About

The Lion and Big Cat Sanctuary is an environmentally friendly sanctuary for captive-bred big cats. At the sanctuary they will be protected and prosper for the rest of their lives.

One of the Sanctuary´s main purposes is to be an educational platform where we create awareness about conditions big cats face in captivity, and how animal welfare and enrichment play a vital role in giving them the best captive life possible.

We are a true sanctuary where no cub petting, breeding or trading takes place. We are a blueprint of how a non-profit sanctuary, focusing on animal welfare, can become self-sufficient; and we aim to show all breeding facilities in Southern Africa how they can change into sustainable ethical projects.

The Lion and Big Cat Sanctuary believes in the connection between both environmental and wildlife conservation and aims to become the first "green" Big Cats sanctuary in South Africa, and run solely on solar energy.

The owners of the Sanctuary have first-hand experience with some of the lion breeding programs in South Africa and were once volunteers themselves. When they found out, however, what happens at these breeding programs in the name of so-called “conservation”, they decided to make it their life’s work to open a true sanctuary; a home for these animals to live the best life they can. Unfortunately none of these cats can be released into the wild so their fate would most probably be in the hunting industry, if they had not been bought by the Sanctuary.

The Sanctuary is situated on a 40-hectare paradise with a beautiful home for the animals, the owners and the many volunteers visiting. The land is filled with lots of large trees, a natural spring and an amazing 360 degree mountain view!

We strongly believe in the saying "In unity there is strength" - and by standing together, human and animal, we believe in the possibility of a prosperous future for the big cats, and we take pride in speaking on their behalf.

At the moment, the following big cats feel at home at the Sanctuary: lions, leopards, jackals, caracals and even some non-indigenous tigers.

DAILY ACTIVITIES

This project will offer you the unique opportunity to be involved behind the scenes of the Sanctuary and how to care for its animals - daily tasks can include:

Caring for the amazing big cats

Enrichment program

Preparation of food and feeding

Cleaning and maintaining enclosures

General farm work

Educating visitors

Please note that as a Sanctuary we do not allow animal petting and close interaction with our cats, so please do not expect to play with them and pet them. Any project that does allow that kind of interaction cannot be regarded as a true Sanctuary.

WORKING DAYS AND HOURS

This really depends on the weather and the season of the year. Summer days can be very hot so working hours will be adjusted. In general expect to work 5 days a week for 6-8 hours a day with weekends being free to explore the surroundings.

DAILY GUIDANCE

Guidance will be offered by experienced coordinators that will supervise your daily work. Under no circumstance will you be allowed to work with any of the cats alone or without proper supervision. Days will be scheduled with different activities every day.

OTHER VOLUNTEERS

You most likely won’t be alone when volunteering at the Sanctuary and meet both local as international volunteers. We get volunteers from all over the world, from the USA, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, the UK and many other countries.

SOUTH AFRICA - THE COUNTRY...

South Africa has been referred to as the “rainbow nation”, a title which shows the country´s cultural diversity.

The population of South Africa is one of the most complex and diverse in the world. South Africa has approx. 52 million inhabitants of which 79% are Black African, 9% are white, 9% are coloured or mixed race and the rest are Asian/Indian.

South Africa also has 11 official languages, with isiXhosa, English and Afrikaans spoken in the area of description.

STANFORD

The project is located near Stanford, which is a small village in the Western Cape. It has 4800 citizens. With the Kleinrivier running through the village, stunning mountain views and only 30 min. away from the ocean, Stanford is ideally positioned for a laid-back getaway. Stanford has some nice antique stores, restaurants, vineyards, coffee shops and more. Besides this, for the ones looking for some more adventure, there is also horse riding, boat cruises, hikes, bird watching and great white shark cage diving, all within a 20km radius of Stanford.

Stanford is beautiful. Its preserved Victorian cottages, dirt roads, mountains and river make it one of the most popular villages in the country.

