Project summary

Volunteer at a Wildlife Rescue Centre, caring for an amazing variety of wild animals that are being given shelter.

There are currently over 300 rescued animals, with just over 200 primates. This includes 5 different species of macaque, 2 species of gibbon, civets, a tiger, sun bears and Asiatic black bears, a crocodile and exotic birds.

A typical day

The exact nature of the work you will be doing varies all the time and there is no such thing as a 'typical' day. However there are certain everyday jobs that will be your responsibility, primarily feeding the animals and assisting with cleaning the cages. A rota system is followed for these jobs so that everyone does their fair share.

In addition to this you will probably be involved with, amongst other things, the construction of new cages and enclosures, working on cage enrichments, giving tours to visitors, maintenance work to cages and the gibbon islands, and keeping the centre's grounds clean.

Volunteers work a six-day working week from about 6.30am-5.00pm. The atmosphere at the Centre is informal and relaxed. You will be scheduled where you are most needed and where your skills can be used to the maximum advantage.

Although you will work very closely with the animals, direct physical contact is limited in order to help their rehabilitation and maintain a safe working environment.

The location

The centre is based on temple grounds near Thayang in the South of Thailand, about 100 miles South of Bangkok and about 15 miles from the beaches of Cha Am and Hua Hin.

It is a very natural, peaceful and beautiful rural location and the centre is located beside a small lake which has a series of small 'gibbon islands' used to rehabilitate gibbons.

How you can make a difference

By volunteering at the Wildlife Rescue centre you will make a major contribution to the welfare of animals in Thailand.

The centre would not be able to run without the hard work of the volunteers and their financial support - the majority of the volunteer fees goes directly to the centre, providing a critical source of funding for their future work.

On a personal level you will have a unique opportunity to work alongside some incredible wildlife and gain the satisfaction of helping to make a difference to their lives.

What's included

• A comprehensive information bookletand pre-departure support
  
• Travel advice and assistance
• Accommodation (a basic shared room)
• All main meals
• Ongoing support, help and advice from our local team

What else to budget for

The following items are not included and estimates are given as a guide for your budgeting: flights (£450-£600), visa (free for less than 30 days, £45 if not), travel insurance, personal spending / living costs (£40-£50 per week).

A taxi from Bangkok airport or your hotel can be arranged to take you directly to the centre for approx £40. This is a private taxi using regular drivers from the centre and is our recommended way to travel to the centre.

Other projects you might also be interested in....

* Elephant Care in Thailand (based at the same centre, discount for doing a combination of both projects)

* Caribbean Wildlife Centre in Belize

* Bear Sanctuary in Cambodia

* African wildlife conservation - South Africa

* Cheetah re-introduction - South Africa

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More details

Background information about the project

The centre's aim is to save wild animals and their habitat from destruction. 

The centre rescues wild animals from places where they are maltreated and/or neglected, and helps them to spend the rest of their lives in a sanctuary as close to the natural environment as possible with the best possible care. In particular, it provides a permanent sanctuary for life for those animals that no-one else is prepared to care for e.g. the sick and disabled.

The focus is on rehabilitating captive or domesticated animals and, if possible, preparing them for a reintroduction to their natural habitats.

As well as the Wildlife Rescue project, there is also an Elephant Care project based at the same site.

Volunteer accommodation and food

Including volunteers on the Elephant Care project (based at the same centre), there will be between 20-40 volunteers at one time and you will all live in shared rooms on-site.

All main meals are provided at the centre and vegetarians and vegans are also catered for.

Freetime and travel opportunities

After work you can relax at the centre and socialise with other volunteers. There is a TV that you can watch DVD's on and there is room for everyone to sit and relax in the main volunteer house.

About 5 minutes walk from the centre there is a small village with an internet cafe and small shop, and there is also a large Buddhist temple to visit.

For a night out volunteers regularly club together and organise a taxi to Hua Hin where there are many bars and restaurants and also a night market. On Wednesday evenings there is also a big night market in Cha-am selling lots of cheap clothes and souvenirs, which is popular.

On days off you are free to explore the local area or visit the excellent beaches which are about 15 miles away.

Challenges

You will need to be able to tolerate high temperatures and humidity, work well within a team and be adaptable to living and working in a group.

It is physical work in a hot environment so can be draining, but it is also very rewarding.

Where does your money go

PoD is run as a non-profit organisation and does not receive any external funding. We charge a fee for all our placements to cover the overseas costs of volunteering and the costs of running our organisation in the UK. 

For this project approximately 70% of the fee you pay is passed to directly to the project, an important source of funding for the work.

Volunteer reviews

Click here to read volunteer reviews for our Thailand elephant care volunteer project.