from 475€

Brilliant 4.7rating (44)

Wildlife Caretaker Volunteer

location
1 - 12 weeks  ·  Age 18 - 50+

rating  Brilliant 4.7  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Very high response rate

Complete your reservation as soon as possible. This project fills up quickly and is already booked on certain dates.


Highlights

  • Visit the Amazon River to track the rehabilitated amazonian manatees returned to the wild for 4 days stay in a lodge in the jungle! (for stays minimum of 4 weeks)
  • Immerse yourself in a remarkable volunteering opportunity that allows you to witness the close and harmonious relationship between wildlife and their natural habitat.
  • Collaborate closely with specialists in the field, acquiring valuable knowledge and insights about the incredible animals you'll be working with
  • Channel your genuine love for animals as you actively contribute to improving their lives and well-being
  • Embark on thrilling adventures, such as boat rides along the majestic Amazon River to watch dolphins or floating down serene lakes nestled within the lush Amazon Rainforest

Especially suitable

Age 18+
Singles
Couples
Families
Groups
50+

About the program

Do you love animals and want to support us in rescues, rehabilitation process and medical treatments? Then join us!

Our volunteer program as a wildlife caretaker is very important in the project progress. We require people who mainly have a deep love for animals, no previous studies are required, people who have more experience will be designate to certain types of animals and those who do not have ...

About the program

Our volunteer program as a wildlife caretaker is very important in the project progress. We require people who mainly have a deep love for animals, no previous studies are required, people who have more experience will be designate to certain types of animals and those who do not have much experience will be responsible for other types of animals, the common quality should be to have a lot of patience and be very observant, the time the volunteer spend feeding and taking care of them is essential for the project because they can detect diseases, behaviors out of the ordinary, behavior patterns, attitudes, etc. Even before the veterinarians. The wildlife caretakers are the main and first source of information for monitoring the physical and emotional health of the animals in our care.

The project

The general problem that exists in this area of ​​the Amazon is the uncontrolled use of natural resources by unscrupulous people, which causes many losses of wildlife. All animals that come to our center were rescued from illegal traffic or hunting, as a result of this, they are orphans and very young, in some cases babies who require feeding by bottle and a lot of care and interaction to gain confidence and can adapt to a new group of the same species, this is the challenge that a volunteer is faced, cover not only food but emotional needs of animals arriving after suffering abuse and malnutrition.

Volunteer work

The volunteer program for wildlife caretaker includes the following activities in general:

  • Support in animal’s rescue process traveling with the staff, ecological police and authorities to the places where wild animals are confiscated for illegal traffic or because they have them as pets.
  • Support in animal’s rehabilitation, cleaning of each area, preparation of food and delivery of food, control of the growth and behavior of the animal to detect incidents. 
  • Implementation of enrichment and training programs for animals, monitor the behavior of a group of assigned animals, introducing external elements to observe their behavior, to implement improvements in their environment and quality of life.
  • Gathering of natural food for the rescued animals, such as fruit from the plantations and insects, development of the observation and feeding of crickets and achieve their reproduction in a controlled environment. 

The volunteers must be mainly responsible, the work we do is very delicate, since we work with the lives of vulnerable species; it is very important for us that the volunteers has passion for their work and they have to be very observant, and can contribute ideas and improvements in the care process. All ideas and improvements that can be implemented will be taken into account and welcome. What we want is forming a team in which all volunteers from different countries leave a positive mark on the project with ideas and improvements, they will see in the future through the social networks that they contributed to the growth of the project.

What you can expect

Volunteers can be sure that the facilities where they spend their days are comfortable and is a quiet environment, which allows them to work during the day and relax or do research at night. Our team is very united, we are a young organization that has grown little by little during the last 12 years, bringing together people who love what they do and contribute ideas, whose main objective is the welfare of the animals in custody. In this project your ideas will always be welcome.

