Volunteer at Lilongwe Wildlife Centre

If you’ve had a chance to read more about us you can begin to imagine how busy we are, and the support of our volunteers is crucial to the Centre!

There are all sorts of projects you could contribute to as a volunteer and make a real difference to the wildlife and the local communities. The help of volunteers at the Centre is absolutely invaluable - read about the difference that some of our previous volunteers have made here Dependent on your passions, experience and needs of the Centre you could be involved in any of the following:

1. Assistant animal carer: Work alongside our animal carers to offer our orphans the best possible care that they deserve...cleaning, feeding, buying food from the market, handrearing baby orphans and providing enrichment to those that need it.

2. Vet assistant: Work alongside our full time vet and their team and help conduct full health checks on all new arrivals and regular vaccinations and check-ups on all the animals at the Centre. Or work with our sister organisation, the LSPCA, helping to deliver care to domestic animals with surrounding communities that need it.

3. Release assistant: Track animals that are being released back to the wild, whether that be in the Centre’s 60 hectare wilderness area or out at one of the Centre’s release sites around the country

4. Centre support: Helping with construction and maintenance, giving guided tours or getting involved with events at the Centre

5. Education: giving guided tours, working on new signage or helping out at the Wild Kidz Summer Camps

6. Community outreach: Working with the community outreach manager, perhaps you could coach some of the youth wildlife football teams, work with the dance troops or help out at one of the local orphanages. Other outreach work covers reforestation, farming diversification and health education on subjects like HIV/Aids and Malaria, and developing markets for their crafts and produce.

7. Environment: If you’re interested in conservation management, we have several ecological surveys and mammal censuses and an important aforestation project we would love your support on.

8. Marketing: Anyone with experience in website design, pr, events, photography or documentary making would be more than welcome.

We’re looking for volunteers who are flexible, full of enthusiasm and like a good day’s work! If you have experience in any of the above areas please do let us know, but a can-do attitude is even more useful and whether you want to learn new skills, enhance your CV or simply do something different, we will do our very best to get you involved in the projects that most interest you.

Placements are available for 3 weeks to 3 months, from c. £890 (3wks) to £2163 (3 months). This covers all accommodation, food, work related transport and a donation to the Centre, which will go towards the care of the animals. We also have some taster volunteering placements 2 weeks, although you will personally get more out of your experience if you have a bit more time to settle in and find your niche.

Malawi is also a stunning country and we would definitely recommend that you try to at least fit in a weekend at the Lake, and where possible a jaw dropping safari at South Luangwa, Zambia. As a volunteer at the Centre you also get 15% off any trip organised through Land and Lake Safaris, so you can combine volunteering with a bit of travel as wellIf you would like to apply or have more questions please email Lilongwe at

You can also find some answers to frequently asked questions at www.lilongwewildlife.org/volsupport.html