Connecting you to free and low fee Volunteer Abroad Opportunities

Help stray dogs in Auroville, India

This is a volunteer community project to fix, maintain and improve the “Integrated Animal Care Center, Auroville” so it can continue to care for stray dogs and other animals.

Friends of IACC is a project started by two resident volunteers, to build a volunteer community interested in animal welfare and sustainable living. Our main goal is to maintain and improve the Integrated Animal Care Center in Auroville while following sustainable practices to minimize its impact on the eco-system. Our focus is to provide a healthy & happy environment for our dogs and build a replicable volunteer, adoption, sterlization, education and financially sustainable program.

We are currently taking care of around 22 puppies and 15 adult dogs of all shapes and sizes. We need help with the daily routine, improving the grounds and with adoptions and are looking for resident as well as visiting volunteers.

You can read more about us at http://foiacc.worldlywags.org/

Elephant Care Volunteer in Nepal

Make a journey across and look at the things from renewed perspective. Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world with many environmental, social, and political problems. While there are 55,000 NGOs in Nepal, most people I speak to feel the majority of NGOs are too corrupt and use donated money for their own benefit, although progress can often be a slow and difficult process. There are some good organizations like Third Eye Volunteer Nepal that encourages people to volunteer, which has been an incredibly rewarding experience for many volunteers and targeted local people too. After living among locals in Nepal you will return home with a renewed perspective if you work with Organizations who exactly make true what they promise to do.

Third Eye Volunteer Nepal works in a less privileged area for Nepal as far as possible. Experience life in very underprivileged areas of Nepal and feel what living means in this era at this geography of the world. Let’s create world a better place to live by helping people in need not by fund but by own presence. Driving away darkness means making people smile by simple efforts.

The southern part of Nepal is plain where there is thick jungle where live different kind of wild animals. Chitwan National park is very famous for Jungle safari programs and people go jungle safari by riding elephants and an elephant carries four people at once to Jungle activities. Chitwan National Park is an exciting and diverse wildlife haven. Chitwan National Park is located in 175 Kms south’s west of Kathmandu. It provides excellent opportunities to view rare species such as the sloth bear, bison, leopard and the elusive tiger. The common species such as deer, rhinoceros and wild boar are in abundance. A serene float down Rapti river in dugout canoe offer the chance to view many of the more than 450 species of exotic birds including Giant Hornbill, Lesser Florican and Paradise flycatcher.

Asian Elephants are (Elephas maximus) unique in themselves. They are domesticated creatures and follow the instructions the mahout gives. Elephants are symbol of good luck and it’s amazing opportunity to be with this mighty creature. During volunteering period you will have great opportunity to have behavioral study of Asian Elephants.The temperature of Terai region where elephants live is divided into a cool (October to mid February) and a hot period (midFebruary to June). Temperatures range from 10◦C in January to 41◦C in May. In chitwan there is an elephant breeding facility at the Chitwan National Park where baby elephants and their mother live. At present, there are altogether 208 captive elephants in Nepal. The majorities of private elephants are in and around Chitwan National Park, and are mainly used for tourism purposes. Government elephants are mainly used for patrolling and research purposes whereas private elephants are mostly used for forest excursions and for entertaining tourists in buffer zones of parks and reserves.
Elephant eat around 250 kilograms food each day and drink about200 liter water. And an elephant have to keep on eating most of the time because of its poor digestive mechanism. An elephant loves swimming and it has to be taken for bath each day.

Your duty as skilled volunteer

If you are veterinary student or researcher you can make research on Elephants regarding their behavior, or on Elephant tuberculosis a chronic disease that has affected much the captive elephants in Nepal. For such research programs the permission of Nepal government is essential. If your requirements meet, we will help you in it.

Your duty as General Elephant Volunteer

In this programs anyone interested working with elephants can join the program. Your duty will be on to help in preparing food, help in bathing and work for the special care of baby elephants. You will be helping mahouts (elephant drivers) while making an elephant bath. The main help will be on preparing food for elephants. Grass is main food of elephants and they also eat leaves, twigs, bamboo, bark, roots, fruit, seeds and flowers. Elephants only digest about 40% of the food they eat as they have poor digestive systems. This means they have to eat lots of food to make sure they get all the nutrients they need. Elephant are given special food containing molasses inside covered with hay or grass.

Elephant Dung Paper: Paper is made from elephant dung which is eco friendly work. As a volunteer you can take part few hours a day in this project to make paper. The paper made can be distributed to poor students who live nearby for school stationary purpose.

Your living and accommodation

We will make your living arrangements in a standard Hotel situated in sauraha chitwan. Three times food will be provided (Tea, bread, rice, lentils, curry etc) or if you would like to eat food of your choice you are welcome for that too. The program fee for Elephant care volunteer program in chitwan Nepal is for 2 Weeks US$ 250, 4 Weeks US$ 390 6 Weeks US$ 530 and 12 Weeks US$ 860.

