VOLUNTEERING COSTA RICA

WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

Would you like to help? exotic wild animals a species-appropriate life? Do you care about animal welfare and want to give them a second chance? Are you a real nature fan and have you always wanted to live in the middle of nature? In our wildlife project in PuntarenasCosta Rica, you can combine all this and much more. The project is home to over 600 animals that can no longer survive without the help of humans and gives them a new and species-appropriate home. Help give the animals a second chance and create a life worth living for them. Here you have the unique opportunity to help exotic animals such as the Jaguar, tapir, sloth and many more and take care of them. Are you also interested in species conservation? Then you can help to protect the Aras from extinction and increase the population of the large colorful parrots.

Quick Facts

Type of program
Sanctuary for wild animals
Program location
Puntarenas
, Costa Rica
Working hours
approx. 7.5 hours , 6 days
Program start
Every 1st Saturday of the month
Minimum age
18 years
Language
No knowledge
Prerequisites
Animal lover, nature lover
Location
Jungle, Rural
Accommodation
Multi-bed room
Catering
Included
Support
German-speaking contact person via WhatsApp
Internet
Mobile Internet and WLAN
Price
Multi-bed room
Base price 1st program: 1630,00 €
Extension month: 1090,00 €

Project description

Our partner organization in beautiful Puntarenas is home to over 600 wild animals on an 18-hectare site in the middle of nature. It is mainly animals that can no longer survive in the wild without help that find a home there. new home. The large enclosures are beautifully designed and the animals have enough space for a species-appropriate life. The Mission of the Wildlife Sanctuary is to value every animal's life and give them a second chance at a species-appropriate life.

In Costa Rica, as in other Latin American countries, it is still common practice, Parrots as pets to keep. There are fewer and fewer animals living in the wild and their natural habitat is constantly shrinking. The Reception center for wild animals was therefore founded in 1994 with the aim of saving the red macaw from extinction. The beautiful large parrots were almost extinct in Costa Rica at the time. extinctbut thanks to this project, they have been reintroduced to the region. The organization wants to continue to combat the threat to these majestic animals and has set up its own project for the conservation of red and green macaws. The scarlet macaw and the green macaw are the second largest parrots in the world and fascinate every observer with their beautiful colorful plumage.

In the years that followed, the inhabitants of the surrounding area and the police became more and more orphaned or Injured animals brought to the project, wild animals that were kept illegally as pets or transported illegally at the airport. Such as the Jaguar siblingswhich were brought to the Wildlife Sanctuary as babies because their mother was shot by a farmer. Gradually, the sanctuary has grown and is now home not only to parrots, but also to many other wild animals such as monkeys, sloths, toucans, jaguars, pumas, ocelots, coatis, tapirs and many more. You will not only find medically treated, fed and cared forbut are given a second chance at a happy and species-appropriate life. The enclosures are very large and well-maintained and with the trees and plants of their natural habitat planted so that they feel completely at home and have plenty of space. Large areas were purchased and reforested by the organization for this purpose. The sloths and tapirs, for example, can move freely between the other enclosures.

In addition, daily Visitors to the beautiful sanctuary to admire the exotic animals. There are daily tours of the grounds by staff or volunteers and information is provided about nature and species conservation.

The Wildlife Sanctuary lives from the Help from volunteers. Without the support of volunteers, the employees would not be able to cope with the work. Every helping hand is needed, especially when it comes to feeding and caring for the animals. In addition to the team, around 20 volunteers from all over the world live in the project and make a huge contribution to Costa Rica's wildlife and species conservation.

Tasks

There is always something to do in the Wildlife Project, and you certainly won't get bored. You can help with many tasks and contribute according to your strengths and abilities. The various tasks are divided into four areas:

Feeding the animals. The animals are fed every morning and every afternoon. Here you will help prepare the food twice a day and bring it to the enclosures. The hungry inhabitants will be happily waiting for their feeding. You can also make the animals happy by hiding the food in toys, hanging leaves in the enclosures or decorating the enclosures with toys you have made yourself.

Cleaning and maintenance of the project site. The enclosures have to be cleaned daily so that the animals feel comfortable. Raking leaves, cleaning food and water points and mopping the floor are all part of the daily tasks. Of course, the enclosures, fences, signs and paths must be checked regularly. Here you can help with maintenance and put your manual skills to the test by building and decorating the enclosures. Give free rein to your creativity by painting signs or building animal toys.

The accommodation and communal areas on the project site also need to be cleaned. Once a week, everyone pitches in together and cleans the living areas.

Gardening and plants. Do you have green fingers? Then lend a hand with gardening and planting. The project is constantly planting new types of flowers and trees in the animal enclosures and on the grounds to bring the animals closer to their natural habitat and to beautify the reserve. You can get your hands dirty planting trees or weeding, for example, and do something good for the animals.