It has the most beautiful river, stretching all the way down to the Hermanus lagoon. You can swim in it, kayak, float or launch a boat on it. You can float paper boats down it and keep your feet cool in it and locals also use it to irrigate their veggie crop. Stanford has a market square, which is very rare, where we hold farm markets, play cricket and arrange the odd festival on it. The town is famous worldwide for offering the most bird species in one place on Earth. Bring your binoculars and notebooks and take a trip down the river to discover them yourself!

GANSBAAI AND SURROUNDS

Gansbaai is named the BIG 2 Town after the numerous Great White sharks that cruise in the waters east of Danger Point Peninsula, and the many Southern Right Whales that hang out around the shores on the western side of the Danger Point Peninsula between July and December.



The locals still see it as the fishing village it has always been. The harbour is still the focal point of the town and every local in Gansbaai, whatever his profession, is also a fisherman. If you need a craftsman on the first day of the lobster season, you won´t find him. He is at sea, catching lobsters with his neighbours. In almost every driveway in Gansbaai, you can see a trailer with a boat parked next to the family car.



In spite of the developing tourism industry, the fishing industry is still the economical heartbeat of Gansbaai. The fleet of fishing boats and the fishmeal factory in the harbour employ a substantial number of people. Locals call the occasional typical smell from the fishmeal factory the "smell of money". The Abalone farm, just outside Gansbaai, immediately on the shores of Danger Point Peninsula, produces this traditional local culinary delight in large quantities for the Asian market.

Gansbaai is the focal point of the Danger Point Peninsula area. Gansbaai is the place where the banks, petrol stations and most of the shops are. The tourism office can be found in the middle of Main Street. There are various restaurants and bars dotted around Main Street, in the backstreets and in the harbour. It is a very Gansbaai-thing to do: drink the locally brewed Birkenhead beer in a harbour-bar and watch the fishing boats return against the setting sun over Walker Bay.



Gansbaai is an unpretentious town with real people. Newcomers, guests and travellers are traditionally welcomed with open arms as long as they don´t tell the locals how to lead their lives ("I do my thing, you do yours, you are welcome"). The fierce independence of the early nomadic fishermen and the nomadic farmers has anchored itself in the blood of the locals and is a welcome and effective barrier against the artificial elements that often go hand in hand with a developing tourism industry. Gansbaai is strongly connected to the sea - a working fishing village that will maintain its character.

HISTORY

Especially for a country like South Africa, researching the history before you go will explain the cultural differences you will see and will add a whole new dimension to your experience. If you understand the history of a country, you will understand not only the country better but also the people, their culture and customs.

WAY OF LIFE IN SOUTH AFRICA

It is important to prepare yourself and obtain local knowledge about the country you are about to visit. Get yourself a good guide book and talk to people that have visited South Africa before, or contact us to get some answers.

This will help you to understand the country more and will help you to not offend people or break local laws. Show respect towards the people and culture of the local communities. You might not agree with certain things you see during your stay here, but please don’t forget you are a guest here, and you can’t try to change everything in a period of just a few weeks.

The way of life in South Africa is very different from other countries. Foreigners may consider South Africans as lazy, always late, talking loudly, chaotic and hot-blooded. But are you, just because of the fact of being from overseas and not from South Africa; then automatically hectic, not enjoying life, always focused on work, always on time, humourless, serious and cold-blooded?

We are pretty sure you are not like that, so please think twice before you set your own opinions!

OTHER PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Shopping and supplies

As mentioned before, grocery shopping will be done on a weekly basis.

Travelling in South Africa

Most volunteers come to South Africa to see as much of the country as possible. You can do that in a variety of ways before, during or after your stay with us.

You can very easily spend some time in Cape Town before heading to the project, and visit the incredible sights there, or keep your travel plans for after your volunteering.

We have secured some great discounts for our volunteers, offering some exciting ways of travelling through South Africa and neighbouring countries.

