We will gather as a group and journey together to a Rhino Sanctuary in the heart of Mpumalanga, where we will meet the inspiring Rhino Rehabilitator Petronel Nieuwoudt. In 2001, Petronel founded Care For The Wild in response to the alarming rise in rhino poaching incidents in South Africa. Her sanctuary provides a safe haven for orphaned rhinos, offering them the specialized care they need to heal and grow. Ultimately, these magnificent creatures are rehabilitated and released back into the wild, giving them a second chance at life. This visit will be a touching experience, as we witness the profound impact of compassion and dedication in the fight to protect and preserve these majestic animals.

Care for Wild is also home to many different animal and plant species. The reserve, together with surrounding areas, are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains contain the best-preserved, oldest and most diverse sequence of known volcanic and sedimentary rocks on Earth.

Our home for the night at Care for Wild is in shared volunteer cabins. The rooms are relatively basic but equipped with comfortable beds, en-suite bathrooms and electrical outlets.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight: Care for Wild

After breakfast you will embark on an extraordinary journey with us over the next three days and join the Care For Wild Team for an exclusive behind-the-scenes insight into the world’s largest orphaned rhino sanctuary where you’ll play a vital role in the heart warming and crucial world of rhino care and conservation. Assist in milk preparation and bottle feeding these majestic creatures, engage in boma care, ensuring their environment is safe and comforting.

We will learn about the rescue and rehabilitation of orphaned calves, the re-wilding and release processes and how we will will support staff with the care of young rhino orphans for the duration of our stay. You’ll also have the unique opportunity to participate in behavioural observations, witnessing first hand the incredible personalities and behaviours of rhinos. This immersive experience will not only deepen your understanding of rhino rehabilitation but also leave you with unforgettable memories and a profound sense of fulfilment.

We will get a true understanding into the effects of the rhino poaching crisis in Africa and get the opportunity to meet their K9 unit and hear about their ongoing monitoring, protection and conservation of the rhino species and their ecosystem and are really fortunate to get a behind the scenes look into the daily running of the rhino sanctuary and how it evolves over time as the needs and requirements change.

The sanctuary runs a structured and timetabled programme that is designed to meet the needs of the rhinos under their care, however as they are a Rhino Sanctuary on call 24/7 the programme may be altered at any given time. Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary operates a ‘hands off’ approach to caregiving. Their sole purpose is to rescue, rehabilitate and re-wild rhinos so that they can be released successfully back into their natural ecosystems.

Your involvement is more than just an experience—it’s a significant contribution to the preservation of a species under threat. By joining us, you’re playing an essential role in ensuring these animals thrive for generations to come. Be a part of this inspiring mission to protect and nurture one of the world’s most magnificent animals, and feel the immense satisfaction of making a real difference.

Overnight: Care for Wild

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Care for Wild is the largest orphan rhino sanctuary in the world. They rescue, rehabilitate, re-wild, release and protect rhinos but we also do so much more.

South Africa was fast becoming the centre of the rhino poaching crisis. Rhinos were being brutally murdered daily in National Parks, Provincial Parks and on private property to meet the demand for bogus medicines made from rhino horn. The illegal rhino horn trade catapulted the status of the White Rhino to ‘Near Threatened’ and the Black Rhino to ‘Critically Endangered’.

Many of these devastating poaching incidents left behind young, defenceless, orphaned calves. As the effects of the escalating poaching crisis became evident, so too did the need for a highly specialised care facility that could support the conservation efforts to save this iconic, key stone species from extinction.

Founded by Petronel Nieuwoudt, Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary holds an official MOU (Memorandum Of Understanding) with South African National Parks in our joint effort to safeguard the future of the species and South Africa’s heritage.