The staff of RAREC speak English and Spanish. In our team we have specialists in rescues, rehabilitation and medical treatments, they live in RAREC and they will be in charge of designating the tasks and supporting volunteers in all the activities or doubts they may have. The project directors also live in RAREC and we are attentive to all the needs of the volunteers and we will collect all the information they can give us so that their work and findings will be part of the database and protocols of the project. On the other hand volunteers will work with veterinarians and biologists in charge of primates, manatees, and others, they make their follow-up visits once a week or come in emergencies. 

We give to each volunteer RAREC t-shirts and rain boots. It is important that they bring comfortable and fresh clothes, sneakers, sandals, hats and also long-sleeved shirts and pants to avoid bugs at night.

IMPORTANT: 

As a rescue and rehabilitation center, the species that are found at the time you choose to come will not always be the same as they were at other times, nor can we promise that you will find a specific species in rehabilitation.

We provide help to other rescue centers where there are other species, carrying out environmental enrichment for these animals in other projects.



Typical day

A typical day for a volunteer begins at 7 am with breakfast. 

·        Feeding preparation (exteriors, nursery and quarantines)

·        Collection of leaves, branches and fruits.

·        Movement of animals to management cages

·        Delivery of food (exteriors, ...

Typical day

A typical day for a volunteer begins at 7 am with breakfast. 

·        Feeding preparation (exteriors, nursery and quarantines)

·        Collection of leaves, branches and fruits.

·        Movement of animals to management cages

·        Delivery of food (exteriors, nursery and quarantines)

·        Cleaning of enclosures (exteriors, nursery and quarantines)

·        Preparation of enrichments (exteriors, nursery and quarantines)

In the afternoon, after lunch:

·        Feeding preparation (exteriors, nursery and quarantines)

·        Help with feeding and cleaning the tenebrios and cricket’s station

·        Help with feeding and cleaning the area of ​​reptiles and amphibians 

·        Delivery of food (nursery and quarantines)

Apart from this, volunteers can have different tasks depending of the day of the week:

·        Cultural activity: Basic Spanish for tourists 

·        Cultural activity: Regional cooking classes (once every 2 weeks)

·        Helps in the preparation of seedbeds and vegetable plantations 

·        Help in preparing English and Environmental classes for young people for every Saturday 

·        Help in preparing environmental education classes and games for children for each end of the month 

·        Maintenance of the trials 

·        Training of assigned animals  

·        Manufacture of toys, hammocks and ladders for enclosures 

·        Minor repairs to enclosures (when necessary).

·        Help each Caretaker with the project they have.

·        English classes and environmental education for youngs and kids in RAREC 

·        Cleanliness and order of the enrichment materials area 

·        Walks for Camera Traps set up

·        Check Camera Traps videos

·        Conservation Lectures 

·        Deep cleaning of kitchen and animal storage

·        Deep cleaning of nursery 

·        Deep cleaning of refrigerators and common area 

·        Visit to Itaya River and swimming with in inner tubes in the RAREC's lakes

·

On the days that we have rescues, the tasks will be reassigned so that a group can go out to the rescue area, always led by our staff.

If you like, you can also support us with the painting of various animal and nature designs in our next education center.

Night Activities (After 7 pm) at least 1 per week

·        Movie nights

·        Dance nights

·        Board games night (competitions)

·        Night walks in RAREC

·        Night walks in Reserve


The schedule is from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., when the volunteers wish, they can take days off for tours, they should only tell us to schedule the tasks in advance.


Free-time activities

We have a recreation room with A/C, wifi, board games,videogames, billars, and hammocks to relax. Within RAREC you can hike to the creek at the end of the land or to a big lagoon where the amazonian manatees live, where you can swim, in the whole way you can observe wildlife in freedom. 

We include ...

Free-time activities

We have a recreation room with A/C, wifi, board games,videogames, billars, and hammocks to relax. Within RAREC you can hike to the creek at the end of the land or to a big lagoon where the amazonian manatees live, where you can swim, in the whole way you can observe wildlife in freedom. 

We include one boat ride on the Amazon River to see pink dolphins in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest, this activity is usually done on Sundays.

