Company : The Great Projects
Location : Bolivia
Duration: 2 weeks to 3 months
Approx Costs: 500 to 2000 £ Pound (UK)
Help look after wildlife rescued from the illegal trafficking trade in Bolivia.
Nestled in a verdant riverine valley near the town of Coroico, roughly 100km from La Paz, the Bolivia Wildlife Sanctuary has become one of South America's leading centres for the care of wildlife rescued from illegal traffickers. Now working with the government's Environmental Ministry, the sanctuary cares for hundreds of rescued animals, including monkeys, exotic birds, wild cats and two endangered spectacled bears.
Volunteers joining the project in South America will partake in the everyday running of the sanctuary, feeding and interacting with the animals, creating innovative enrichment and helping to improve facilities.
Day 1
Arrival at La Paz airport and transfer to the project site. Spend the day settling in and meeting staff and fellow volunteers.
Day 2-14
Project days - Volunteers will be working every day from 7.30am until 5.30pm.
Day 15
Transfer back to La Paz airport for return flight or commence independent travel plans.
On this project, you will take part in a wide variety of exciting activities. Below are examples of some of those included in this project.
Feeding the animals
As the sanctuary continues to grow, the need for extra hands to feed an expanding population of animals becomes increasingly important. Prepare and distribute food to the sanctuary’s animals three times per day, ensuring that they have the correct portion sizes and that their habits are normal.
Maintenance and construction
Many animals make for a messy sanctuary, and it’s important to stay on top of the cleanliness of the enclosures, vet clinic, and quarantine area. Many of the animals arriving at the sanctuary are extremely vulnerable and may be prone to infection if the area is not kept sanitary. Additionally, you may be given the task of building or maintaining the animal enclosures, taking part in landscaping activities or mixing cement for new platforms.
Observation
This will be your main responsibility at the project, but is sure to be a fun one! A minimum of 2 hours per day will be spent observing your assigned animal, taking note of their behaviours and keeping the sanctuary staff updated on their conditions. Animal behaviours say an awful lot about their overall happiness, and their comfort within the sanctuary is a top priority.
Enrichment
The animals here need to be kept stimulated, so get creative when working on your enrichment activities! You want to make sure that the animals remain active both physically and mentally, and new methods of enrichment are a fantastic way to achieve this goal.
Extra activities
You will be invited to go either canyoning or ziplining, the former being a full-day activity; the latter being only a couple of hours away from the project site. If you stay for longer than two weeks, you will be allocated a day off, in which you can enjoy local hikes and rivers nearby to the property. Elsewhere, you can visit some attractive tourist sites in Coroico, and you may even like to go horseback riding!
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Prices from £670
What's included in the price of the project?
• Shared accommodation in the volunteer house
• Private transfers to and from the airport
• Three meals per day
• Hot showers
• Bed linen and towels
• A voucher to use for extra activities (ziplining or canyoning)
• Laundry facilities
What's not included?
• Beer, soft drinks, water, and desserts are not included, but they can be purchased at a minimal cost
• Flights
• Travel insurance
• Refundable deposit of USD100 which is paid on arrival for the following items: towels, bedding, room keys and others
Due to the hilly nature of the area, we recommend that volunteers have at least a moderate level of fitness, with an ability to walk on steep terrain. La Paz has one of the highest altitudes in the world; subsequently, you may find yourself out of breath from time to time and it is important to prepare for the effects of altitude sickness. No specific skills are needed for this project, but we do ask that you are reliable and hardworking, with a passion for animals and a willingness to get your hands dirty!
I stayed one night at Senda Verde, I was able to talk to some volunteers and employees... everyone is so committed to the animals! They are the first, second and third priority here. They are treated so good, they are so well taken care of that it is completely worth it being caged... yes, humans are caged and it’s wonderful to see animals monkeying around happy. Would recommend in a heart beat!
This was such an eye opening experience to learn about the animals of South America, the extent of the illegal animal trade and the damage to the animals it causes. Working so close with the animals at the Bolivia Wildlife Sanctuary was just the volunteering holiday I needed. When you go on these sorts of holidays you should not expect creature comforts but I would expect to get a dirty, very dirty! But if you are a kind heart and love animals this is perfect. I'll continue to spread awareness about illegal animal trade with my acquired experience.
