Veterinary Volunteering in Ecuador

The goal of this program is to rescue, rehabilitate, and relocate confiscated animals to their natural habitat, and to prevent trafficking in animals. After treatment and care at the Rescue Centers, about 75% of the animals can be liberated into the wild. The remainder go to approved zoos or to a rescue center located in their natural habitats, where they may live in semiliberation.

The rescue centers work in coordination with government authorities to encourage enforcement of laws and confiscation of animals kept in illegal and unhealthy situations. They also educate the community through radio and television, and community presentations to prevent trafficking, and encourage reporting of wild animals in captivity.

Volunteers will feed animals and clean and repair cages. In addition, they will help build new cages and improve existing facilities to provide a more natural environment for the birds and animals. Volunteers are needed to gather food from the forest for animals in captivity, introduce the food to the animals, monitor progress, consult with the biologist, and, under supervision of the biologist and center staff, teach the animals how to eat and other behaviors they need to know in the wild. Volunteers will ordinarily work about six to eight hours per day, depending on the projects they are involved in. In the nearby communities, there are also opportunities to teach English part-time as well as assist in environmental education.