animals
ecuador
intermediate english
From 2 to 12 weeks
Minimum age: 18 YO
The animal rescue center is a non-profit foundation. The animals at the center have all been abused, neglected or abandoned. Some of the animals were orphaned when their parents were killed by hunters, others were rescued from animal dealers and some have been removed from families who had kept these animals in captivity. This project offers a unique opportunity for volunteers to work for and protect a large number of wild animals whilst living in a beautiful part of the Amazon rainforest.
On Monday to Friday you will work from 8.00am to 12.00pm and from 2.30pm to 5.00pm. In the weekends you will work one day for a few hours because the animals still need to be feed.
Volunteers are needed to help in the following activities:
-Day to day care of the animals
-Cutting up fruit, preparation of diets, feeding the animals
- Helping new arrivals adjust to the center
-General maintenance and cleaning
- Construction work; repairing and building new enclosures
- Cage and enclosure enrichment
- Assisting the vet when necessary
- Other activities such as gardening, improving trails, making signs for visitors
Hi, my name is Stephany. I worked for 5 weeks as a volunteer at the animal rescue center. The day started with cutting fruit and preparing all the different diets of the animals. Then the group was divided into three smaller groups: Birds, Mammals and Monkeys. Before feeding the animals we went inside the cage to prepare the cage for the new meal. After this it was time to feed the animals their breakfast. Then we were free until 2.30pm and enjoyed a nice lunch. In the afternoon we went to feed the animals their lunch and do some extra work. This could be anything such as general maintenance, helping the new arrivals to adjust to the center, repairing and building new enclosures, gardening or improving the trails. They also highly appreciated when I came up with my own ideas. It was an amazing experience to work with all the different animals in the center.
Accommodation
There are cabins with dorm rooms offering space for up to 24 people in total. There is a shared kitchen, bathroom and social area with TV and DVD player, hammocks and books. You will be provided with bedding and will even have access to a swimming pool and wi-fi. Accommodation is basic and it is your duty to keep your living area clean.
Transport
From Quito it will take around the 4/5 hours to reach Puyo. In Puyo you have to take a taxi to the project, the ride will be around the 10 minutes and it should cost you $3.00. There is no transport necessary to get to work every day because you will stay at the center. Meals
At the project you will receive three meals a day (from Monday to Friday).However in the weekends you have to arrange the meals yourself. There is a fully equipped kitchen available for you to use, or you can have dinner in town.
Donations
The project is always happy with donations to improve the center. However, always contact our volunteer coordinator to check on the needs of the project.
Vaccinations
Before travelling visit your local travel doctor for more information on required vaccinations and recommendations. Do not forget to bring your original yellow fever certificate and vaccinations booklet as they may ask for it on border crossings to other South American countries. Especially Costa Rica and Brazil are known to request it upon boarding or otherwise you cannot enter the country.
Important documents
Make copies of your important documents and leave them with your contact person back home. It´s also a good idea to scan your important documents and email them to yourself and to your contact person back home. In this way you always have copies on your email of the most important documents.
Money and credit cards
In Ecuador we use US Dollars and the easiest way to get them is by taking it out of a cash machine. Check with your bank that all your debit and credit cards work in Ecuador and what your daily limit is. If you want to bring cash dollars already from your home country, ask your bank to give you small notes, with the highest denomination being $20. Not many stores will accept $50 or $100 notes. Bringing a credit card is useful, especially in emergencies. Check your credit limit before with your bank as with an emergency such as being operated in a hospital or having to buy last minute flight tickets you will need an amount of $4000.
– From 18 years old
– Spanish level: basic/intermediate
– Registration form with your contact information and travel dates (which we will send by email)
– tickets for the flight.
– Dietary requirements / allergies
– Passport copy
