16 day Game Ranger experience course

This is a NEW course which is designed to cater for those people who can't afford to break away for too many weeks but will at the same time be able to learn and experience a wealth of information during their short stay on the reserve.

There will be minimal formal training. Most of the information will be passed onto the participants during daily walks or drives or excursions to nearby facilities. In between these activities the participants will have the opportunity to work alongside the reserve staff as they conduct patrols on the reserve, searching for any poaching activity, compiling species lists, clearing away any old materials which have been left lying in the veld after years of being farmed agriculturally before becoming a conservation orientated reserve. There are fences and fence posts to be removed, roads to be maintained, trees to be cleared after elephants push them over in their quest for additional food. There will also be time to sit and relax around the pool, watch the odd wildlife video or even go into the Kruger park and explore on your own.

Some of the other activities that participants may be exposed to during their stay include

• A visit to a local reptile park to learn how to identify the various reptiles, how to remove them safely from your immediate surroundings as well as how to deal with emergencies should they arise.
• A trip around a local wildlife rehabilitation centre where you will get to meet vultures and other birds up close and personal. Other species you may be exposed to include lion, leopard, rhino, hippos and many more.
• A trip around one of the buffalo breeding projects on the reserve where you have the opportunity to find out why these projects exist and how they function. You may even get the opportunity to try out your expertise with a dart gun as used by the vets when they tranquilize or inoculate the animals.
• Take a cruise for 3 hours on board a boat on the Olifants river and get some great bird watching in. You may also get to see some elephant, giraffe and other species. Guaranteed sightings will include hippo and crocs of which there are dozens in the water.
• Sleep out under the stars over 2 nights in an unfenced area of the reserve and get to keep watch for an hour or so while your colleagues try to catch some sleep, hoping that you will warn them of any approaching elephant, lion or hyena. This experience is a chance in a lifetime and will probably rate as one of your highlights
• Spend a couple of hours walking with lions or cheetahs on a nearby reserve and experience them stalking prey or just playing and having fun around you as the sun rises over the African Savannah. You will be treated to a fried breakfast afterwards as you recount the morning experience. On the way home we will stop and allow you an opportunity to experience the feeling of shooting with a heavy caliber firearm as used by most game rangers and guides within the wildlife industry. This particular exercise is unfortunately limited to people over 21 years old.

Walking with Cheetah	Shooting experience

The cost for this course is only R12 950/person VAT inclusive.

Costs include

All related excursions, accommodation, all meals, teas, coffees and cordials, comprehensive public liability insurance cover, access to an extensive library and all training facilities.

Costs exclude

Transport to and from the centre, personal toiletries, any medication and telephone calls. There will be a charge of R200/person for transfers to and from Phalaborwa airport if required. Should participants wish to arrive on the Sunday there will also be an additional charge of R150.

Courses will be run on the following dates. Dates are subject to change.

participants will be required to complete an indemnity form on arrival at the centre or if they are under 21 years old they will need to have their parents/guardians complete these on their behalf. In this case the forms can be printed (see Legal Documents) and returned to Antares.

If you are interested in applying for the course, please fill out the application form.

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