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Road to Freedom Internship

5.0
(15 reviews)15

The experience

Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center receives hundreds of primates and other animals that have been rescued from the pet trade, injured, sick, or orphaned. It is at Bosque Escondidoour wildlife refuge that we see the fruition of our team’s hard work, and aid the animals in their release and second chance at life in the wild, the final step on their Road to Freedom.

What you offer

32 hours of help per week

Animal Care: Help look after and take care of animals.

Additional fee required

Amount: US$ 495 Per week

Fee pays for: Benefits for travelers, Materials for volunteer activities, and Donation to project

Description: This is the lowest fee. Fees vary depending on length of stay. We will send a brochure explaining fee structure.

What you get

2 days off per week

Shared Dorm: You will have a bed in a shared room, which means you will share the same room with other travelers.

Team Dorm: You will have a bed in a shared room, which means you will share the same room with other people.

Breakfast: You are entitled to a free breakfast, every day of your stay.

Lunch: You are entitled to a free lunch, every day of your stay.

Dinner: You are entitled to a free dinner, every day of your stay.

Free Laundry: You can use our laundry room freely.

Free Tours: We’ll take you on tours and rides around town. For free!

Free Events: Get free entrance for the best events in town.

Use our equipped kitchen: Feel free to use our kitchen and make your own delicious food.

Certificate: Get a certificate of completion after you finish your experience.

Requirements

Intermediate English or Intermediate Spanish

Over 18 years old

Welcomes solo volunteers, couples, and partners of volunteers

What's not included

Flights, Travel Insurance, Internal Transportation and Visa

Program Details

What you will be doing:
- Working with teams to monitor and release critically endangered and rescued Spider Monkeys, Howler Monkeys, Capuchin Monkeys, Peccaries, Macaws, Parrots
- Collecting data during the prerelease process to help us determine release fitness
- Monitor the animals post-release to ensure their long-term survival
- Prepare food, refill wildlife feeding stations, and quantify how much has been eaten
- Conceptualize, create, and implement environmental enrichment activities for the animals in pre-release
- Identify and collect natural foods to teach the animals to forage for food post-release

Personal Project: Volunteers who stay 8 weeks or more can create & carry out a personal project based on an area of their interest or conduct research for your university
*Please note there is a fee to participate in this internship and vary depending on length of stay

Activities & Shift

Example Schedule
Every day is different, but here is a sample of what you might expect:

6:00 - 7:00: Collect natural foods for the animals in prerelease habitats
7:00 - 8:00: Observe macaws, parrots, or monkeys at the feeding stations and record data
8:00 - 9:00: Breakfast
9:00 - 12:00: Create and implement environmental enrichment for animals in prerelease habitats
1:00 - 2:00: Lunch
2:00 - 4:30: Tracking and data collection of Spider Monkey troops

Feel free to watch our new internship video on our YouTube channel [@Rescatewildlife] to get some visual impressions!

Rules

Requirements:
- Interest in Conservation, Endangered Species Rehabilitation, Biology, Ecology, and/or Forestry
- Respect for and commitment to Rescate aims, objectives, and ethos
- A positive “can-do” attitude and the ability to work well in a globally diverse team environment
- The ability to work calmly around animals in a respectful and humane matter
- Moderate degree of physical fitness