Support Rescued Wildlife in the Amazon

Today CIWY is a leader in the management of wild animals within the country. Since the rescue of a spider monkey (Ateles chamek) during the very beginnings of CIWY, we have come a long way in the care of wildlife. More than 20 years later, we now manage three Wildlife Sanctuaries with more than 500 animals of different species. Governmental bodies often consult us about the proper treatment of various species, as well as zoos and other organisations. We are especially experienced in the management of primates, species such as capuchin monkeys (Sapajus apella) and spider monkeys (Ateles chamek), and large felines. Furthermore, we also have many more different species housed in our Centres.

Many animals arrive at our Centres with various problems, such as poor nutrition, malnourishment, health problems, loss of identity, psychological traumas or physical ailments due to the conditions in which they were kept previously. The majority of these animals cannot be re-released due to the irreversible damage caused by humans since they were taken from their natural habitats. Therefore we work to offer each and every one of these animals the best possible quality of life, including a proper diet, as large an enclosure as we are able to build them, exercise and stimulation.

Machía cares for a variety of animals, which are separated into specific areas. Volunteers are assigned to one of these work areas. While volunteer preferences are taken into consideration, we ultimately must assign volunteering duties based on the need at the time. Therefore we cannot guarantee that you will be able to work in a particular area.

All volunteers working with animals assist in cleaning, preparing food and providing enrichment. In addition to this some areas have further responsibilities/duties - these are detailed below. The minimum number of days required to work in each area is also specified below - this minimum is a policy put in place for the benefit and stability of our animals.

Machía has one basic volunteer house. The house has a kitchen with a stove and refrigerator that volunteers are welcome to use.

Bedsheets are provided. Pillows and mosquito nets are given out upon request and depending on availability. You may wish to bring a sleeping bag or blanket for colder nights, and you will need a padlock to lock your room during the day.

Rooms are generally shared between three to four people and all volunteers share the two bathrooms in the volunteer house. The bathrooms have hot showers.

While there is electricity and hot showers, power cuts are common (especially during the rainy season) and consequently, there may be periods of time when we are without hot water and running water.

Volunteers are allocated the beds available at the time of their arrival. If you wish to change rooms, we do take requests to switch to other rooms as they become available.

Should you wish a little more comfort and privacy, there are several hotels and hostels in town.