Bazbus

www.bazbus.com

This popular backpacker’s bus drives daily routes between the best backpackers and places of interest, making it very easy to travel by yourself or with friends. This Hop-On-Hop-Off bus starts in Cape Town or Johannesburg and offers flexible tickets to fit to your traveling needs. If you would like us to book any tickets for you, we offer a 5% discount.

Nomad Overland Tours

www.nomadtours.co.za

For the more adventurous; overlanding is a great way to see lots of highlights in a short period of time, without needing your own 4x4 vehicle or camping gear. Reputable overland company Nomad offers a variety of tours throughout South Africa but also Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique and much more. There are quite affordable camping tours that are very popular with younger international travellers, while their accommodated tours tend to be smaller groups with an older crowd. Khaya has secured a 10% discount on all their tours, so have a look at their website and let us know if we can book anything for you, to offer you the discount.

If you have any other travel related questions, please let us know, as we have explored South Africa extensively and love to share our experiences and travel tips.

Staying in touch

There is Wifi in the house so you can easily keep contact with friends and family! We, however, want to mention that the signal and capacity is sometimes limited as we are situated on a farm.

To be connected in South Africa, you can purchase a local SIM card to use locally and to phone us if you need us. Please make sure your Smartphone is SIM lock-free to be able to use this card.

Weather

The summers are hot, both day and night; so bring light clothes and shoes. Even though winter temperatures do not fall below 10 degrees, the wind, periodical rain and coastal humidity is unpredictable, so make sure to bring nice warm clothes, waterproof jacket and trousers.

Summer (Dec, Jan and Feb) 16 – 40 ˚ Celsius

Autumn (Mar, April and May) 10 - 32 ˚ Celsius

Winter (June, July and Aug) 8 - 25 ˚ Celsius

Spring (Sep, Oct and Nov) 10 - 32 ˚ Celsius

Clothing

The Sanctuary is situated in what you can call “the modern Africa”, but even so you can expect to get your hands and clothes dirty. So remember to bring outdoor clothes that you can, in worst case, leave behind if they get too worn out.

We do have a washing machine so it is sufficient to bring the amount of clothes for only one week. There will be the opportunity to go out for meals and some fun in Hermanus and maybe even Cape Town, so if you like to dress up a little bit some nicer clothes will come in handy.

Shoes are always something ladies love to bring with, but you do not need too many! We recommend three different pairs of shoes so you have got a mixture to suit you and the weather conditions. Comfortable, hard wearing shoes/boots will be the main thing, in addition to a suitable pair of sandals and flip flops for those warm days on the farm and when we head off to the beach! Make sure to bring your wellingtons (gumboots), even in the spring/autumn – you will need these to work on the farm. If you are coming during summertime, remember that we have a nice swimming pool so bring your bathing suit and a bathing towel.

Below you find a list of necessary items for a comfortable and enjoyable experience. The weather varies greatly throughout the year so please make sure to check before your arrival.

You only need to pack for a week as laundry is available on site.

• 7 days of work shirts

• Several long sleeve shirts for morning/nighttime

• Two pairs of jeans or long pants

• Two pairs of shorts

• 7 days of underpants

• 7 days of socks

• Warm sweater or fleece

• Bathing suit and pool/beach towel

• Gloves, hat, mittens (June – August)

• Comfortable house shoes/slippers

• Warm pajamas

• Leisure clothes for off days

• Wellingtons (gumboots), sandals and casual shoes

Larger portions of toiletries can be bought in town, so depending on your length of stay, only a travel size may be necessary.

• Shampoo + Conditioner

• Toothbrush + Toothpaste

• Body Wash + Loofah

• Personal products

• Sunscreen + Aloe

• Personal Prescriptions

• Contact lenses / Solution

• Razors

Accessories

• Reusable water bottle

• Power Adapters, our outlets are 3 pronged.

