Wildlife Rehabilitation Supporter
Coordinator | Marion
Coordinator | Marion
Book with Flex Option!
Choose new departure dates or change to a different volunteer program at no extra costs.
Highlights
Learn more about the unique biodiversity of Costa Rica
Experience the relaxed "tica way of life"! Tica refers to how the Costa Rican call themselves :-)
Explore amazing landscapes
Get more passionate about animal protection
Boost your CV with international volunteer experience
Support wildlife protection in Costa Rica. Help provide care for exotic rescued animals in this meaningful wildlife sanctuary.
This volunteer program is especially suitable for:
This volunteer program is especially suitable for:
Age 20+
Singles
Couples
Groups
50+
The volunteer project takes place in a non-profit organization that runds an amazing wildlife sanctuary based in Costa
Rica. It focuses on rescuing and rehabilitating local wildlife. The continous environmantal destruction is also a main concern of the project, so it is also dedicated to finding long-term solutions to the
problems our planet earth is facing. They complement the rescue and
release programs for local wildlife with community work and environmental education programs for young and old. The goal is to increasingly sensitize local communities to the topic of environmental protection.
The wildlife sanctuary borders the Cabo Blanco nature reserve. Cabo Blanco is considered a pioneer in nature conservation. The current area of the park was declared a protected area in Costa Rica in 1963, making it the country's first protected area. The reserve is located on the southern tip of the beautiful Nicoya Peninsula. In total, it protects 1,788 hectares of sea and 1,270 hectares of tropical forest, where not only many people live, but where also native and endangered animal species find a home. It is one of the most important wildlife habitats in Costa Rica.
The
rescue and release center cares for a wide variety of animals. Among them you can find: different kind of monkeys, anteaters, opossums, squirrels, birds, iguanas, and more! With a dedicated and
well-trained team of volunteers, biologists, veterinarians and students,
the center works to provide the best possible care for each of these animals.
Animals that are sick, injured and orphaned for a wide
variety of reasons, most of which are directly or indirectly caused by
human activity, are cared for every day. Although many of the animals end
up being released back into the wild, others need to remain in the
center. Those animals that remain, help accomplish a mission by being a
part of the education program that aims to create awareness and to teach
people to respect nature and animals.
Activities
Sloth Sanctuary
Monkey Conservation
Reptile Conservation
Anteater Conservation
Bird Conservation
Yoga
Two-toed Sloth
Woolly Monkey
Spider Monkey
Iguana
Giant Anteater
Animal Sanctuary
Parrot
Typical day
An average week for a volunteer depends on the time commitment you are able to make. All volunteers begin in Level 1, doing tasks such as cleaning, preparing food for animals, doing maintenance and making enrichment for the animals in care. Level 2 volunteers may enter enclosures for raking and leaf hanging, etc and will be closer to the animals. Level 3 and above involve hand feeding animals and remedial medical care such as administering medicine, wound care, force feeding and tube feeding. The levels can be attained by training and passing tests. Advancement also depends on the amount of volunteers compared to the amount of animals in care. As the priority is to benefit the animals under care, longer term volunteers will have first priority and the most responsibility if desired. Do not expect to advance to the highest levels unless you commit to 6 weeks or longer.
As a volunteer, you should have a genuine desire to work hard and understand the animals’ situation, since you will be responsible for the welfare and day-to-day care of them. You will not only be involved in daily care and cleaning duties, but also in construction and maintenance work that aim to improve their living conditions. The rescue center also releases animals that are ready to be reintroduced to their natural habitat.
The animals, especially the monkeys, love to play. Volunteers always have a lot of fun designing and creating toys for the animals to play with. This helps the animals overcome the traumatic experiences that they had in the past and reminds the staff and volunteers how lucky they are to have a center for these precious animals.
Further, the wildlife sanctuary supports education programs as a fundamental part of their conservation efforts. The goal is to inspire and educate the local community, students, and guests visiting from all over the world in order to bring a greater understanding of the importance of protecting the ecosystem and how its health affects humans.
The longer you commit to be a volunteer at this project, the more likely it will be that you will hand feed animals. This is based on need and competency. It cannot be guaranteed.
Free-time activities
Weekends are the perfect time to enjoy an exciting hike through Costa Rican
nature since the main attractions of Costa Rica is its system of national parks
and protected areas, which cover around 25% of the national territory, in order
to protect the rich variety of flora and fauna, which is estimated to contain
5% of the world's biodiversity in less than 0.1% of the planet's land mass. In
addition, Costa Rica has countless amazing beaches.
Costa Rica is the perfect place to combine volunteer work with tourism, enjoy
activities like:
-
Adventure sport
- Dream beaches
- Ecotourism
- Local culture
- Bird / wildlife watching
- Visits to unique National Parks
- Rural tourism
- Sightseeing and history in San José
Climbing
Concert/
Music
Music
Hiking
Riding
Safari/
Zoo
Zoo
Sports
Swimming
Yoga/
Meditation
Meditation
Requirements
In order to join the program you need to be at least 20 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.
You need to speak Spanish (basic level)
or English (basic level)
at High School level
CV, Registration From, Tuberculosis test (Mantoux skin test) within 3 months before the start of the project. This is to protect the primates and who are very susceptible to tuberculosis.
No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.
Your helping hand will be required on
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
What's Included
- Accommodation in dormitory (volunteer house)
- Full-board (3 meals/day)
- Airport pick-up in San José and transfer to your accommodation in San José
- 2 overnight stays in San José (upon arrival)
- Transfer from San José to the project site in a private car
- Orientation session upon arrival
- Local support
- Consultation from our experienced staff
- Volunteer Work Placement
- 24/7 Emergency Number
- Advice regarding travel and insurance
- Certificate of Participation
You will be picked up
from the airport and stay in a homestay in San José for between 1 and 2 nights, depending on your arrival day. After your orientation seesion, a
transfer will bring you to the bus station for your journey to the project
site (the costs for the bus to the project site is not included).
Important: The check-in and check-out dates for the volunteer project are always on a Sunday. Due to the distance between the San José airport and the project you have to consider at least 1 day for arrvial and departure!
During your volunteer work you will
live in the volunteer house.
Living together with other volunteers is a wonderful
way to interact with other like-minded people from all over the worls. Bathrooms are shared and separated by men and women.
Full-board is provided (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Good access at the project site
Visa, flights, travel insurance or vaccinations are NOT included in the program fees.
The nearest airport is Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) in San Jose. We assist you to find cheap flights to Costa Rica.
Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Costa Rica provides security and is a plus to have.
If you are intending to volunteer in Costa Rica you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Costa Rica.
Dates & Fees
NO CREDIT CARD FEES
Details on arrival
The volunteer work can be joined throughout the year. The start and end date need to be on a Sunday. Your arrival to San José/Costa Rica needs to be between Friday and Saturday, so you can continue your trip to the project site on the Sunday. The overnight stay/s in San José are part of the services of the program and of the program costs.
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
4 - 24 weeks
Program fees
4 weeks
(min. stay)
$1,625
5 weeks
$1,925
6 weeks
$2,225
7 weeks
$2,525
8 weeks
$2,825
24 weeks
(max. stay)
$7,625
Average fees
$362
/week
Please note that the above shown program fees are estimated.
South America Inside
will let you know about the final price during your application process.
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.
Your final payment will be agreed with South America Inside during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.
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- including all necessary payments. Planning your next meaningful trip with Volunteer World gives you free access to our:
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Wildlife Rehabilitation Supporter
Support wildlife protection in Costa Rica. Help provide care for exotic rescued animals in this meaningful wildlife sanctuary.
$362/week
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