Living in the heart of Costa Rica’s nature, with your own room and all meals covered, in exchange for caring for rescued sloths, monkeys, and birds. This is the proposal of an animal sanctuary in the country, which is seeking volunteers from different parts of the world to join its rescue and rehabilitation tasks.
What is the proposal like for living on a beach in Costa Rica
The proposal is for a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center, where volunteers help care for animals that were injured, left orphaned, or rescued from the illegal pet trade. Among the species these Costa Rican sanctuaries usually house are sloths, monkeys, macaws, toucans, and other exotic birds.
Common tasks include preparing food and feeding the animals, cleaning the enclosures, maintaining the property, and creating “enrichments” (stimuli for the animals’ well-being). In many centers, to protect the wildlife, direct physical contact with the animals is limited, since the goal is for them to maintain as natural a behavior as possible.
What the program offers
This type of program works under an exchange arrangement: the volunteer contributes their work and, in return, receives accommodation and food. In the case of one of the available sanctuaries, the conditions include:
- Private room (a room for the volunteer).
- Three daily meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) every day of the stay.
- Use of the laundry room and common areas.
- Free tours and outings around the area are offered by the hosts.
The stay can last from a few days to several months, depending on the availability of the volunteer and the center. By living on the same property or very nearby, participants live with other volunteers of different nationalities, which adds to the cultural exchange.