Volunteer in Thailand: Wildlife Rescue Centre

Volunteers spend a significant amount of time preparing and serving the food along with a variety of ancillary jobs, such as cleaning food bowls, equipment and food preparation areas. Maintaining the cleanliness of the enclosures and supplying fresh drinking water throughout the day are also an integral part of the daily care.

Volunteers can also help fix up environmental enrichments in the enclosures (beams, swings, etc) as well as implement behavioural enrichments (often food orientated treats, puzzles or toys).

In general most of the animals at the centre are primates; White handed Gibbons (Hylobates lar), White-cheeked Gibbons (Hylobates leucogenys), Long-tail macaques (Macaca fascicularis), Stump-tail macaques (Macaca arctoides), Pig-tail macaques (Macaca nemestrina), Dusky Langur (Trachypeticus obscurus) and even Asiatic black-bears (Ursus thibetanus) or Tigers (Pantera tigris). Besides this there are several Civets and other smaller animals.

Volunteer Work Expectation

As a volunteer at the centre you should expect to work full days. The hours are somewhat flexible, but a general time frame is 6:30am until 5:00pm with a break for breakfast and lunch. You will have one free day per week, which may be taken on any day of the week.

You should not expect to be handling the animals directly, as human contact is minimized so that the animals can learn to socialise with others of their kind. You will need to be pro-active in your approach to the work you will be involved in as a volunteer, taking initiative and working independently.

Accommodation

Accommodation is in simple bungalows at the centre, with rooms for one to three people. Each bungalow has its own toilet however the toilets are non flush with a bin next to them for paper, and water to pour into the bowl. The cold showers use water from the local source. There is a large communal volunteer area with seating and a large kitchen. You must have a positive attitude towards working and living in a group and take on the responsibilities that this holds.

Bedding is supplied which consists of a pillowcase, sheet and blanket. Any additional bedding you require should be brought with you.  Volunteers will need to provide their own towel and mosquito net.

Meals

In the Thailand program there is a cook onsite, who prepares the meals for the volunteers on a daily basis. You will have two meals prepared for you each day. These are local Thai dishes as well as some European meals. It is your responsibility to prepare your own breakfast with bread and jam, eggs, fresh fruit, tea, and coffee available.

Vegetarians can be catered for, but you should not expect a special meal to be prepared for you. There will be food options within the regular meal that you can eat.

Free Time

TV and DVD player are available for use from 17h00 – 22h00 with a large selection of movies, there are also a variety of games available. In the nearby village (10 minutes walk) there are a couple of internet cafes open until about 20h00, a restaurant and a karaoke bar open most nights until 23h00 and on Sundays there is a night market.

During your own free time you can also travel locally. There is a resort within 15 minutes ride of the rescue centre, where volunteers can stay for a preferential rate including free transit. The resort is in a secluded location along the riverside and is very luxurious, with a nice swimming pool and offers Thai massage, etc.

Number of Volunteers

The Thailand Wildlife Rescue Centre program usually has between 7 and 30 volunteers per month, but the number of volunteers varies depending on the season.

Costs

Application Fee – US $97

Your application fee is fully transferable and will secure your place on the program, (or any other GVN program of your choice), at a placement date that is suitable to you.*

*Your application fee provides you with access to any of GVN's volunteer programs over the next 5 years, as many times as you like without having to pay another application fee!

Children under 18 are not required to pay the application fee when volunteering together with a parent/guardian.  (Except for participants in our Youth Tour program who are required to pay a US$97 application fee.)

To return to the main Thailand program, click here.