About the Wildlife Rescue Volunteer Project
This Wildlife Rescue centre rescues injured and abandoned animals with the aim of returning them to the wild as soon as they are fit and able. For those who can no longer fend for themselves in the wild, we make them as comfortable as possible and hope that their presence will help to educate others of the dangers these precious animals face and what we can do to live more harmoniously with them in nature.
Volunteers are welcome all year round to help at the centre with the animals and also in the community.
Volunteers can join for 2 weeks up to 12 weeks in duration. Volunteers work up to 8 hours each day 6 days a week.
Duties may include but are not limited to:
- Animal diet preparation
- Feeding pre-release animals
- Enclosure cleaning and maintenance
- Making enrichment for animals
- Grounds maintenance and gardening
- Foraging for leaves and branches
- Sign painting
- Photography (under the reserve’s T&Cs)
You may also take part in the following (depending on need and competency):
- Nursery animal handling
- Syringe and bottle feeding
- ICU record keeping
- Wound care
- Administering medicine
And we also offer Long Term Volunteer positions for 12 weeks which are greatly discounted in cost. You must be over 18 years to apply. Duties are all of the above in addition to:
- Force feeding*
- Tube feeding*
- Animal restraint*
- Other duties, as needs dictate
*As long as the volunteer is willing to be trained and shows competence
Volunteers will also be assigned to tasks according to their own specialised skills when possible. Volunteering also comes with waterfall hikes, tidal pools, and beach outings around the Nicoya Peninsula.
Please note that this is a rescue centre, not a petting zoo.
While the idea of being up close and personal with wild animals is exciting, we require our volunteers to be fully dedicated to the rehabilitation and safety of every animal in our custody. We receive many hurt animals that are beyond saving, despite our best efforts. This can be heartbreaking work. We expect each volunteer to be fully committed to the causes which we represent. The goal for all of our animals is release. We’ve released howlers, capuchins, anteaters, deer, kinkajous, coatis, skunks, opossums, squirrels, and many more.
Special note: All decisions regarding animals are strictly for their welfare. Since our aim is to release all animals as soon as possible, human contact will be limited to the bare minimum. Consistency of care reduces stress on recovering wildlife. This means that when volunteers must come in contact with the animals themselves, priority will be given to longer term volunteers who have been trained for such situations. As a short term volunteer, do not expect to touch animals at all unless it becomes necessary. It’s not about us. It’s about saving and conserving wildlife.
About the Rescue Centre
Nestled in the foothills of the Cabo Blanco National Park in Costa Rica is where you’ll find this Wildlife Rescue Centre – the hidden gem of the Nicoya Peninsula. Immersed in incredible natural beauty, this centre is the Costa Rican getaway you’ve always dreamed of. Whether gazing upon jungle views from our gorgeous yoga deck, enjoying the ocean views from the infinity pool, or looking up at White-faced and Howler monkeys that grace our property on a daily basis, the centre is here to re-energise, reinvigorate and re-awaken the inner you.
“One of the incredible things about our project is that through education and our work to solve the problems wildlife face, we are having a positive impact on our environment every day. Our volunteers help with feeding and rehabbing so many animals which allows us time to focus on the problems themselves. How do we stop monkey electrocution? Which locally extinct animals should we reintroduce to have the most profound impact on restoring balance to our ecosystem? This is the difference our volunteers have made.” – Project Director
