About Animal Rescue Center in the Amazon Ecuador

Animal Rescue Center
This volunteer project is an Animal center located in the Amazon – rainforest of Ecuador.
In Ecuador animal rescue centers and projects related to animals/plants/habitat conservation are highly important in Ecuador because of its huge biodiversity. Biodiversity in the Amazon region is decreasing rapidly due to persistent unsustainable human activities that highly threaten fragile ecosystems. The threats that we are currently facing include:
• Habitat destruction through the expansion of mining, timber and oil industries. There is significant pressure to further develop infrastructures and agricultural boundaries for growing communities.
• Illegal logging for the mentioned expansions, as well as the development of the country’s major petrol company.
• Over hunting and illegal trade of wild animal and plant species for the purpose of commercialization of wild animal meat, constituent parts, and derivative products of wild species.
• Water and air pollution.
In spite of these challenges, we have developed strong working relationships with the Environmental Police (UPMA) and the Ministry of Environment of Ecuador in the fight against wild animal trafficking and abuse. The animals received at the Animal Center were illegally taken form the wild and sold as domestic pets. Wild animals do not make suitable domestic pets and often become depressed and/or aggressive; they are often abandoned to small cages or chained to posts. Animals at the Center are kept in enclosures that replicate their natural habitats in order to improve the process of rehabilitation.
Volunteers work in groups: they are in charge of several animals during their stay, so they become specialists in the care of those animals, focused in their diet and observation of any strange behavior or signs of illness. We also run observation and enrichment projects where the volunteers are encouraged to spend a couple of days observing the behavior of their chosen animals. The volunteers will have the opportunity to build a toy or game for the animal and then to observe how it uses it and what benefits the animal.
Just as well, we do some work that may be more physically demanding, such as construction and reinforcement of enclosures, building paths, harvesting fruit, etc.

Application Process

Please apply online at:
http://www.volunteer-latinamerica.com/apply-now-volunteering-ecuador/

Family-Friendly

Parents and children are invited and encouraged to get involved.