Volunteer travel in Bolivia, animal sanctuary

A rare opportunity to gain hands on experience looking after endangered species such as monkeys, jaguars, and pumas rescued from illegal traders in the heart of the Bolivian jungle. At the only two sanctuaries of their kind in the Amazon, volunteers will work with animals, rehabilitate them back into the wild where possible, and develop the much-needed facilities to improve each animal’s standard of living. The Bolivian Amazon Rainforest is known for its vast biodiversity with over 2000 species of plants, more than 80 species of mammals and around 650 types of birds. Among these are many endangered animals.

Sadly it has become increasingly fashionable for these animals to be used as pets or circus performers, the sale of which makes thousands of pounds in western markets. Volunteers are urgently needed to improve the lives of these beautiful creatures and to help to combat this illegal trade, the third biggest smuggling operation in the world, surpassed only by the arms and drugs trade. We are working with the community foundation of Inti Wara Yassi to enhance the animals’ quality of life, and where possible reintroduce them into the wild. This is an immensely valuable project, a world away from anything you'll have ever seen before. In 1996 a community foundation called Inti Wara Yassi was granted control over 36 hectares of forested land near the town of Villa Tunari in the Chapare region of Bolivia. This was used as a location for an animal sanctuary called Parque Machia, with the initial aim to provide a home for confiscated animals and unwanted and abandoned tropical pets. At the same time the sanctuary was to be used to create ecological awareness amongst the public and also to rehabilitate the animals where possible.

Since 1996 many animals have been brought to the sanctuary and some have been successfully reintroduced back into the wild. Those who are beyond rehabilitation remain at the park to see out their days in a comfortable living environment. Recent developments however have led to the threat of Parque Machia being confiscated from the foundation by the local government who hope to utilize it for more profitable purposes. As a result of this constant threat Inti Wara Yassi turned to us for help to finance the purchase of a new and secure park where the animals would be able to live for years to come.

Project options

February & April: 13 weeks duration, team of 8 – 16 volunteers as part of a combined expedition involving a 3 week Spanish course prior to the project and followed by a 6 week Andean adventure explorer. Volunteers tend to be aged between 18 and 23 years old.

June:6 weeks duration, team of 8 – 16 volunteers, typically aged 18-25 years old. Project only. Volunteers offer the sanctuary a much needed workforce and financial contribution to help the park continue to function. Financial contributions are vital as animal enclosures always need repair and maintenance, and the sanctuary animals constantly need veterinary care and food, simply to survive. It is truly staggering how much meat a jaguar can polish off in one day! On a much larger scale, our volunteer contributions have enabled Inti Wara Yassi to buy land for a second park, named Ambue Ari (meaning "New Dawn") over fifty times the size of the original park in a more secure, remote and natural location.

Your time on the project will be split between the two parks. Whilst at Parque Machia volunteers will be given overall responsibility of one animal at the sanctuary. This could be a monkey, a parrot or even a jaguar or puma. Your work will involve feeding, washing, accompanying them on walks through the forest, assisting the on-site Bolivian vet in the simple clinic and generally using your initiative to think up ways of improving the animals’ everyday lives. In addition there is never a shortage of odd jobs to undertake, from cleaning cages to clearing trails, and showing tourists around the park.

At Ambue Ari, the hard work of volunteers in the form of the construction of new facilities, is crucial to the park’s ongoing development. In 2004 and 2005 two 30m x 30m enclosures were built by  volunteers for two jaguars who had previously lived in far smaller cages.