Also, you can float down in inner tubes on the lake in RAREC, this lake is the habitat of rehabilitated amazonian manatees and arapaima gigas.

Our road connection allows us to reach any tourist place in the Region, for example the Pacaya Samiria reserve is 4 hours from RAREC by road and by river.

Night Activities (After 7 pm) 

·        Movie nights

·        Dance nights

·        Board games night (competitions)

·        Night walks in RAREC

·        Night walks in Reserve

Visit the Amazon River to track the rehabilitated amazonian manatees returned to the wild for 4 days stay in a lodge in the jungle! (for stays minimum of 4 weeks).

Visit the Amazon River in a boat ride to watch dolphins (for stays minimum 1 week)


Requirements

Requirements

Minimum Age: 18 years

In order to join the program you need to be at least 18 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if you can provide the permission of your legal guardian(s) or if your are accompanied by your parents.

Language Skills

You need to speak English (basic level)

Nationality Restrictions

No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

Other Skills

Love for animals Responsible Punctual Hard working We need your cooperation to understand that the internet capabilities, as remote in the Amazon, are not as good as a normal city.

Time Commitment

Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 07:00 - 16:00

What's Included

What's Included

Services by RAREC

Accommodation Includes:

  • Full meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). You must confirm if you have any special diet such as vegan, vegetarian, or food allergies. Fruits and drinks available anytime.
  • Volunteer bedrooms made of noble material and wood (4 , 6 or 10 volunteers per room) with A/C and mosquito nets
  • Electricity all day in all the facilities
  • Exterior dining room
  • Wi-Fi available in common areas and study room
  • Shared bathrooms with running water outside the bedrooms
  • Exterior recreational room with board games and hammocks.
  • Laundry machine for free use. No dry machine.
  • Pick up and drop off in Iquitos Airport. 
  • Equipment (RAREC t-shirts and rain boots)

Airport Pickup at C.F. Secada Vignetta International Airport

Pick up and drop off in Iquitos airport included. 

Before making the purchase of your air tickets, please review the following recommendations:

RAREC's private transportation picks up the Volunteers on Mondays and Fridays, only at the times indicated in the chart, so we give you the flights that we recommend to take from Lima to Iquitos.

If you prefer to take a later flight than we suggest, the other option is to arrive one day before, stay in the city of Iquitos and we will pick you up on Monday or Friday at 8 a.m. We can send you recommendations of hotels.


MONDAY AND FRIDAY ARRIVALS – VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

RECOMMENDED FLIGHTS:

- SKY AIRLINES - LIMA - 4:20 AM - IQUITOS - 6:15 AM

- LATAM - LIMA - 4:25 AM - IQUITOS 6:15 AM

- JETSMART - LIMA - 5:15 AM - IQUITOS - 7:00 AM

FIRST PICK UP IN IQUITOS AIRPORT - 7:15 AM

SHOPPING AT GROCERY STORE FROM 8 AM TO 9 AM

OTHER RECOMMEND FLIGHTS:

- LATAM - LIMA - 7:00 AM - IQUITOS 8:50 AM

- STAR PERU - LIMA - 7:10 AM - IQUITOS - 9:55 AM

SECOND PICK UP IN IQUITOS AIRPORT - 10:00 AM

ARRIVAL TO RAREC - 11:00 AM

 

Regarding departures, RAREC's private transportation can take the volunteers on Sunday, Monday, Friday and Saturday, but only at the 2 times indicated in the chart, so we give you the flights that we recommend to take from Iquitos to Lima, so you don't have to wait to much time at the airport. If you prefer to take a later flight than we suggest, the other option is that our transportation leaves you in the city of Iquitos, so you can spend the day in the city and then go to the Airport, we can contact you with a trustworthy taxi who can take you to the airport when you call him (direct payment to the taxi driver).


