Your days are a blend of structured husbandry, professional conservation operations, and community outreach. The morning begins early in the tropical humidity; if you are on the nursery shift, you start with the early feeding for orphaned infants like pangolin pups or small primates. Otherwise, you can take a gym session or a morning swim in the Atlantic Ocean, just 100 meters away. Our working day starts at 8.00am when the local staff arrives and we hold a morning meeting to discuss animal health updates and medical priorities. Following this, the team moves into essential sanitation, cleaning the quarantine units, clinic, and nursery, while checking all sanctuary enclosures for security.
Feeding time follows, where we prepare specialized diets for our 150+ residents, including pangolins, antelopes, birds, small carnivores, and our dwarf and nile crocodiles. After a quick breakfast break at 10:00am, we move into general operations. You might assist with enclosure repairs, construction, or specialized animal care. We are also looking to expand our on-site gardening and more art/decoration into the sanctuary, so volunteers with a green thumb or creative skills are highly encouraged to help us beautify the space and grow supplemental food for the animals (and us).
Lunchbreak is from 12:00 - 1:30pm at the Libassa Ecolodge, where fresh meals are prepared for the team and you can cool off in the pool. In the afternoons, the focus often shifts to our broader mission. We are currently developing more robust educational programs for visiting schools and universities, and we need help designing these curricula and teaching awareness regarding the illegal wildlife trade. You may also find yourself creating social media content, attending meetings with local partners, or driving into Monrovia for supplies and government meetings.
While the work is endless, we remain on call for wildlife arrests and emergency rescues, with animal releases typically occurring once or twice per month. At 5pm we finish the day, you can choose to eat at the lodge or use the volunteer kitchen. Evenings are for unwinding—relaxing at the pool or beach, reading, watching movies.. You have one day off per week. Wherever we go, we can take you, but we cannot offer any trips - it's dependent on our availability.
