/Vet Activities:

Vet Externship (2-12 weeks):

This placement will give you a real insight into sanctuary-based vet work. The specific tasks will vary according to the types of animals we are caring for at any particular time, but you can expect to get involved in a mix of clinical work and wider welfare activities, including enrichment, integrations, observations and animal husbandry. The busiest period is during October to January each year, when we typically receive more orphaned animals.

This placement is ideal for those looking to gain broad, real-world experience of sanctuary-based vet work. It is important to note that we are a wildlife sanctuary, rather than solely a vet clinic, which means that veterinary / clinical work is unlikely to take place every day. On the days when we don’t have procedures, externs will participate in our animal care, orphan care, integrations, observations, and enrichment activities.

We do everything possible to give the animals that come into our care a fighting chance of being returned to the wild – where they belong. This means that we operate a hands-off policy with regards to our rehabilitation work, which means no direct contact with animals unless it’s required for veterinary or rehabilitation purposes. If you volunteer with us, you’ll be asked to get involved in real conservation tasks – in other words, work that actually makes a difference to the animals we protect. This might not always be glamourous (be prepared to get dirty!) but it’s work that needs to be done. This could involve anything from preparing food and enrichment activities to observing animal behaviours and gathering data. All of our projects tend to be small, which means that your involvement will have more of a direct impact.

We care for around 200 animals on any given day, the majority of which are primates. Every animal that comes into our care – whether as a result of abuse, illegal activity or human-wildlife conflict – receives a carefully tailored programme of support from our team of experts. We aim to release as many animals as possible back into the wild. Those that cannot be released are cared for in the safety of the sanctuary. Volunteering at the Centre will give you a powerful insight into the life-changing and life-saving work of wildlife rehabilitation.

You will spend the majority of your time with our dedicated animal care team, where work covers the whole spectrum of work to rehabilitate injured, orphaned and abused wild animals. Expect to get your hands dirty, work hard and sleep well! Animal rehabilitation is not always glamorous – think chopping food, cleaning enclosures and waking up at 3am to feed orphaned monkeys – but it’s work that makes a real difference. Duties include animal husbandry (cleaning, sanitation, feeding and enrichment), orphan care, observations and integrations. You’ll also get the chance to learn more about specialist areas of work such as enrichment, observation and rehabilitation techniques.

Daily rounds

• Administration of daily treatment to chronic and new cases. Medication and dosages will be prescribed by the vet team. Reporting directly to the vet if animals are not taking the medication.

• Reporting if there are any irregularities on patient behaviour/demeanour or if there are any injuries.

• Writing up medical records of active cases after rounds and discussion with the vet team.

Clinic time

• Assisting with primate health checks including monitoring anaesthesia, drug administration, record keeping, sample collection and physical exams.

• Assisting with triaging new intakes including history taking, visual exams, physical examinations, sample collection, diagnostics procedures, diagnosing patients, discussions with the vet team and admitting the new intakes and making a treatment plan.

• Labs; necropsy on different species, faecal parasitology, bandaging, suture practice, medication techniques, darting techniques, bird exams and diagnostics.

• Discussions on medical articles.

• Continued treatment and care of admitted patients.

• Cleaning clinic and equipment.

Orphan care

• Feeding orphan animals.

• Cleaning orphan care and equipment.

• Babysitting orphaned animals.

• Recording feeding patterns of orphan animals and reporting to orphan care coordinator and vet team.

• Enrichment for animals in care.

• Assisting with integrations of animals into a troop and or a family.

Animal care

• Feeding resident animals such as monkeys and servals.

• Cleaning animal enclosures with the team.

• Reporting feeding irregularities and injuries in primate troops.

1-week Wildlife Course:

Under the instruction of our veterinary team, you’ll be taught through both lectures and wet labs. You’ll have a chance to learn about parasitology, haematology, primate infectious and non-infectious diseases, emergency management, rehabilitation, pharmacology, medication, suture patterns in wildlife, remote capture systems, and key conservation issues. You’ll assist with our annual health monitoring programme for primates, which includes physical exams, patient monitoring, and sample collection and analysis.

2-week Vet Med Course:

The first week of this course mirrors the 1-week Wildlife Course, while the second week is spent treating, vaccinating and sterilizing small animals at the LSPCA. The LSPCA field clinics are a dynamic and hands-on opportunity for you to gain practical experience in companion animal surgery and anaesthesia. You will actively participate in the anaesthesia and surgical procedures, under the close supervision of our experienced veterinarians and nursing team. This hands-on experience will allow you to learn proper surgical techniques, through observation, assisting, and performing the surgeries yourself as you gain confidence and proficiency as well as learning how to administer and monitor anaesthesia in a field setting. In addition to spaying and neutering surgeries, our field clinics are a great opportunity to provide primary care to sick animals. Cases are varied and you may have the opportunity to encounter a variety of cases, such as transmissible venereal tumours, babesiosis, and distemper to name a few.

Free-Time Activities:

From the vast expanse of Lake Malawi – with its white-sand beaches and colourful cichlid fish – to the rolling grasslands of Nyika Plateau and the stunning peaks of Mount Mulanje, Malawi is one of Africa’s best-kept travel secrets. Although it may not be as well known as some of its Southern African neighbours, Malawi offers the chance to experience nature in unspoilt areas of true wilderness. It is also renowned as one of the safest countries to travel in Africa. Working hours are dependent on the animals we are looking after at the time and on the level of care they need. Interns generally work from 8am – 5pm, but during orphan season feeds may be scheduled during less sociable hours, so occasionally there can be long days and night shifts. However if this is unsuitable for you the team can re-arrange your schedule. Interns get two days off each week and there are so many amazing places to see around the country should you want to travel. On-site activities for evening free-time activities include traditional dances, movie nights, acapella nights, and game nights.