DEPARTURE FROM RAREC 6:15 AM - ARRIVAL TO AIRPORT 7:15 AM

RECOMMENDED FLIGHTS

- LATAM - IQUITOS 9:25 AM - LIMA 11:10 AM

- STAR PERÚ - IQUITOS 10:30 AM - LIMA - 1:10 PM

- LATAM - IQUITOS 12:45 PM - LIMA 2:30 PM


DEPARTURE FROM RAREC 12:30 PM - ARRIVAL TO AIRPORT 1:30 PM

RECOMMENDED FLIGHTS

- STAR PERU - IQUITOS - 3:00 PM - LIMA - 5:40 PM

- SKY - IQUITOS 4:05 PM - LIMA 5:50 PM

- LATAM - IQUITOS - 5:20 PM - LIMA - 7:00 PM

Accommodation

The volunteers are going to live in RAREC facilities. About our location, RAREC is one hour from the city by car, at Km. 47. The city of Iquitos is the largest population center in the area; RAREC is in a jungle area, connected to Iquitos by the only road that is here. We hire a point of electricity, so we have electricity all day in all the facilities, and you can receive internet through the wifi  (the internet signal is not like in the cities, it has an average speed and sometimes it is unstable due to the rains, but it works well for simple tasks such as chats, social media or internet searches).

Regarding the property, we have built approximately one fifth of the land, leaving the trees as they were and building in certain spaces the animal areas, the houses where we live and the structures made with wood and noble material where we have the kitchen, the dining room, and the recreation area, these are exterior structures where you can be very comfortable. All the rest of the land is still untouched jungle; there we hike to the creek that is at the end of the land.

Accommodation also includes free use of laundry machine. Each volunteer is assigned a room where there may be other volunteers as well. The rooms are made of noble material and wood, there are bunk beds, with fan. They are very fresh and have anti-bugs nets on windows and on the beds.

We have comfortable structures to stay and at the same time we are completely surrounded by the sounds of the jungle and trees, so we
guarantee the jungle experience. In addition, the days you decide to take free, you can go anywhere; the road connects us to all the
tourist places of Iquitos. Including the Pacaya Samiria Reserve, this 
is 4 hours by road and river. 

Food & Beverages

The fee includes:

  • Breakfast, we serve fruit juice and pancakes, apart of that you can make free use of the kitchen and ingredients to prepare or serve a complete breakfast.
  • Typical Peruvian lunch: main course, fruits and drink at 12:30 pm
  • Dinner: sandwiches, soups, salads or pasta, at 6:00 pm (also, free use of the kitchen and ingredients to prepare something additional if you want).

Breakfast: 

Breakfast is self-service, you will have a stock of ingredients in the volunteer dining room that you can help yourself to.

Eggs, tinned evaporated milk, tinned soy milk, bread  rolls, dairy yogurt, jam, margarine, oatmeal, roasted coffee, soda crackers, corn flakes cereal, sugar, selection of herbal teas.

SEASON DEPENDANT: A tray of fruit such as apples, bananas, papaya or tangerines is placed on the dining room table, depending on availability

A few days a week, around 7:30 am, our cook serves fruit juice and pancakes.

Lunch and dinner: 

Food is prepared by the RAREC kitchen, and served in the volunteer dining room. Most meals consist of rice, beans, lentils, chickpeas, split peas, pasta or quinoa, eggs, chicken and sometimes beef and pork or fish depending on their availability.

In addition, if you want to prepare something else, there will usually be the following items in stock:

Vegetable oil, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, baking powder, soy sauce, white vinegar, red vinegar, garlic, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, rice, wheat flour, corn flour, popcorn, ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard and chili sauce.

We do not serve desserts. But there is usually jelly or rice pudding in the fridge to eat when desired. 

For vegetarians, the menu includes soy meat or vegetable stews such as mushrooms, carrots, green beans, onions, tomatoes, broccoli, as well as eggs and cheese.

Take into account our recommendations:

We can serve:

  • People without dietary restrictions.

  • Vegetarian (take into account that there is not much variety, for long stays).

  • Nut allergy (no airborne) 

  • Allergic to gluten or celiacs (take into account that we do not have a variety of gluten-free products, that is, we do not serve gluten-free bread, or if there is pasta, we do not serve gluten-free pasta, instead we serve rice).