The program fee covers

Pre- departure Information:
Volunteer Information
Land Transportation: Airport Pickup, transportation during Kathmandu sightseeing program
Program Induction: Basic Nepali language Course, Cultural class and program orientation etc.
Kathmandu Sightseeing Tour: Pashupatinath Temple, Swyambhunath (Monkey Temple) and Patan Darbar Square
Hotel Accommodation: 2 Night accommodation during program induction period in Kathmandu
Land transportation to project site
Accommodation and meals: Accommodation and meals during your placement
24 hours availability of Third eye Volunteer Nepal staff for emergency support
Contribution to projects and host family
Support for ongoing community development projects;
Third eye Volunteer Nepal staff visit to placements
Assistance for your departure
Assistance to extent your visa
Nepali Sim Card ( N cell )
All administration cost
Interesting Facts about Elephants
• Female elephants are pregnant for about 22 months.
• Elephants are the largest living land animals.
• No animals prey on healthy adult elephants. Lions sometimes prey on baby or sick elephants.
• Like humans, who are left or right handed, elephants are left or right ‘tusked’.
• Elephants are good swimmers but they cannot jump.
• Elephants can run as fast as 40km/h (25mph).
• Elephants have the largest brains of any land animals.
• Elephants are in danger of extinction due to hunting and loss of habitat.

Volunteer Senior Vet opportunity – Thailand

Have you ever dreamt of going off the beaten track? Using your skills to really make long lasting change in the community?

An exciting opportunity exists for a Senior Vet (experienced) to volunteer their skills in a remote community in Thailand.

Sangkhlaburi lies within the Kanchanburi province, approximately eight hours from Bangkok. Situated on the Myanmar border this picturesque town is surrounded by stunning mountains, national parks, waterfalls and rivers.

With a Thai, Burmese, Karen, Mon and Laos population the rich cultural diversity is what makes this town unique.

Established in 2006, Baan Unrak Thai Animal Sanctuary is a small sanctuary in Sangkhlaburi. The sanctuary is currently home to 30 resident dogs.

The nearest veterinary clinic is located over three hours away, so the local animals rely on the sanctuary to assist them in times of need. We see all manner of ailments – from regular fleas & ticks, to scabies, distemper, parvo, and human inflicted injuries.

We also run regular sterilisation and vaccination projects to humanely manage the stray animal population, and improve the health and wellbeing of animals and humans in the area.

An experienced vet, you will work with a small passionate team of volunteers (including a Sanctuary Manager) to improve the health and wellbeing of all animals in Sangkhlaburi.

You’ll be flexible and adaptable, with sound analytical skills to tackle the challenges that the role presents. Your sense of humour will also assist with this!

In return, this opportunity will offer you hands-on experience in a challenging yet extremely rewarding role, particularly the constant learning and seeing the direct impact that your work has in the lives of animals and humans in the community.

It will also offer you the opportunity to put your skills to the test – with limited diagnostics and basic equipment, plus exposure to unique injuries, illnesses and diseases and treatments that you won’t find in developed countries.

For further information on this exciting opportunity including a copy of the position description, please email us at info@thaianimalsanctuary.com

For further information on the sanctuary, please visit our website www.thaianimalsanctuary.com

As you are making your holiday travel plans, don’t forget about travel insurance.

To apply, please forward a covering letter and CV (including details of two referees) to info@thaianimalsanctuary.com

La Tortuga Feliz – Costa Rica

I recently finished volunteering for 3 months with a non profit protecting sea turtles in costa rica and I really want to spread the word. Working with La Tortuga Feliz was definitely one of the most rewarding experience of my life. My daily activities included beach patrolling and hatchery work. Living conditions were basic as expected, however, the amazing food was a welcome surprise. The rewards not only consisted of the opportunity to bond with a diverse group of people but also to actively participate in an organisation that truly helps both the marine wildlife and the local community. If anyone is interested in CHEAP voluntary work in central/south America, I couldn’t recommend LTF more.

http://www.latortugafeliz.com

Volunteer in Paraguay – Para La Tierra

Paraguay remains one of the least visited countries in South America yet is also amongst the most friendly, safe and traditional. Paraguay is perfect for an adventurer ready to explore a different world off the beaten track.Para La Tierra operates from Reserva Natural Laguna Blanca, a beautiful location in the east of Paraguay, boasting a clear freshwater lake ready for swimming in, and a sandy beach for you to relax on at the end of the day. Laguna Blanca lies on the border of the Paraguayan Cerrado and the Atlantic Forest, two globally endangered habitats in desperate need of protection. You will be able to explore both of these areas and see some of the biodiversity that Paraguay has to offer such as the maned-wolf, jaguar, capuchin monkey, brock deer, burrowing owl and armadillo. Perhaps the most important species of all is the White-winged Nightjar which is found to breed near Laguna Blanca and in only two other locations in the world!It is of critical importance that we study this bird’s life cycle, habitat and behaviour in order to ensure its survival.

Para La Tierra volunteers can join in any one of our many projects. Perhaps you would like to learn about the species of Laguna Blanca, gain some research experience or just explore what the reserve has to offer. Alternatively if you are feeling strong, you could join in with the Forest Guards patroling and maintaining the trails. Maybe you want to practice your Spanish and help with some of our outreach activities. With lots of options you can try a bit of everything and see what it’s like to be a part of a conservation organisation.
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