Interning with Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center is a life-changing opportunity to work with wild animals in Costa Rica and assist us with our mission to protect and restore Costa Rica’s biodiversity through: wildlife rehabilitation and release, endangered species breeding and reintroduction, biodiversity preservation, and lifetime care of non-releasable animals.
Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center has a strict “hands off” policy in all areas of our center. This is not only for the safety of our interns, but also prevents rehabilitating animals from becoming too tame to be released. While we completely understand the desire to be close to animals, allowing the animals at the center to be handled and petted by ever-changing interns would be unethical and detrimental to their welfare.
One day you may be collecting natural browse for the baby sloths in the Rehabilitation Center, another day you may be monitoring the behavior of the Scarlet Macaws in the Endangered Species Breeding Center or making environmental enrichment for the coyotes in the Lifetime Care Sanctuary and another day you might be helping to clicker train Guapo the jaguar!
So, a “typical day” will be different depending on the needs of the animals
Various projects are developed throughout the year and there are often opportunities for longer-term interns to assist at Rescate’s release sites in Nicoya and Golfito. Interns staying longer periods of time have also the opportunity to develop small projects during their internship period.
Interns participate in wildlife-enrichment and conservation activities for roughly 8 hours per day, 5 days per week with Thursdays and Fridays off for rest or travel.
Accommodation is provided in a guest house with shared bedrooms, kitchen and bathroom. Towels and blankets are provided. Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center is fenced and has 24-hour security.
Fill out this application form to start your wildlife experience at Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center - Zoave. You will receive first some more information from us. If you're interested please just reply to this E-Mail and we will get back to you as soon as possible. See you at Rescate! 🙂 🦥 🌴
This depends on the Internship you’re choosing. For more information just apply on our application-form and we will send you a detailed list of everything you will be doing. Alternatively you can also check out each Internship-Website here: Veterinary Internship, Wildlife Internship & Road to Freedom Internship
No, there is a strict policy on contact with the animals. If you are in the Vet program you will have a little bit more hands on approach, but it is strictly based on medical care. You will not be cuddling any animals. Wildlife and Road to freedom interns will not have any physical contact with the animals.
Costs vary depending on length or stay or time of year. For more information, enquire now!
We can organize for a driver to pick you up at the airport or anywhere in Costa Rica. We are located in La Garita, Alajuela about 15 minutes from the San Jose airport. For more information click HERE.
Once you sign up for our programs, we will send you a packing list and a manual to help you prepare for your experience with us. For more information fill out this form here.
We require the Covid vaccine or a negative covid test. We recommend that you are vaccinated for tetanus.
Interns work 5 days per week, 8 hours per day with two consecutive days off.
We have various different things that can be done in the evenings including night tours, our onsite movie theater, going out for dinner with other volunteers/Interns, heading to the local farmers markets, games nights and more!
There are various tours and activities that can be done as a day trip from the central valley, or you are able to explore the country with maybe a visit to the volcanos, Manuel Antonio, or other beach areas.
For the Veterinary Internship we limit participation to 4 interns, for the Wildlife Internship we limit participation to 10 participants and for the Road to Freedom Internship we limit participation to 6 participants.
Yes, for more information on traveling outside of your stay with us, you can email Amy at amy(at)rescatewildlife.org
Yes, we have free wifi in the Internship-houses and various parts of the sanctuary, including the main entrance and restaurant. There is not wifi on all of the trails.
There is a pool at Rescate in La Garita Alajuela, and a pool at the local hotel near Bosque Escondido in Nicoya.
