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Volunteer in Costa Rica at Wildlife & Animal Rescue Center
Volunteers work with rescued, mistreated and injured animals on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coastline, where reggae music fills the air and surfers line up on the horizon.
In Puerto Viejo, on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast, you work at an animal rescue center that cares for injured, orphaned, and confiscated wildlife, including monkeys, sloths, wild cats, reptiles, and birds. Day to day you clean enclosures and pathways, help prepare diets and daily care routines with the animal keepers, assist with building and remodeling enclosures, and help new arrivals settle in. This program suits wildlife enthusiasts age 18 and over who are fit, flexible, and comfortable with hands-on outdoor work.
The program runs 4–6 weeks, with new starts twice a month (saturdays); the next is 3 Oct 2026. You stay in dorm rooms at the project, four beds per room with your own bathroom and hot shower, and cook for yourself in a fully equipped shared kitchen. Prices start at $1,792, deposit included ($249). In your final week, you may move to the center's release site to help with the reintroduction of rehabilitated animals, tracking their progress for the center's records.
- Meaningful volunteer work for conserving the wildlife in Costa Rica
- Explore the rich biodiversity of Costa Rica and explore its eco-reserves
- Make the most of the opportunity to live with the wildlife and work for their welfare and development
- Responsibilities include food preparation for the animals, getting to know about endangered wildlife species
- First-hand learning opportunity while working with a team of experts
Your role on this program
- Clean animal enclosures and clear surrounding pathways every day
- Assist with diet preparation and daily care routines alongside the center's animal keepers
- Help maintain facility infrastructure, including building and remodeling animal enclosures
- Care for new arrivals and help them settle into their new environment
- Guide visitors through the center and share information about the resident animals
- Join staff training sessions on animal behavior and handling techniques
- In your final week, assist at the release center with monitoring and tracking animals during reintroduction
Exact duties vary with the placement's needs, the season and your experience.
Role boundaries
You handle animals only under direct instruction from the center's animal keepers and volunteer manager; there is no riding, bathing, cuddling, or posing for photos with the animals outside supervised care tasks, and you do not perform veterinary procedures. Work depends on the season and the center's needs, and duties may vary with the placement's needs.
A typical day and week
Given below is a suggested plan, and might change according to circumstances.
Day 1, Saturday : Arrival day in San Jose, pickup from airport and transfer to hostel accommodation for the night.
Day 2, Sunday: Arrival day in Puerto Viejo. Volunteers are dropped to the bus station from where they take shuttle to Puerto Viejo.
Day 3, Monday: Volunteer training begins every Monday at 11:00 am. On this day, you will be introduced to the other volunteers, join a tour of the Center, and get all the information you need to fully start your volunteering the next day.
Days 4 to Day 23: Tuesday-Sunday: You’ll be working at the project site on all weekdays. The work can include a broad range of tasks, from doing the dishes and cleaning up after the animals, to building and remodeling enclosures, or baby-sitting a new arrival to ease the stress of their new environment.
Weekends are not necessarily off as it varies depending on the work you have been assigned to do; in your free time, you can enjoy the beautiful beaches of Puerto Viejo.
Days 24 to Day 30, Monday-Sunday: In the last week, you will stay at the release center where you will be assisting with the necessities of the day, many of them will be accompanying animals into their reintroduction process, visual tracking, and making written comments for a final report on the state of the reintroduction.
Day 31, Monday: End of the program. From the release center, you will travel back to the Rescue Center.
At Rescue Center, you will work five days a week, which may include weekdays or weekends, from 7:30 am to around 4:00 pm. On your arrival day (Sunday), you’ll meet other volunteers and some of the staff. You’ll have the rest of the day to explore the town and get settled. Orientation and training start Monday at 11 am (attendance is mandatory). During this session, you’ll be introduced to the other volunteers, join a 90-minute tour of the Center with tourists, and receive instructions from your volunteer manager.
In the following weeks, your work will include a variety of tasks. You might do dishes, clean animal areas (a constant task), assist with building and remodeling enclosures, or care for new arrivals to help them adjust to their new environment.
Timings are the placement's usual pattern; the local team confirms your hours at orientation, and they can change with school terms, clinic rotas, weather and the project's needs.
Who can join and what you need
- Minimum age 18
- Minimum commitment of 4, maximum 6
- Fit and healthy, prepared to work outdoors and get your hands dirty
- Genuine interest in animal conservation work
- Clean criminal background check report, issued within 12 months of the start date
- Tuberculosis test required before joining the program
- Travel or medical insurance covering the program dates
- Open-minded, flexible, and proactive attitude toward changing daily tasks
The placement, its limits and your part in it
The rescue center in Puerto Viejo was founded by a European couple and operates independently of government funding, relying on volunteers for both operational support and income. It cares for injured, orphaned, and confiscated wildlife, among them monkeys, sloths, wild cats, and reptiles, on a large area of primary rainforest set aside for the animals' eventual release.
All animal handling is directed by the center's animal keepers and volunteer manager, who assign tasks and set the pace of contact with each animal according to its welfare needs. Volunteers assist with the practical side of daily operations, cleaning, feeding, facility upkeep, and monitoring, rather than making veterinary or release decisions. Your contribution is the routine labor that keeps the center running day to day, not a guarantee of any animal's recovery or return to the wild.
Our standards
- Responsible volunteer travel policyHow we choose, run and review every project
- Animal welfare policyOur rules for wildlife, marine and animal-care projects
- Certified B CorporationSocial and environmental performance verified by B Lab
- How we volunteer responsibly in Costa RicaCountry-level partner context and standards
Start dates
Weekly start dates, year-round — pick any week across the next two years.
