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Volunteer at a Puma Reserve
Volunteer at a renowned puma sanctuary and wildlife reserve for an unforgettable conservation experience. Explore the breathtaking landscape near Cordoba while helping protect pumas and other native species.
You work at a puma reserve and wildlife rescue center about 90 km southwest of Córdoba, in the foothills below the Andes. Day to day you rotate between guiding visitors around the reserve, running short environmental education talks, helping control invasive species, collecting native seeds for the seed bank, doing environmental enrichment for the resident animals, tending the organic garden, assisting the reserve's investigator with camera-trap checks, and keeping trails, signage, and the site itself maintained. It suits volunteers who are fit, comfortable with physical outdoor work, and able to speak and understand Spanish.
Placements run 2–12 weeks, starting every week (sundays), with the next intake on 20 Sep 2026; the minimum stay is 2. You live in shared communal accommodation on site at the reserve (bring a sleeping bag) after a first night in a Córdoba hostel, and all three meals at the reserve are provided, with vegan and vegetarian options available. Prices start at $1,899, deposit included. The reserve's specific draw is its role caring long-term for pumas and other native species rescued from urban conflict or the exotic pet trade, alongside habitat restoration work through its own greenhouse and seed bank.
Your role on this program
- Lead guided tours through the reserve for visiting tourists and explain the conservation work underway
- Deliver talks and workshops on environmental education to visitors and local groups
- Help control exotic plant and animal species that threaten the reserve's native ecosystem
- Collect and select native seeds for the reserve's seed bank program
- Carry out environmental enrichment activities that support the resident animals' welfare
- Work in the organic garden and greenhouse, growing native plants for later reintroduction
- Assist the reserve's investigator and check trap cameras used for wildlife research
- Maintain trails and information posters, help with cleaning, and sort waste for recycling
- Take part in supervised animal handling tasks as directed by reserve staff
Exact duties vary with the placement's needs, the season and your experience.
Role boundaries
Volunteers do not treat, medicate, or independently handle the pumas or other rescued animals; any direct animal handling happens under reserve staff supervision, and research tasks such as camera-trap checks support the resident investigator rather than replace them. A local coordinator accompanies volunteers to the reserve and oversees placement activities on site, and duties may vary with the placement's needs.
A typical day and week
The volunteers will be working 8 hours per day having 1 day off per week.
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
- Comfortable speaking and understanding Spanish, as it is required for this project
- Fit and healthy, able to manage physically active outdoor work
- Clean criminal background check report, issued within 12 months of the start date
- Tetanus vaccination
- Valid travel and medical insurance, either your own policy or one arranged through Volunteering Solutions
- Open, flexible, and tolerant attitude, comfortable working both independently and in a team
- Minimum commitment of 2
The placement, its limits and your part in it
The placement is a non-profit reserve and wildlife rescue center near Córdoba that works to protect the puma, a keystone species, along with other native animals such as eagles, ferrets, monkeys, and llamas that have been trapped, trafficked, or injured. The organization runs education, research, and habitat restoration programs, including a greenhouse for native plants and a seed bank, and a local coordinator accompanies volunteers to the site and supervises day-to-day placement work.
Because the reserve houses rescued and sometimes injured wild animals, direct animal care and any medical decisions stay with reserve staff and the resident investigator; volunteers support through education, maintenance, enrichment, gardening, and data-collection tasks rather than clinical or hands-on rescue work. Your contribution is practical and supporting: helping run tours and workshops, keeping the site maintained, and assisting with ongoing research and restoration tasks alongside the staff who lead the reserve's conservation work.
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 ArgentinaCountry-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 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 weeks | $1,899 | |
| 3 weeks | $2,239 | |
| 4 weeks | $2,579 | |
| 5 weeks | $2,919 | |
| 6 weeks | $3,259 | |
| 7 weeks | $3,599 | |
| 8 weeks | $3,939 | |
| Each additional week | +$340 / week |
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 Cordoba Airport
- In country induction
- Transfer to the Puma Reserve outside Cordoba
- Meals at the Project
- Accommodation in a centrally located Hostel in Cordoba on arrival
- On Site communal accommodation at Puma Reserve
- Certificate of Participation(On Request)
Not included
- Airfare
- Visa and Visa extension fee
- Travel Insurance
- Vaccinations
- Any personal expenses
- Return Airport Drop
Accommodation & meals
Airport Transfers
We will pick you up upon arrival; our transfer service will be waiting for you with a sign with your name. It is very important that you send us your flight information beforehand. It takes about 40 minutes to get from the airport to the accommodation. Please bear in mind that the transfer back to the airport is not included, you will need to take a taxi or a bus when you finish your project.
Orientation and Transportation
Upon your arrival in Cordoba, we will arrange for your transportation from the airport to the hostel where you will be accommodated until Monday. During your stay at the hostel, you will have the opportunity to participate in a city tour and attend a cultural orientation session, which will familiarize you with the local customs and provide helpful information for your stay. On Monday,the local coordinator will accompany you to the Puma Reserve project and travel by bus. This transportation arrangement ensures a smooth transition from your arrival in Cordoba to your final destination at the project site. We aim to make your journey comfortable and convenient, allowing you to focus on the meaningful experience that awaits you at the volunteer project.
Accommodation
As a volunteer, you will stay in basic yet comfortable communal accommodation provided onsite. Each bedroom is equipped with 5 bunk beds and mattresses, and volunteers are required to bring their own sleeping bag. The shared bathroom is conveniently located nearby. Private rooms are available for an additional fee.
