wild life rescue center
general overview
You will work with rescued, mistreated and injured animals on Costa Rica’s laid-back Caribbean coastline, where reggae music fills the air and surfers line up on the horizon. Based just 4km from Puerto Viejo, a traveler hangout with a bohemian vibe, where tie-dye rules and Creole street food sizzles, you’ll help to rehabilitate the animals and re-introduce them to their natural habitat in a controlled, safe manner.
| Title | Address | Description |
|---|---|---|
Costa Rica | In front of Villas del Caribe, Limón, Punta Cocles, Costa Rica |
Puerto viejo
MINIMUM 4 WEEKS
wildlife conservation
1°TIME VOLUNTEER
no SPANISH NEEDED
+18 YEARS OLD
Animal Rescue center
On the carribean Coast of Costa Rica
As a volunteer, you’ll work with monkeys, wild cats, sloths, racoons, anteaters and marsupials, so its safe to say that every day will bring new surprises. Your responsibilities will include everything from diet preparation to cleaning, monitoring and, finally, accompanying the animals as they are slowly re-introduced back into the wild.
What is included?
- Project donation
- Orientation meeting
- Local support volunteer coordinator
- 21 nights accommodation in dorms at the project
- 7 nights accommodation in dorms at the release center
What is NOT included?
- Meals
- Getting to the proyect
- Medical insurance (mandatory to confirm the reservation)
What to consider…
- Projects starts on Mondays.
-
Located close to the town of Puerto Viejo
- Available all year round
- Longer stays are possible
- Poor WiFi
- Work can be physically demanding
- Travel/health insurance is mandatory
- Tuberculosis test is mandatory
- Kitchen available
- Maximum of 25 volunteers
VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES
• Cleaning and reparation of the facilities and different areas
• Maintenance of pathways and areas around animals
• Diet Preparation and assistance to the keepers
• Attending to visitors, guiding them
• Training and Observation
• Help caring for animals
Activities in the Release Center
• Helping to clean and maintain the site and animal enclosures
• Preparing animal food feeding the animals
• Keeping trials clear
• Both captive and wild animal monitoring
A TYPICAL SCHEDULE
AS A VOLUNTEER
On your arrival day (a Sunday) you will meet the other volunteers that are already there and the some of the staff. You can use the rest of the day to visit the town and get settled in. Your orientation meeting and training will start Monday at 11 am where you will be introduced to the other volunteers and join a tour of 90 min of the Center with tourists. After that your volunteer manager will get you started.
During the following weeks, the work can include a broad range of tasks, from doing the dishes and cleaning up after the animals (which is a constant!), to building and remodeling enclosures, or baby-sitting a new arrival to ease the stress of their new environment.
On the last week, on Monday you will transfer to the Release Center, located close to the rescue center but far away so the animals can find their way back to nature. You will be accompanying animals into their reintroduction process, visual tracking and making written comments for a final report on the state of the reintroduction.
WHAT TO DO IN
YOUR FREE TIME
Hit the beach at Playa Cocles, Playa Chiquita and Punta Uva, all just a short tuk-tuk ride away. On these beaches, you’ll find yourself in a postcard-perfect paradise with swaying coconut palms and golden sands.
Reef snorkeling. Transparent waters, vibrant coral reefs and a myriad of multi-colored marine creates make snorkeling around Puerto Viejo a must.
An hour away from Puerto Viejo, the tiny beach town of Cahuita is a wonderful place to explore, perched on the coastline right next to a stunning national park with shady hiking trails and playful monkeys.
Feast on fresh seafood in the sunshine, packed with Caribbean flavours and the taste of the ocean. There’s no better way to celebrate an evening off.
The ACCOMMODATION
• The accommodation at the rescue center has 6 rooms with 4 beds
• The accommodation at the release center has 6 rooms with 2 beds
• There are 3 shared bathrooms
• Bed linen & towels are included.
• Meals are not included and can be prepared in the communal kitchen of your accommodation.
• There is no TV.
• There is no mobile phone signal nor Wifi.
• An emergency phone is available.
• Volunteers are in charge of the cleaning.
about Puerto Viejo
Puerto Viejo is a much-loved beach town perched on the shore of the Caribbean in the south of Costa Rica. With a laid-back, lively Creole culture and reggae music permanently drifting through the air, it’s somewhere very easy to get beautifully stuck for a while. The vibe is bohemian through and through, with surfers, hippies and locals all living together peacefully in the sunshine. Expect tie-dye, dreadlocks and a big-hearted welcome.
The Creole influence comes from the Jamaican immigrants that arrived in Costa Rica to work on the railways in 1900, and the flavour of Puerto Viejo is firmly rasta.
The nearby Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildife Reserve offers great opportunities for hiking, kayaking and snorkeling in the tropical waters. There are also several protected beaches where sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. Though the beaches in town are not the best for swimming and sunbathing, head east and you´ll find golden stretches of sand, complete with swaying palms and turquoise waters. The nicest are Playa Cocles, Playa Chiquita and Punta Uva, both just a short tuk-tuk ride away. Slightly further afield the tiny beach town of Cahuita situated right next to a stunning national park with the same name is a great place to relax.
Due to its tropical climate, Puerto Viejo gets its fair share of rain, making the weather slightly unpredictable on a year-round basis. However, the showers are always followed by bright bouts of sunshine and they keep the surrounding forests lush and green.