  • Kosher and Halal (take into account that there is not much variety, for long stays).

We can serve, but you need to bring your food supplements:

  • Vegan (you need to bring your own protein options, take into account that there is not much variety, for long stays).

We cannot attend:

  • People with allergies to various foods, combinations of different allergies and preferences are often hard to accommodate.

  • Picky eaters

  • Nut allergy (airborne), we cannot guarantee that the sites that we work at will be nut-free.

  • Any reaction so severe that trace contaminants would cause reaction

Internet Access

Good access at the project site

What's NOT included?

What's NOT included?

Flight Tickets

The nearest airport is C.F. Secada Vignetta International Airport (IQT) in Iquitos. We assist you to find cheap flights to Peru. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

Travel Insurance

Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Peru provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

Vaccines

If you are intending to volunteer in Peru you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Peru. VACCINE CHECKER

Details on arrival

The volunteers can join the program throughout the year. The initial dates are Mondays and Fridays.

The rainy months are from December to February, the rest of the year is very hot.

Visit the Amazon River to track the rehabilitated amazonian manatees returned to the wild for 4 days stay in a lodge in the jungle! (for stays minimum of 4 weeks).

Visit the Amazon River in a boat ride to watch dolphins (for stays minimum 1 week)

Availability
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Program fees

1 week (min. stay) 475€
2 weeks 951€
3 weeks 1,385€
4 weeks 1,793€
5 weeks 2,207€
6 weeks 2,607€
7 weeks 2,947€
8 weeks 3,259€
9 weeks 3,544€
10 weeks 3,802€
11 weeks 4,033€
12 weeks (max. stay) 4,237€
Average fees 414€/week

Program fees

414€ per week 1 - 12 weeks Age 18 - 50+

Payment methods

Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

NO CREDIT CARD FEES


Duration

1 - 12 weeks

Deposit

The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.


Final Payment

Your final payment will be agreed with RAREC during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.


Meet your organization

RAREC

Brilliant 4.7 rating (44 reviews)

Non-profit - founded in 2011

Verified by Volunteer World

  Very high response rate

Coordinated by

Kathya

Spoken languages: Spanish, English

About the project

Working together with the local community, we have built a center for wildlife rescue and environmental education, in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon.

Meet your organization

Presentation

Around the world, many species are being threatened by illegal hunting and poaching -- and the threat grows more dire every day. The international demand for hides, skins, meat, and other products have caused an increase in depredation of wildlife, and too many species are being decimated to unsustainable levels. Many key species in the Amazon regions in Peru are currently in jeopardy, and along with them, the existence of the ecosystems they support. 
 
This has inspired the creation of RAREC. RAREC is a wildlife rescue center, and our core program is the rescue and rehabilitation of confiscated or injured species for future release. Our center also serves as a research facility for amazonian wildlife, with the goal of protecting existing wildlife populations. 

Ex situ conservation is not a viable permanent alternative to on-site programs. Our base for field operations is our rescue center, which serves as a protected sanctuary, with programs aimed to revitalize populations through rescue, rehabilitation, and reintroduction to the species' regular environment. We aim to replicate the success of similar programs abroad; build a strong support system ingrained into an ecosystem for conservation efforts is the best method for those species to regain a solid footing in their habitat of origin 
 
Locally, there is little awareness about the plight of the species, its importance to the ecosystem, or its protected status. Thus, RAREC's rescue and rehabilitation program is complemented with our youth education program, our program for training in alternative sources of income, and our medical campaign programs. Our focus is the people living in the remote communities of the Amazon. By offering them viable alternatives to poaching, and by offering them an incentive to become involved in conservation, we will help protect the wildlife living in the vicinity of these communities. 
 
Programs focused on environmental education and sustainable development are the most important aspect of our mission statement, and will become key to reaching an understanding with the local community, as we emphasize the important of conservation efforts, and how precious the commitment to conservation should be to all of us. 