Visitor tours through the reserve. Visitors also come to the wildlife project every day to see the beautiful reserve and the rare animals. There are daily tours of one hour each, of which you are welcome to take one or two. Welcome the guests at the sanctuary and tell them all about the important work in the project. You can pass on the knowledge you have already acquired about the exotic animals to the visitors and guide them through the reserve.

Typical daily routine. Of course, not every day is the same, but to give you a better idea of your day at the sanctuary, we have described a typical daily routine: Your day starts at around 05:30. The morning feeding of the animals begins punctually at 6:00 am. This is followed by breakfast together. In the morning, various tasks from the four areas of responsibility are then completed. At around 12 noon, everyone has an hour's lunch break. This is followed by the second round of feeding. You finish work at around 3 p.m. and the rest of the day is at your disposal. You have one day a week off and can go on excursions.

Once a week, everyone only works until around 1 p.m. and a joint excursion is organized with the whole team.

Program location

Puntarenas

The wildlife project is located in the middle of nature, a few kilometers from the sea on the Pacific coast and about 15 km from the nearest town. During the rainy season, there is a beautiful river near the site where you can cool off and where campfires are often made. After work, the volunteers from all over the world do lots of things together, such as joint excursions into the countryside, games evenings or trips to one of the surrounding sandy beaches.

The project is remotely located in the forest, so the volunteers spend most of their time on the project site and in nature.

In your free time, you can visit a waterfall, go boating in Puntarenas, go on a snorkeling tour or go hiking, for example.

You can reach Puntarenas in around 45 minutes by cab. Located on the coast, the city is of great importance to the history of Costa Rica. The city is home to one of the country's most important ports and is also the most important fishing area. There are many restaurants, cafés and stores in the small town. There is also a ferry terminal in Puntarenas, which is the perfect starting point for exploring the Nicoya Peninsula and enjoying the white sandy beaches, surf spots and protected areas.

Prerequisites

You don't need any special qualifications for the project. You should have a passion for animals and the motivation to make a lasting improvement to the lives of wild animals. You should also be keen to learn lots of new things and be committed to protecting wild animals. Reliability, the ability to work in a team and openness towards a new culture and other people from all over the world are very important for participation.

You will be living with lots of people on the project site. It takes a little time to get used to it at the beginning. Once you get to know the other volunteers, however, it is a great experience and you have the opportunity to meet lots of new people and make friends.

Language

The national language in Costa Rica is Spanish. You do not need any knowledge of Spanish to take part in the program. The only requirement is that you can speak either English or Spanish in order to communicate with your colleagues and the project leaders. If you do not yet have any knowledge of Spanish, we recommend that you attend a language course at the beginning of the trip, which we will be happy to organize for you. You can also take the Spanish course during the project with a private teacher.

Accommodation and meals

You will sleep together with the other volunteers in a shared room on the project site. There can always be different numbers of international volunteers on site in the project, varying between 10 and 40 people. Up to 20 volunteers live together in the shared room. There is a separate area with showers and toilets. The showers only have cold water. The accommodation is very basic and furnished in a typical local style. The standard is not comparable to Germany, but you will quickly get used to it and will find everything you need to live there.

The project is located in the middle of the jungle, so it's not uncommon for an insect or two to find their way into your room. Living directly in the jungle is an experience for real outdoor fans: you will probably encounter scorpions, ants, snakes and cockroaches.

You will be provided with three meals a day and all meals are included. The meals are typical Costa Rican, with vegetarian dishes also available on request. The typical breakfast is "pinto", which is fried rice with beans. Rice, beans, vegetables, salad and meat are often served for lunch and dinner. Fresh fruit and coffee are also available. There are communal areas on the project site for eating and sitting together, as well as Wi-Fi. Washing machines and washing lines are also available for a small extra charge so that you can do your laundry on site.

The project site is quiet and secluded in the forest. On your day off, you can go on excursions in the surrounding area. There is a small supermarket 1 km from the project for small purchases.

Contact person

Lisa is German and emigrated to Costa Rica with her Costa Rican husband. She has visited the country several times before and is therefore already very familiar with the local culture, traditions and conditions. After falling in love with the country and its people, she decided to live where others go on vacation. In addition to German and English, she also speaks fluent Spanish. Lisa will be happy to welcome you to San José with her warm and cheerful manner and is keen to introduce you to her beautiful adopted country. As the local German contact person, she will answer all your questions and you can always approach her if you need help. Lisa will look after you during the introductory event in San José. If you have any questions during your stay in Latin America, a German-speaking contact person will be available to you via WhatsApp in the same time zone.

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Services and prices

Multi-bed room
Base price 1st program: 1630,00 €
Extension month: 1090,00 €

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