WildWork 🐘 Southern Africa

WildWork Southern Africa: Ethics Grading Rubric (v1, 21 Oct 2026)

Every listing gets one grade, A to F, based on what the program's own public pages say. Volunteers can look at every rule and our notes. We re-check each listing at least once every 6 months, and whenever someone reports a problem.

Automatic F (not listed)

Any one of these means the program is graded F and we don't list it:

Cub petting, cub "raising" for tourists, or selfies holding animals

Walking with lions or other big cats; "walking with" or riding elephants

Breeding big cats or other wildlife for trade, hunting, bone trade, or petting farms, or any link to canned hunting

Swimming with or touching captive marine mammals or sharks for entertainment

Animals used in performances, or photos with sedated or chained animals

Refusing to say where animals go when they leave

Grade A: Wild and hands-off

Volunteers work only with free-roaming wild animals (monitoring, telemetry, camera traps, surveys, habitat work, anti-poaching support, community work)

No touching, feeding or handling of animals, apart from rare vet or collaring procedures that professionals lead

The work feeds real research, reserve management or a government or NGO program

Fees and what they include are published (or available on request)

Grade B: Responsible captive care or rehabilitation

A sanctuary or rehab centre with a no-touch or minimal-handling policy, or a release-focused rehab program (e.g. seabirds)

Non-releasable animals are kept for welfare, not for tourist contact

Or: mostly wild-research programs with a small captive component (e.g. feeding non-releasable cheetahs)

Grade C: Hands-on care, so check before booking

Volunteers handle, bottle-feed or walk with animals (e.g. baboon walks, raising orphans), even when the mission is rehab and release

Or: vague language ("interactions", "breeding-related tasks") that we couldn't clarify

These are listed with a warning and the reasons shown

Grade D: Serious concerns

Ongoing captive breeding that doesn't lead to release, "close encounters" marketed as a selling point, or direct interaction with adult predators

Listed for transparency only, never featured, and never eligible for paid placement

Rules for paid listings

Paying never changes a grade. Only A and B programs can buy a Featured slot.

Programs can send evidence to appeal a grade. Notes are updated publicly with a date.

Affiliate links are labelled as such.