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Animal Havens: Rehab Rescued Animals at Wildlife Sanctuaries

by Deborah Mitchell
The Challenge

Admittance to a wildlife sanctuary (also known as a wildlife refuge or wildlife haven) is often the only thing that saves an injured or orphaned animal from a painful, imminent death.

Many wildlife sanctuaries operate as rehabilitation sites, providing physical therapy and critically-needed emergency and long-term medical care to wildlife in need. Although it is comforting that such animal sanctuaries exist, the reasons they are necessary are disheartening:

  • Every year, hundreds of thousands of baby birds, mammals, and other animals are orphaned when their parent(s) are killed by hunters, poachers, or by accident. Many of these animals are brought to wildlife sanctuaries by the general public or by individuals involved with wildlife rehabilitation and welfare. With the help of wildlife rehabilitators and dedicated volunteers, some of these animals can be returned to their natural habitats.
  • Similarly, hundreds of thousands of injured animals — victims of hunters, abuse, vehicular accidents, or natural events — are cared for and, when possible, rehabilitated and returned to the wild.
  • Some animals that have been the subjects of experimentation or that have performed in circuses or other forms or entertainment, including elephants, primates, tigers and other big cats, and bears, are "retired" to wildlife sanctuaries. Unfortunately, these animals can never be returned to the wild, and so they live out their days in a refuge.
  • People who think it would be "fun" to own or breed exotic or wild animals, such as a tigers, chimpanzees, or alligators, often discover that they cannot handle or properly care for the animals and look for ways to dispose of them. If the animals are lucky, they find their way to an animal sanctuary.

Some animal havens are only able to handle a dozen or so animals and are very limited in the number of new creatures they can add to their fold. These wildlife sanctuaries generally are dedicated to large animals, such as tigers, elephants, and primates, who typically spend the rest of their days in the facilities. Other wildlife refuges open their doors to thousands of orphaned, abused, or abandoned birds and/or small mammals, providing them with needed medical care and rehabilitation, and then release those that can be safely returned to the wild.

Animal havens and the dedicated individuals who run and maintain them typically operate on a shoestring; with no government funding. Most of these sanctuaries rely on volunteers like you to help them provide much-needed services — services that are needed 365 days a year and often around the clock.

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Although it is necessary to receive special training to be a wildlife rehabilitator, you can participate in many other activities that are vital to the comfort and welfare of the wild animals in the care of an animal sanctuary. For example, you can: build habitats, feed baby animals, prepare food, clean cages, help transport animals, help with educational activities, monitor and document recovery during rehabilitation, repair and build fences, answer the phones, or assist with fundraising. Every task is important, whether it's a hands-on activity with an animal or a job that frees up an experienced rehabilitator to do his or her specialized work.

Depending on where you want to go and your interests and talents, you could, for example, contact any of the following wildlife sanctuary projects.

  • Help at the Wildlife Rescue center project in Costa Rica. Volunteers are needed to help with a wide variety of tasks, such as preparing food for the animals, working with endangered species, maintaining roads, cleaning animal cages, and learning how to work with the animals. A minimum of one week is required, and all your meals and accommodations are provided. A basic knowledge of Spanish is necessary.
  • The animal rescue center in Ibarra, Ecuador, also needs your help. Some of the necessary activities include feeding the animals, cleaning cages, making and repairing toys for the animals, showing visitors around the center, repairing and building cages, and helping the veterinarian. Room and board are provided during the minimum two-week stay. A high level of basic Spanish is necessary for this project.
  • Spend a minimum of two weeks at the Namibia Wildlife Sanctuary in Africa, working with a variety of wildlife. This sanctuary provides a safe refuge for orphaned and injured wildlife, including wild dogs, baboons, lions, leopards, cheetahs, and meerkats. Meals and accommodations are included, and you can start anytime throughout the year.
  • At the Wildlife Rescue Centre in Thailand, you can expect to work mainly with primates, including gibbons and macaques, but also some bears and tigers as well. Volunteer tasks may include preparing and feeding the animals, cleaning enclosures, and building enrichments. Meals and accommodations in a bungalow are provided during your minimum two-week stay.

To help you find compatible wildlife sanctuaries from among the many around the globe, you can check out the following sites and contact the animal sanctuaries through their active links:

Whether you have a few days, a few weeks, or a few months to spend helping wildlife in need, it’s sure to be time you'll never forget. Before you go on your volunteer vacation, you might want to read up on what wildlife rehabilitation is all about. The Wildlife Rehabilitation Information Directory and the Animal Sanctuary Association can offer you some insight.

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