Volunteering with bears in Cambodia
| country: | Cambodia |
| departures: | Departures every Sunday throughout the year |
| price: | From £250 (1 week) - £1990 (12 weeks) excluding flights. £150 per additional week up to 12 weeks |
the amazing things you'll be doing
You will work as a volunteer at a bear sanctuary, helping to care for over 80 rescued bears.
The centre is very large and houses many species. Volunteers will be working with the bears, a mix of Sun Bears and Black Bears. It is home to bears that have been rescued from a range of different situations including poachers, the black market and businesses using them for entertainment. Placements include a detailed information pack, travel advice and assistance, training and supervision, accommodation and daily transport. Volunteers are responsible for their flights, visas and travel insurance.
No previous experience is required, you just need to be willing and enthusiastic and have a strong interest in conservation and wildlife. You will need to physically fit, able to tolerate high temperatures and humidity, work well within a team and be adaptable to living and working in a group. Volunteers must be at least 21 years old.
feeding the bears enrichment of their environment cleaning the enclosures repair and maintenance of the enclosures and indoor holding pens maintenance of the surrounding areas.
The bear sanctuary covers an area of approximately 5-6 hectares, and contains large rocky outcrops, native vegetation, climbing frames, bathing pools and night dens. On your first day at the centre you will receive an induction including how the centre works, information on the different types of bears and a full tour of the centre. You will be trained and supervised by the experienced animal keepers at the centre.
You will work closely with the keepers giving out the twice daily feeds and cleaning the enclosures. Other tasks do not directly involve the bears but benefit them greatly, such as developing new 'enrichments'. Enrichment is anything that makes the bears lives more interesting such as filling up hollow bamboo with honey or other treats, making frozen fruit ice lollies, rebuilding climbing frames, putting out dead trees etc. Direct physical contact with the bears is not possible as these are large and wild animals, and potentially dangerous.
Volunteers work a five-day working week from 8am to 4pm. You will be picked up from the guesthouse at 7am and will be back there by around 5pm.
The Centre is located about 1 hour's drive from Pnomh Penh. You will be based in Pnomh Penh, the capital of Cambodia. Pnomh Penh is an exciting city, growing fast and becoming more geared up to tourism. There is lots to do in the evenings and at weekends and there are many bars and restaurants catering to different tastes. Cambodia itself is a beautiful country with breath taking scenery and warm, friendly, welcoming people. There are many places of interest including the world heritage site of Angkor Wat.
The centre is very large and houses many species. Volunteers will be working with the bears, a mix of Sun Bears and Black Bears. It is home to bears that have been rescued from a range of different situations including poachers, the black market and businesses using them for entertainment. Placements include a detailed information pack, travel advice and assistance, training and supervision, accommodation and daily transport. Volunteers are responsible for their flights, visas and travel insurance.
No previous experience is required, you just need to be willing and enthusiastic and have a strong interest in conservation and wildlife. You will need to physically fit, able to tolerate high temperatures and humidity, work well within a team and be adaptable to living and working in a group. Volunteers must be at least 21 years old.
a day in the life of a volunteer
So what will you be doing every day? Your work will include: The bear sanctuary covers an area of approximately 5-6 hectares, and contains large rocky outcrops, native vegetation, climbing frames, bathing pools and night dens. On your first day at the centre you will receive an induction including how the centre works, information on the different types of bears and a full tour of the centre. You will be trained and supervised by the experienced animal keepers at the centre. You will work closely with the keepers giving out the twice daily feeds and cleaning the enclosures. Other tasks do not directly involve the bears but benefit them greatly, such as developing new 'enrichments'. Enrichment is anything that makes the bears lives more interesting such as filling up hollow bamboo with honey or other treats, making frozen fruit ice lollies, rebuilding climbing frames, putting out dead trees etc. Direct physical contact with the bears is not possible as these are large and wild animals, and potentially dangerous.
Volunteers work a five-day working week from 8am to 4pm. You will be picked up from the guesthouse at 7am and will be back there by around 5pm.
The Centre is located about 1 hour's drive from Pnomh Penh. You will be based in Pnomh Penh, the capital of Cambodia. Pnomh Penh is an exciting city, growing fast and becoming more geared up to tourism. There is lots to do in the evenings and at weekends and there are many bars and restaurants catering to different tastes. Cambodia itself is a beautiful country with breath taking scenery and warm, friendly, welcoming people. There are many places of interest including the world heritage site of Angkor Wat.
volunteer travel - what's it all about?
Are you are looking for an adventurous trip with a purpose, or on a gap year or career break? If you want to make a difference in some of the world’s most important conservation areas - and in community projects - then volunteer trips are for you! Volunteers tend to have a sense of adventure, and come from a range of different backgrounds and from all over the world. Edward Abbey said 'sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul'.
how this holiday makes a difference
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By volunteering at the centre you will make a major contribution to the welfare of bears in Asia. Your time and efforts will help to care for the bears, and the majority of the programme cost will go direct to the centre providing a critical source of funding for their future work. On a personal level you will have a unique opportunity to work alongside some incredible animals and gain the satisfaction of helping to make a difference to the lives of these animals.
In addition to this direct benefit, we try to ensure: Social responsibility - before volunteers depart we provide them with a detailed information pack on the area they will be visiting. We try to educate and encourage our volunteers to understand and respect the local cultures and customs and get involved with local communities. Economic responsibility – the majority of the fee that volunteers pay goes directly to the Centre. The Centre provides employment for many local staff. While volunteers are in-country, we encourage them to buy locally and support local businesses. Environmental responsibility – one of the main negative impacts of our volunteers travelling, is the carbon dioxide created from flights. We work with a 'carbon neutral' charity to help ensure that an amount of carbon is sequestered through tree planting or the promotion of low energy technologies. While our volunteers and customers are overseas, we identify and encourage simple steps to minimise their impact on the local environment. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |