Indigenous Wildlife Rescue Supporter

The program

This fabulous project was developed to simply save animal lives. Costa Rica has an abundance of indigenous animal life, home to thousands of species of unique and amazing creatures. Unfortunately animals are vulnerable to the encroaching human world, illegal activity and their natural environments devastated. Animal victims of repossession, loss of habitat and accidents are constantly brought in by local officials and members of the general public from all corners of the country. Many are able to be nursed back to health, and once fully rehabilitated, are released back into their natural habitat. The groups of animals rescued and cared for are mainly primates, birds and reptiles, and can include Tapirs, Sloths, Toucans, Spider Monkeys, Green and Scarlet Macaws, Turtles, Snakes, Crocodiles and even a few different species of indigenous felines.

Sadly the Rescue Centre we support does not receive any ongoing government funding, relying heavily on donations from the public and the generous contribution of volunteers, both national and international, to keep them operational. This program plays a significant role is helping these important rescue centres continue their wonderful work by supplying a willing volunteer labor force to assist them.

Goals of this Project:

• Work to save the lives of vulnerable animals
• Improve the future prospects of the indigenous animals of Costa Rica
• Learn about the native animals of Costa Rica and how to protect them
• Create an environment that enables different cultures to work together with the goal of saving animal lives.

How you can help

Volunteers on this project play an essential role in the care of the rescued animals and their contribution is invaluable. Like many conservation programs funds are greatly lacking and a willing volunteer labor force is essential to the success of the projects.  

Volunteers are primarily involved in maintaining the grounds and enclosures to ensure the animals have a clean and enriching environment.  Other work may include collection and preparing of food, exercising, grooming and feeding animals and assisting with day visitors to the centre.   

Volunteers will contribute in a number of ways and can expect to undertake many of the following tasks:

• Clean animal enclosures/compounds
• Feed animals – including bottle feeding rescued infant animals when required
• Assist in medical treatment as appropriate
• Collect and prepare food items
• Assist in rescue calls when required
• Maintain paths, signs and other infrastructure
• Repair and maintain animal enclosures.
• Learn about Costa Rica's native and endangered wildlife and help to educate others. 

As with all of our Animal Welfare Programs, physical interaction between humans and wild animals is restricted. Please remember these are rescue centers, not petting zoos. 

A volunteer’s work day on this project will generally last between 4 and 6 hours and while we ask all volunteers to be flexible in this regard, a typical daily schedule is likely to go something like this:

7:00am Breakfast in the communal area

8:15am Pre-start meeting with project supervisor

8:30am VOLUNTEERING DUTIES START

A tea break and lunch break will be fitted in during the day, but often the timing of breaks will change based on the needs of the local staff and number of volunteers on hand.

4:00pm VOLUNTEERING DUTIES END

Evenings Free time to simply relax, hang out with your fellow volunteers, have dinner together, then relax some more!

This project works with a Rescue Centre located just outside Playa Jaco, a small town beside a beautiful beach on Costa Rica’s south Pacific coast, set near lush green rain forest and mountains with an active tourism market and buzzing night life scene. Jaco Beach is one of Costa Rica’s top surfing hot spots and the town, with its bustling main street of shops and cafes, has a vibrant, friendly and relaxed atmosphere. This is a truly wonderful place to volunteer and give back to the local community!