The accommodation offers Wi-Fi, though it may be unstable. During the Córdoba city tour, the local coordinator can assist volunteers in purchasing a SIM card for charging and use.
The volunteer will have the possibility to access to a washing machine once a week.
Upon arrival in Cordoba, accommodation is provided in a hostel dormitory in shared rooms for a night.
Private room upgrades are available at an extra fee.
Meals
All 3 meals a day are provided at the Puma Reserve Project. Vegan and vegetarian diets can be accommodated for. Volunteers need to be proactive and will need to help in the kitchen for cooking meals sometimes.No meals are provided during stay in hostel accommodation in Cordoba during orientation.
Weather
Depending on the time of the year Cordoba could be very hot or very cold. The temperature during summer varies from 29°C to 40°C o and the temperature in winters varies from 2°C degrees to 15°C or 18°C. Sometimes you wrongly assume that Latin America is always hot, but this is not true for Argentina. It can be really cold in winter especially for projects that are located in the middle of the mountains.
During your free time
This beautiful town has the privilege of combining two of the most characteristic components of the Cordoba landscape: beautiful white sand beaches, with crystalline rivers and a majestic lake. This town was extended to the side of a dam Embalse Río III,where you can practice nautical sports by sailing and fishing silverside.
The lake, offers tourists the charm of its river, the Santa Rosa River that meanders between its surroundings, forming a beautiful sandy beach under the imposing look of the small mountains. One of the favorite pastimes of many visitors is to climb the hill where the famous tower stands.
Only 2.5 hours away you can get to Córdoba Capital, is the second largest city in the country. Its Jesuit heritage and its strong Spanish vividness result in a fascinating blend of past and modernity. Córdoba is also a university city, home to several colleges and universities which endow it with a youthful and forward-looking environment on many different aspects. This is the reason why people from Córdoba are kind, friendly, and open-minded, and easily integrate their visitors and students, a really valuable distinctive feature.
The people of Córdoba are known as fun-loving folks with a fondness for cuarteto music, rally car racing, and the drink of Fernet and Coke. Feel free to linger over a long lunch, relax in the square with a coffee or ice cream, and meet a few of the laid back locals.
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Life on the program
Getting there and who looks after you in Argentina
Airport pickup
A driver meets you at Córdoba Airport (COR) with a name sign; the transfer to the hostel takes about 40 minutes. Send your flight details ahead of arrival.
First night in Córdoba
You stay in a shared hostel dormitory in central Córdoba until Monday; no meals are provided during this stay.
Orientation
During your time at the hostel you take part in a city tour and a cultural orientation session covering local customs and practical information.
Transfer to the reserve
On Monday the local coordinator accompanies you by bus to the puma reserve, where you move into on-site communal accommodation and meals begin.
Ongoing support
Once at the project you have access to 24-hour assistance and a placement customized to the reserve's needs.
From volunteers in Argentina
Frequently asked questions
What will I actually be doing at the reserve?
You rotate between guiding tourists, giving environmental talks, controlling exotic species, collecting seeds, doing animal enrichment, gardening, checking camera traps for the investigator, and general maintenance and cleaning; duties vary with the reserve's needs.
Do I need experience or qualifications to join?
No prior conservation experience is required, but you must be at least 18, fit and healthy, able to speak and understand Spanish, and provide a clean criminal background check.
What are the working hours and days off?
You work 8 hours a day with 1 day off each week; exact tasks and timing can shift depending on what the reserve needs on a given day.
How long can I stay and when do programs start?
Placements run 2–12 weeks, with a minimum stay of 2, starting every week (sundays); the next start date is 20 Sep 2026.
What does the price include?
Prices start at $1,899, deposit included, and cover airport pickup, in-country induction, transfer to the reserve, meals at the project, hostel accommodation on arrival, on-site communal accommodation, and 24-hour assistance; airfare, visa costs, travel insurance, vaccinations, personal expenses, and the return airport drop are not included.
What is the accommodation like?
At the reserve you stay in basic on-site communal accommodation, with bunk beds and a shared bathroom; bring your own sleeping bag. Your first night in Córdoba is in a shared hostel dormitory, and private room upgrades are available at both locations for an extra fee.
Are meals provided?
All three meals a day are provided at the puma reserve, with vegan and vegetarian diets accommodated, and volunteers sometimes help with cooking. No meals are provided during the orientation night in the Córdoba hostel.
How does airport pickup and arrival work?
A driver meets you at Córdoba Airport with a name sign and takes you to the hostel, about a 40-minute transfer; send your flight details in advance. The return airport transfer is not included.
What support and safety measures are in place?
You get 24-hour assistance, an in-country induction with a city tour and cultural orientation, and a local coordinator who accompanies you to the reserve and oversees your placement there.
What about visa, insurance, or vaccinations?
Travel and medical insurance is compulsory, either your own policy or one arranged through Volunteering Solutions, and a tetanus vaccination is required for this project; other visa and vaccination guidance is sent in your pre-departure information.
Will I handle the pumas directly?
Any animal handling is supervised by reserve staff; volunteers support through enrichment, garden and maintenance tasks, education, and research assistance rather than independently treating or handling the animals.
Is a background check required?
Yes, because the placement involves animal care in a supervised setting, you must provide a clean criminal background check report issued within 12 months of your start date.
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