BOLIVIA - Work with Animals in a National Park

Location: Bolivia

Typical Duration of Program: 5-8 weeks

Dates: 4 weeks Minimum

South America Inside

Andrés de Fuenzalida 17, 0f. 51 Santiago, RM 7510077 Chile

Description

During your volunteer program you will work in a National Park in Amazon jungle of Bolivia where you will assist in caring for sick or wounded animals, preparing them to be reintroduced into their natural habitat in the wild. You will help to build houses and offices for the staff and volunteers, establish new trails and build cottages.

In addition, you will be in contact with many tourists giving them information about the park's projects and plans. During the peak season, the park can receive up to 1,500 visitors each month! It will be one of your many responsibilities to facilitate the communication between the tourists that come to explore the park and the workers, applying your multilingual knowledge of English and Spanish.

There are people of many different nationalities who work for the animal protection program as well as volunteers that come from all over the world. Learning about other cultures and local traditions will offer you a unique and wonderful experience at this diverse and amazing National Park.

The National Park is located about 4 hours from Cochabamba. It extends over an area of 36 hectares that was donated by the Bolivian government. Villa Tunari, the nearest town, is about one mile away from the park and has a population of approximately 4,000 inhabitants. There you can find restaurants and shops, as well as internet and bank machines. The area was designated a National Park more than 15 years ago in order to create a place of refuge for wild animals that have been abused in captivity. Most of the animals were pets or lived at the zoo before they came to the protected park.

In many cases they arrive sick, undernourished or wounded and need to be rehabilitated back to health before being released into the wild. There are lots of different types of wild animals including monkeys, bears, parrots and large felines like pumas and jaguars.

The park shelters a total of 700 animals of 30 different species. Volunteers from Bolivia along with many volunteers from all over the world prepare these wild animals to be reintroduced into the wild. As a member of a multinational team you will help rehabilitate as many wild animals as possible so that they can one day live independently in the jungle. Unfortunately, the final goal of reintroducing them is not always possible; however, they will have a better life in the center than in their previous unacceptable living arrangements.

Your tasks include:
- Take care of and feed the animals
- Help build houses and cages
- Maintain and create new trails
- Assist in the construction of cottages
- Inform and teach visitors

Highlights

Free lodging and meals:

There are two guest houses, each with dormitories and a shared bathroom, for the volunteers. Only cold water is available in the houses since hot water is not necessary due to the year-round warm and humid climate.

Many volunteers prefer to take their showers below the waterfalls or bathe in the nearby river!
Life in the National Park is simple, so luxury should not be expected. This is a completely different experience that is not available to average tourists! You will be one of few people that will be able to tell tales of living in extreme conditions in order to protect the Bolivian wildlife.
Volunteers have to supply their own food for the duration of their stay. You can choose to eat your meals in the home or in a small restaurant that is famous for its fresh fish! You can also find shops to buy fruits, vegetables, water and other tempting sweets.

Qualifications

Language:
Spanish skills required (you can book your Spanish course in Bolivia with us!)

Skills:
No professional skills or experiences required.

Age:
18+ years

Vaccination:
Not required. Please consult us and your doctor for specific recommendations.

Insurance:
Full travel and medical insurance is required. You can purchase a full coverage, no deductible health and travel insurance at a special rate for our participants by contacting your South America Inside representative.

Visa:
Tourist visa valid for 90 days. For further information regarding visa requirements please contact us and the corresponding embassy or consulate in your home country.

Languages
  • English
  • Spanish

Cost in US$:

depending on the duration of your stay

Cost Include Description:

Credit Available

no

Volunteer Types
  • Agriculture
  • Animal Welfare
  • Building Maintenance
  • Building/construction Projects
  • Cutting Wood
  • Eco-tourism
  • Environment
  • Fixing Fences
  • Food
  • Natural Resources
  • Parks
  • Planting
  • Tourism
  • Trail Building
  • Translation
  • Veterinary
  • Wildlife Surveying
Typical Volunteer
open-minded, flexible, interested in new cultures
This Program is open to

Worldwide Participant.

Typical Living Arrangements
  • Guest House

Application Process Involves
  • Other
Typically The Application Process Time is
Flexible
South America Inside's Mission Statement

Our programs are addressed to the humanitarian traveler, whether you are a student, professional or retiree. Anyone who wants to explore Latin America not as a mere tourist, but rather as an insider through an experience that goes beyond the ordinary, we invite you into our community! We organize Spanish and Portuguese courses as well as internship and volunteer work positions in nearly all countries of Central and South America. We help in organizing language courses, internships, volunteer work projects as well as in choosing the right country for you. We aim to select partners who are just off the beaten path and/or entail unique and special features to make your experience unforgettable!

Year Founded

2003

GoAbroad.com