• Hat with a brim

• Sunglasses

• Flashlight / Head Lamp

• Lightweight Sleeping Bag

• First Aid Kit – plasters, disinfectant

• Insect Repellant + Itch Soothing Lotion

• Laptop / Digital Camera / Chargers

Extra money

Your fees will cover most of your expenses but if you like to enjoy a beer or soda, want to buy some souvenirs or fancy a nice dinner eating out, we advise you to bring some extra money. Volunteers will be charged R50 per week for WIFI to be collected upon arrival.

Insurance

Accidents can happen to anyone. Make sure to get a comprehensive travel and medical insurance. Next to your international travel insurance, Khaya advises you to get the VOLUNTEER CARD; this will not only cover your volunteering activities but will also give you an incredible amount of discount options throughout the world! USA and Canada nationals can order the card online, other internationals can email us for the order form: www.volunteercard.com

Passport

Your passport must have enough pages for any visa. Your passport should have 2 pages free for every country to be visited. Please ensure that you take your own passport out from your hotel / backpackers safe the night before departure. It is absolutely necessary, that you make a copy of your passport and give it to your supervisors; we strongly recommend that you also leave a copy at home or with some friends. Please note that South Africa insists on people having 2-free pages available when you enter. Keep this in mind if you are going to fly home from South Africa after completing a tour to multiple African countries. Please ensure that your passport is valid for at least six months after your date of departure from Africa. You are personally responsible for ensuring that passports, visas, vaccination certificates and other travel documents are in order and for all costs relating thereto.

Visa

As visa requirements vary considerably, please contact the various embassies or a visa service agent to recheck, visa requirements at least 4 weeks prior to departing. Please note that visas are the responsibility of the volunteer, and that Khaya will not be held responsible for clients being denied entry, should they not be in the possession of the relevant visas. All travellers must be in possession of a valid onward/return air ticket.

Health & Safety

Health and Safety First aid is available on site and most staff members are first aid qualified. Doctors, optometrists and dental facilities can be found in Gansbaai, and the closest Hospital is in Hermanus. A tetanus shot is recommended before you fly out. No other vaccinations are needed.

Gansbaai and the Western Cape are in a malaria free area.

A large portion of your placement will be spent at sea. If you suffer from motion sickness, please remember to bring appropriate medication. Kwell is the best treatment, but is hard to find in South Africa. You can pay with cash or credit card to any doctor or hospital in the area should you need to make use of their services. Your receipt should be kept so that you can claim back the money from your insurance agency once you arrive home.

HIV / AIDS: Education and awareness are vital in preventing HIV spread and obviously avoidance of activities and behaviours that can transmit HIV.

HIV can be transmitted by unprotected sexual intercourse; Mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy, at the time of birth and through breastfeeding; intravenous injection of infected blood. HIV cannot be transmitted by salvia, sweat, urine or faeces. It cannot be transmitted by touching, hugging, kissing, shaking hands, sharing food utensils, towels, bedding, baths, swimming pools, telephones or toilet seats.

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major problem in South Africa. Tuberculosis is an infectious disease, spread through the air when a person with untreated TB coughs or sneezes. But prolonged exposure to a person with untreated TB is usually necessary for infection to occur. With the right treatment TB can be cured. Once on treatment, a person is no longer able to spread TB to their family or community.

Safety in South Africa

Safety is an issue that is paramount in the minds of volunteers visiting South Africa. Safety is important to us and by following just a few guidelines your safety in South Africa can be increased incredibly. Although South Africa is in many aspects a developed country, much of its population, particularly in rural areas, lives in great poverty.

When you stay in South Africa, the odds are that you will have a safe and incident-free volunteering period. However, crime and violence, as well as unexpected difficulties, can happen.

Hoping to help you avoid serious difficulties during your visit to South Africa, you should keep the following in mind:

Safety on the Street: use the same common sense travelling in South Africa that you would at home.

Don’t walk around with all your valuables visible.

Use taxis at night and let somebody always know where you are going.

Try to seem purposeful when you move about. Even if you are lost, act as if you know where you are going. When possible, ask directions from individuals in authority.

Khaya looks after your safety in multiple ways during your stay: