You should consider working as a volunteer in Guatemala on this placement if you are interested in working with animals during your gap year and you are looking to have a worthwhile volunteer experience working and travelling Central America.
Volunteer Role
When volunteering, you will help feed and care for the animals at the centre which include parrots, macaws, spider and howler monkeys, margays, ocelots, coatimundis, taras and kinkajous. Nearly all of these animals have been seized from smugglers and are very young, needing constant care and attention.
Your role as a volunteer will be to work as part of a team to ensure a better future for Guatemalan wildlife. It is important that volunteers can show initiative, be fairly independent and prepared to get their hands dirty!
Volunteers play a vital role in ensuring the welfare of the animals and daily tasks include caring for the animals, monitoring behaviour, cleaning enclosures, feeding, enclosure maintenance and any other specific needs of the animals that may arise.
There are also opportunities to take part in veterinary medical treatment, animal releases and wildlife surveys, though the scheduling of these activities is irregular and we can't guarantee you will be able to participate.
What’s Included in the Programme
- Airport pick-up and drop-off
- One night accommodation at hotel in Guatemala City
- Transfer from hotel to airport
- Return flight from Guatemala City to Flores
- Two day excursion to the famous Mayan ruins of Tikal (including shuttle service, one night hotel accommodation in Tikal, two meals, entrance fees to the park and museum and a bilingual guide for an early-morning animal watching/archeological tour)
- All project related transport
- All accommodation
- Three meals a day
- 24/7 emergency assistance, and full onsite support
What’s Not Included in the Programme
- Personal travel insurance for the duration of your placement
- All international flights
- All items of a personal nature
- E-mail/Internet and telephone calls
- Soft drinks, beer, wines and spirits
- Visas
- Any excursions/activities over and above your planned itinerary
