Volunteering at wildlife rehabilitation center in Nicaragua
Many call it a life changing experience and the biggest adventure of their lives. Coming home after weeks of volunteering in Latin America there are so many stories to tell. The long flight, the incredible nature, the kind local people and so many different indigenous animals. There are plenty of volunteer options to choose from. You can opt for a social project, working with children, working on a health volunteer project or working with animals. So many possibilities that you might get lost picking the one that suits you best. In this blog, more info and details about the wildlife rehabilitation center and zoo in Nicaragua where volunteers are needed.
The rehabilitation center in Nicaragua started about 15 years ago and has now received over 7000 animals. More than half of them, around 4000, have been set free. Most of the animals are former pets that were brought to the center by the owners who could no longer take care of them. Others were captured by the police because of illegal trade. The center nurses all kinds of animals. Among them jaguars, puma’s, wildcats, crocodiles, nose bears, monkeys, parrots, toucans and hawks. Ideally, the animals are returned to the wild after having recuperated at the center.
Volunteers that would like to help out at the center will spend their first week studying Spanish in Granada, a the oldest colonial city in Western Nicaragua. Granada is beautiful, one of Nicaragua’s most important cities with a rich colonial heritage. After your Spanish course, you should commit to a period of at least 3 weeks of volunteering. It will be much appreciated if you are a responsible person that is prepared to take initiative and is not afraid of getting dirty hands. Also you should respect and love animals and have good communication skills. If you can tick off all these requirements and you are really interested, continue reading.
As a volunteer at the zoo you will help out with a variety of jobs, always accompanied by a staff member. Working hours are from 7 am till 4 pm. Among your tasks will be preparing food for the animals (fruit, vegetables, meat and seeds), feeding, and also cleaning their cages and general areas. Apart from all the wildlife there is a butterfly garden that could use some volunteer hands. Also there is always maintenance work to do such as weeding the orchard and painting cages. Sometimes, volunteers with a special interest or background in natural environments of animals and the environment in general, can help in the rehabilitation center feeding the animals, help setting free animals, join a team when picking up new animals and help new arrivals to adjust to their new habitat.
Can’t wait to start at this volunteer project in Nicaragua? For bookings or more information go to: Contact us