Program fees by duration
Prices include your $249 booking deposit — which is deducted from your total program fee. Your deposit stays valid for one year, during which you may enroll in multiple programs. A 5% international banking fee applies to credit-card payments in USD or AUD.
| Duration | Total price | |
|---|---|---|
| 4 weeks | $1,792 | |
| 5 weeks | $1,977 | |
| 6 weeks | $2,162 |
Indicative conversion — your booking is charged in the currency you choose at checkout.
✓ What you're paying for
- 24 hrs Assistance and support from VS Staff
- Comprehensive Pre- Departure Information
- Pickup from San Jose International Airport and accommodation in San Jose
- Shuttle Transfer from San Jose to Puerto Viejo
- Orientation
- Accommodation in dorms at the project
- Certificate of Participation(On Request)
Not included
- Airfare
- Visa
- Vaccinations
- Weekend trips and excursions
- Any personal expenses
- Travel insurance (available at nominal cost)
- Post project stay in San Jose
- Return Airport Drop
Accommodation & meals
Airport Transfer
Volunteers are picked up from the San Jose International Airport by the local coordinator or representative. Those volunteers who are arriving overland or are already in Costa Rica will be picked up at a meeting point decided beforehand in San Jose.
Accommodation
Upon arrival in San Jose, participants are picked up from the airport and provided accommodation for a night in a hostel.
At the rescue center, the accommodation is set up to be cozy and practical for volunteers. Each room has four single beds with comfy mattresses, individual reading lights, and plugs to charge your gadgets.
You’ve got your own bathroom with a toilet and a hot shower, so no need to share with a crowd.
We hook you up with bed linen and towels (just not for the beach), and there’s Wi-Fi everywhere for staying connected. They keep things clean with regular cleaning, and you can do your laundry on-site for a small fee, which is handy.
There’s a chill hangout spot where you can relax and hang out with other volunteers after your day’s work.
All in all, it’s a laid-back setup that makes sure you’re comfortable while you’re helping out at the center.
Orientation
All volunteers are given an orientation before starting the program by the project coordinator.Orientation is conducted by the local staff and covers topics such as Volunteer Roles and Responsibilities, Rules and Expectations, Safety and Introduction to your project and placement.
Meals
Meals are not included but there’s a fully equipped shared kitchen (cutlery and utensils, stove, oven, microwaves). Volunteers can store their food and drinks in the fridges. Lunch can be taken to the center, where there is a fridge and microwave.
During your Free Time
On your free days, you are free to discover the magical places around Puerto Viejo, like the breathtaking beaches, the Cahuita Natural Park hike and waterfall, canopy tours and many others.
Life on the program
Getting there and who looks after you in Costa Rica
Airport pickup
You are picked up at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in San José by the local coordinator or a representative, or from an agreed meeting point if you are already in the country.
First night
You spend the first night in hostel accommodation in San José before traveling onward.
Travel to Puerto Viejo
The next day you are taken to the bus station for a shuttle transfer to Puerto Viejo, arriving in time to settle in and meet other volunteers.
Orientation
Orientation is held on Monday at 11:00am and is mandatory; it covers roles and responsibilities, rules and expectations, safety, and a tour of the center, led by local staff.
First project day and ongoing support
Work at the center starts the day after orientation, with tasks assigned by the animal keepers; local coordinators and a 24-hour emergency contact are available throughout your stay.
From volunteers in Costa Rica
Frequently asked questions
What will I actually be doing at the rescue center?
Your daily tasks include cleaning animal enclosures and pathways, preparing diets with the animal keepers, helping care for new arrivals, and assisting with building or remodeling enclosures; work depends on the season and the center's needs.
Do I need experience working with animals?
No prior experience is required, but you should have a genuine interest in animal conservation, be fit and healthy, and bring a flexible, proactive attitude to changing daily tasks.
What does a typical day and work week look like?
You work five days a week, roughly 7:30am to 4:00pm, which may include weekends; orientation on the first Monday at 11:00am is mandatory before you start project work.
How long can I volunteer and when do programs start?
The program runs 4–6 weeks, with new starts twice a month (saturdays); the next start date is 3 Oct 2026.
What does the program cost and what is included?
Prices start at $1,792, deposit included ($249); this covers airport pickup, a night in San José, the shuttle to Puerto Viejo, orientation, and dorm accommodation at the project. Meals, insurance, and visa or vaccination costs are not included.
Where do I live and what about meals?
You stay in dorm rooms at the project with four single beds per room, your own bathroom with a hot shower, and Wi-Fi; meals are self-catered in a fully equipped shared kitchen with fridges for storing food.
How does airport pickup work?
You are picked up at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in San José by the local coordinator or a representative and spend the first night in San José before transferring to Puerto Viejo by shuttle.
What support is available once I am on site?
Local coordinators and English-speaking staff are on hand at the project, orientation is given on arrival, and a 24-hour emergency contact is provided throughout your stay.
What documents or health requirements do I need?
You need a clean criminal background check issued within 12 months of your start date, a mandatory tuberculosis test, and your own or Volunteering Solutions' travel and medical insurance; visa and vaccination guidance is sent before departure.
Will I get to handle the animals directly?
Animal contact happens only under the direction of the center's animal keepers as part of assigned tasks such as feeding, cleaning, or helping new arrivals settle; there is no riding, bathing, cuddling, or posing for photos with the animals.
Who is this program suited for?
It suits wildlife enthusiasts age 18 and over who are fit, flexible, comfortable with outdoor manual work, and able to commit at least 4.
Can I change my dates once I have booked?
Yes, you can change your program, dates, or destination free of charge up to 45 days before the start date.
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