Master’s Thesis Opportunity
in Wildlife Conservation in Costa Rica

Join Rescate Wildlife at Bosque Escondido Wildlife Refuge, Nicoya Peninsula where your research supports real conservation and your studies becomes part of Costa Rica’s future.

About the Role

Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center invites motivated master‘s students to conduct a thesis project focused on the pre- and post-release monitoring of any of the released wildlife at Bosque Escondido. The data collected will contribute to evaluating the success of past releases and help refine future release strategies. As part of the program, Rescate hosts interns, providing the master’s student with the opportunity to mentor and support the learning experience of others.

Overview

Location
Bosque Escondido Wildlife Refuge,
Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica

Starting Date
Flexible

Duration:
Minimum of three months,
preferably more

Working days
5 days/week (with 2 days off)

Costs

A fee of $ 300/week is required to cover accommodation,
meals, and on-site supervision

For further information feel free to contact us:

research[at]rescatewildlife.org

Potential research topics—subject to the season and the species admitted—include:

Social network analysis of captive spider monkeys.
Assessment of flight training and enrichment efficacy in psittacines.
Vocalization development in pre- and post-release yellow-naped parrots.
Identification of nesting and roosting sites.
Evaluation of post-release survival rates across various species.
Documentation of movement patterns and home range for released psittacines.
Monitoring of chick growth in released psittacines within natural and artificial nestboxes.
Population size assessment of psittacines and felines, including ocelots and pumas.
Surveying tree biodiversity to guide habitat restoration efforts for rehabilitated animals.
Study of foraging behavior and diet of primate and psittacine species.

Using the following available methods and equipment:

Individual recognition of spider monkeys, yellow-naped parrots and scarlet macaws.
Pre- and post-release behavioral observations using Zoomonitor
Primate troop following
Wildlife trail cameras
Binoculairs & telescope
Historical data of released animals from 2000 to present (hand written format)
Historical data of feeder surveys, chick growth, point counts and resightings of psittacines from 2022 to 2024 (hand written format)

QUALIFICATION and requirements

Essential

Age Requirement: Participants must be 18 years or older

Enrolled in a master’s program in Environmental Biology, Zoology, Animal Behavior, Primatology or a related discipline

Prior experience relevant to chosen subject

Strong command of the English language (spoken and written)

Physically fit: able to walk at least 5 km daily on uneven terrain

Willingness to work early mornings and in tropical conditions (hot and humid)

Comfortable living in a remote, forested location in shared accommodation with short-term students and interns

Desirable

Basic Spanish proficiency

Previous experience with living and working in a remote location

Familiarity with data collecting and analysis tools (e.g., R, QGIS, Zoomonitor, Cybertracker)

Leadership, organizational, and problem-solving skills

What is included?

What is not included?

About the Organization and Location

Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center is a well-established, non-profit organization founded in 1989, dedicated to the protection and restoration of Costa Rica’s biodiversity. Its mission includes wildlife rehabilitation and release, breeding of endangered native species, habitat preservation, and lifetime care for non-releasable animals.

Rescate owns and manages Bosque Escondido, a almost 2,000 acres (809 hectares) dry tropical forest wildlife refuge on the Nicoya Peninsula. The refuge protects some of Costa Rica’s last remaining dry tropical forest and also serves as a release site for rehabilitated wildlife.

Released animals include howler, spider and white-faced capuchin monkeys, scarlet macaws, yellow-naped and white-fronted parrots, orange-fronted and orange-chinned parakeets and several species of turtle, but also the occasional snake, tamandua (arboreal anteater), tayra, collared peccary, ocelot and puma.

Accommodation

Provided by Rescate. Interns will live in a shared housing unit. Accommodations include utilities, wifi, laundry, bathrooms, showers, shared kitchen and social area.