Privately founded in 1974, the zoo opened its doors to the public in 1979 and is now one of the leading zoos in South America. The zoo is dedicated to wildlife preservation and education. As a non-governmental and privately funded project, the zoo lacks readily available financial resources and depends upon private donors and aid in order to maintain its operations. The zoo mainly represents Bolivian fauna (reptiles, birds and mammals), as well as animals from other parts of South America. The zoo is largely dependent on volunteers in up keeping the facility and caring for the animals.
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Where will I be volunteering?
You will be volunteering in Santa Cruz, a safe city and a perfect base for exploring the local attractions. It’s a beautiful city, and is famous for its nightlife. With an assortment of attractions like the Beach Boardwalk, majestic redwood forest, arts and culture events one can never get tired of the Santa Cruz lifestyle.
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What will I be doing?
As a volunteer your daily tasks will involve taking care of animals, helping with veterinary work and maintenance of the zoo grounds. In addition to this, you will also be involved in cleaning cages, preparing food and feeding the animals, learning nutritional advice and checking and correcting information signs. You can also become involved in the preparation of educational materials and workshops if you have an interest in this type of work.
What is required to volunteer on this project?
- Language Requirement: Intermediate Spanish and English
- Must be 18 years or older.
What will my schedule be like?
uVolunteer believes that you should have a well balanced work and play schedule. This means you will only be required to work 4 days per week (Monday to Thursday) for a maximum of 6 hours per day. For the remainder of your time, you will be free to enjoy the vacationing aspects of your trip.
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Will I be able to communicate with family and friends?
There are numerous internet cafes in Santa Cruz that give you the opportunity to communicate with your friends and family back home. You will also find pay phones dispersed throughout the town which you can use to make local or international calls with a calling card.
What can I do in my free time?
uVolunteer anticipates and encourages your desire for travel and adventure. Your time away from volunteering is open for you to decide your activities. You may decide to take advantage of the local culture and spend time within the community over the weekend. Otherwise, there is ample opportunity to explore Bolivia and all it has to offer.
Great weekend trips include:
- Explore the local scenery
- Explore the vibrant night life in the restaurants, bars, and discos
- Go horseback riding
- Visit nearby waterfalls and beaches
- Discover the lakes and rivers in the area through water sports, diving, and fishing
- Program Name: Volunteer Bolivia
- Project Name: Volunteer in Animal Conservation - Zoo in Bolivia
- Project Category: Conservation
- Project Location: Santa Cruz
- Program Fee: A 2 week experience starts from $585; add $120 for each additional week
- Program fees include:
- Airport Pickup Service
- Welcome Orientation and debriefing
- Accommodation
- Meals
- Program Activities
- Project Donation
- In-country coordination support
- 24/7 emergency hot line
- Letter of Recommendation
- Certificate
- Items not included: Flights, travel insurance, visa costs, in-country transportation and any other expense not listed above
- Project Transport Arrangements: Local transportation: walk, bus, or taxi
- Suggested transportation budget: Approximately $25 per week (does not include weekend travel expenses)
- Working Schedule: Monday through Thursday; 4-6 hours per day EMPTY
- Language Requirement: Intermediate Spanish
- Accommodation Type: Home Stay - Dorm
- Meals: 3 Meals Daily
- Start dates: Fortnightly, on Fridays
- Volunteer Gender: Male & Female
- Minimum age: 18
- Minimum project length: 2 Weeks
- Maximum project length: 52 Weeks
- Maximum number of volunteers: 10
- Resume or CV required: No
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