Gap Year Breaks in Wildlife Conservation – FAQs

By Mark Bottell

Here are some of the more commonly heard FAQs relating to gap year breaks that you may find useful as you head off for your once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

Where can I find opportunities to work in wildlife conservation?

Assuming that you are talking about a gap year break as opposed to a career, you may have some great opportunities to choose from. There are specialist providers of such opportunities that could result in you working in places such as India and southern Africa, in some of their magnificent game reserves. Not all the work is based on dry land either! There are, for example, some great opportunities working alongside tiger shark populations.

How is it is structured?

That depends upon the break you have selected. Some will typically include all travel arrangements and virtually all will cover accommodation, training and supervision while you are there. Accommodation may not be described as being exactly ‘luxurious’ but it will typically be comfortable and hygienic.

How fit do you need to be?

Gap year wildlife conservation breaks are, by their nature, associated with rural environments. This may involve considerable walking and/or driving. You may also need to be relatively mobile and capable of undertaking some forms of moderate physical work. For example, you may find yourself involved in helping rehabilitate work elephants back into their natural environments in India which might include helping to wash and feed them.

These types of activities may not be easy if you are in poor health or suffer from very restricted mobility, however, it may be worth discussing your situation with the gap year opportunities providers, as there may be some options for people with reduced mobility.

Are these types of experience entirely safe?

Very few things in life can be guaranteed to be entirely safe – including conventional beach-type holidays in Europe. If you are working with wild animals in their natural environment, then by definition there may be a degree of risk. Fortunately, you will be supervised and assisted by local professionals and experts such as game reserve rangers and tour leaders. Your safety and enjoyment will be their highest priority.

What sort of work will be involved?

There are many, many answers to this question, depending upon your personal interests and the break you select. A point above makes reference to working with elephants in India on a gap year. You might also, for example, find yourself snorkelling in the Indian Ocean making surveys of local coral reefs to check and document the progressive effects of pollution. Alternatively, you may find yourself in the bush, somewhere in southern Africa, following migrating herds of wildebeest by way of helping to take population number surveys. One such break actually had people counting and weighing small dung pellets in the bush as a way of trying to assess the health of a herd of deer!

Do I get time off?

Yes. Not only will you be doing some productive and worthwhile work but you’ll also be given the opportunity to see, and participate in, aspects of local culture.

How much does it cost?

That’s impossible to answer without knowing the specifics of your interests. What you may find though, is that costs of a gap year that involves working with wildlife may be far lower than you would imagine.

Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering extended breaks on gap year and other wildlife conservation holidays for adults.

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