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As a volunteer you will be playing an active part in the rehabilitation of wild animals that have been rescued from captivity and in many cases been badly mistreated. Volunteers have the opportunity to be in close contact with wildcats such as jaguars and cougars, birds, such as parrots and toucans, and many other exotic animals. Working alongside the staff, you will help look after the animals and educate visitors about the species and the threats that they face.
The Volunteer Programme
We recommend that you arrange to arrive into San José on Sunday, the day before your programme starts. You will receive an airport transfer to a hostel in San Jose where you can then check in and relax. On Monday you will receive a comprehensive orientation and have time in the afternoon for a salsa class and to use the Internet. Tuesday morning will be an early start, as you will travel to the project location to begin your volunteer experience.
Why volunteers are needed?
Some people see many wild animals as exotic pets, despite the suffering this may cause them due to the very little space and bad conditions the animals would be made to live in. In Costa Rica, keeping wild animals as pets is illegal, however people still keep species such as parrots, reptiles, and others, at their homes.
The main objective of the centre is to take care of wild animals that have been kept captive, making sure they recover in a safe environment, and eventually taking them back to their natural habitat.
Those that are not able to return to their habitats are kept in the rescue centre where they are provided with appropriate conditions in captivity. Staff at the centre also encourage the visitors to become ecologically conscious by learning more about the species and the threats the animals have to face. Volunteers play an important part in this project by supporting the staff and providing information to the visitors.
At the centre you will come into close contact with wildcats such as cougars, jaguars or ocelots, birds like scarlet macaws, keel-billed toucans, parrots, and many other animals. Your experience here will enrich your knowledge and your expertise on wild animals.
Volunteer Activities
You will be involved in a variety of activities including:
- Preparing food for the animals
- Feeding the animals
- Cleaning the cages
- Helping to build new cages
- Infrastructure maintenance
- Guiding tourists that visit the Rescue Centre
- Preparing signs and informative material about the animals in the Centre
- Developing special projects (new initiatives and project ideas are always welcome)
Accommodation and meals
Volunteers will stay with local families in a private room and shared bathroom. The host families live approx. 2km or less from the rescue centre so the volunteers may walk or commute by public bus each day. Included in the programme are three daily meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Staff from the rescue centre will provide these. The meals are based on a Costa Rican diet, which is fairly basic and includes rice, beans, corn, meat, pasta, vegetables and seasonal fruits.
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