Volunteering with wild animals: what is it, why should you do it and where should you go?

What is volunteering with wild animals?

• Volunteering with wild animals abroad means that you actively work for the protection or care of one or more wild or dangerous animal species. The work can be divided into working with animals in their natural environment and working with animals in shelters.
• In shelters you can think of the care of cheetahs, elephants, monkeys, or, for example, wild dogs or wolves.

What are your tasks, duties, and responsibilities when volunteering with wild animals?

• You will be providing food to the wild animals.
• You will be carrying out fence checks.
• You will be cleaning cages.
• You will be providing information.
• You will be helping with fundraising.
• You will be conducting research.
• You will be carrying out behavioral observations.

Why should you volunteer with wild animals abroad, or what do you get out of it?

• Helpfulness: it is rewarding work that gives you a lot in return.
• Involvement: it strengthens your sense of connection with the animal world and with other animal lovers.
• Experience: you gain a unique experience in another country and in another culture.
• Sense of freedom: especially when you are working in the middle of nature, you will feel free.

What do you need, or what skills can you use when you are going to work with wild animals abroad? 

• Being environmentally aware: for example, by taking your environment into account, carefully storing your waste, and leaving animals alone in their own habitat.
• Analytical skills: you will often have to analyze the behavior of animals well. Sometimes to prevent danger, and sometimes because it is part of your work. In this way you often also strengthen your own analytical skills.
• Being organizationally aware: animal and nature protection organizations, and animal shelters, are often run by a special kind of very committed people. In addition, these are organizations that often have few resources and have to fight against local bureaucracy.
• Empathy: being aware of these circumstances is sometimes half the battle if you want to understand the behavior of the employees of a project, or your direct co-helpers.
• Courageousness: it is important to have some confidence, dare and not be afraid.

To what extent are you insured for the risks while working with wild animals?

• Working with wildlife and wild animals is one of the more risky activities abroad. In terms of insurance, there are several aspects at play, even if you run little risk in practice.
• Read more: Travel insurances and insurances for long term abroad - Theme
• Read more: Werken met dieren in het buitenland verzekeren (NL)

What is the best place to go to, to volunteer with wild animals abroad?

• Australia to work with: marsupials, horses, koalas
• Costa Rica to work with: monkeys
• Ecuador to work with: cats, capuchin monkeys, and kink-tailed bears
• Indonesia to work with: orangutans, gibbons, street dogs, birds of prey
• Cameroon to work with: chimpanzees
• Namibia to work with: cheetahs, horses, wild cats
• Uganda to work with: rhinos
• Portugal to work with: Iberian wolves
• Sri Lanka to work with: elephants,
• Thailand to work with gibbons, elephants
• United States to work with: wolves,
• Zambia to work with: chimpanzees, lions
• Zimbabwe to work with: lions, wild dogs
• South Africa to work with: monkeys, white sharks, lions, rhinos, penguins