Target

We hope that our efforts attract the attention of researchers (local and foreign) in the areas of biology, conservation, or environmental sciences for internships programs, and volunteers who wish to contribute to the preservation of Amazonian ecosystem, while providing a platform for the investigative research of the species, and a comfortable place to stay from where you can go sightseeing in different places of the Peruvian Amazon. 
 
We also hope to attract tourists, the general public interested in interacting with nature and learning about the importance of rainforest flora and fauna in modern society. Our tourismrelated programs are for informative and educational purposes only. We seek to spread awareness of the plight of many of the local species, and of the importance that they have within our ecosystem. 
 
Finally, we seek to reach out to the local population, especially school-age children. Campaigns will be targeted to educate the local people on the benefits of stable wildlife management practices, so that sustainability can be achieved. 
 
 
Goals

General Goal
Create a rescue center for wildlife in the Loreto region, in which confiscated, injured, or abandoned wild animals can be treated and rehabilitated for reinstatement into the wild; a center that will become self-sustainable by functioning as an educational facility and a tourist attraction; and a center which can also serve as a base of research operations and lodging for academics, conservationists, and educators interested in our on-site programs. 
 
Specific Goals
Rescue and reintegrate at-risk fauna, and restore natural habitats for ex situ conservation. 
Promote breeding of indigenous wildlife to repopulate declining communities. Raising awareness public about caring for wild animals in order to promote an understanding of the value of conservation of wildlife. 
Promote skill-training for starting and experienced professionals of different disciplines in rainforest wildlife rescue, while promoting research on maintaining sustainable habitats, and healthy populations. 
Offering the academic community a site of interest for the research and development of zoological, biological, and environmental theories and practices. We also provide training, related to the management and conservation of wildlife indigenous to the Amazon’s watershed. 
Create educational programs for school-age children, youth, families, and senior citizens, focused on biodiversity, conservation, natural resource, and traditional medicine education. 
Enable volunteer programs to help achieve the objectives of the center and allow direct learning and skill-training courses in management, caretaking and conservation of wildlife. 
 
 
 

44 reviews · rating4.7

The name of the program is very appropriate, you live you love, and you learn! I spent a month volunteering at RAREC. I’m so glad that I chose this organization. If you truly want to be part of the conservation effort to save the Amazon, you will be in your correct element. While you are there, ...
Evie A rating5

2023 at Wildlife Caretaker Volunteer

Had an amazing time volunteering at Rarec, working with monkeys, manatees and cats! All the staff were incredibly friendly and happy to help. I felt safe throughout my visit and very ...
Marion Lappat rating5

2023 at Wildlife Caretaker Volunteer

I was 3 weeks in April at RAREC and it was such a great experience. 100%worth it. I met a lot of interesting and friendly people, was able to work for and with wonderful animals and could make the experience to live in the Amazonas ...
Linda Elisa Alieri rating5

2022 at Wildlife Caretaker Volunteer

I had an amazing experience, one of the most intense and exciting time of my life. I spent three weeks in RAREC, a wonderful place in the middle of the jungle, surrounded by nature, animals, plants, and super nice people. The work I did during my stay made me feel useful in the wildlife and ...
Andrew Flack rating3

2022 at Wildlife Caretaker Volunteer

I have mixed feelings about my time at RAREC. I really enjoyed working with the animals, and I felt that I was contributing to their well-being and rehabilitation quite well. It was very interesting - an escaped spider monkey caused some chaos for several days, the electrical system was quite ...
Eric Boberg rating5

2022 at Wildlife Caretaker Volunteer

Shortly after retiring, I spent 4 weeks at RAREC, and it was an incredible experience. It was hard work for an older city slicker, but so rewarding. This is not for everyone. The focus is on service to the animals, not photo ops. But the more you give, the more you get back. The staff, interns, ...

Location

Americas > South America > Peru > Iquitos

You might also be interested in

Contact Kathya
  Very high response rate
Spanish, English

Most volunteers ask about


Do you have any more questions? Send a message to Kathya
Please do not share personal contact details for your privacy