Exotic Wildlife Caretaker Assistant

location
4 - 6 weeks  ·  Age 18 - 50+

rating  Perfect 4.6  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Excellent response rate


Especially good for

Age 18+
Singles

About the program

Aloha! Pack your bags, bring your swim gear and become a volunteer now by joining an Exotic Animal Sanctuary in Hawaii!

Pack your bags and travel to Hawaii where you can become a volunteer at our Exotic Animals Sanctuary! Here you get the chance of a lifetime to work alongside an amazing team of staff and amazing animals! This project gives you the best of both worlds the perfect solution in case you are having a ...

About the program

Pack your bags and travel to Hawaii where you can become a volunteer at our Exotic Animals Sanctuary! Here you get the chance of a lifetime to work alongside an amazing team of staff and amazing animals! This project gives you the best of both worlds the perfect solution in case you are having a hard time deciding between a nice long holiday at the beach or would like to get a meaningful experience and volunteer with wildlife!

Can’t decide if you want to volunteer with wildlife? Ever wanted to work with exotic animals in an island paradise? How about to help care for These amazing animals at the Exotic Animal Sanctuary! This volunteer project is home to a wide variety of exotic and native Hawaiian species. Working with wildlife & exotics at the wildlife center is rewarding but physically demanding, and it is by no means an ’easy holiday option’! You do have several hours of time off each day plus two days a week to enjoy all the Big Island has to offer!


Typical day

This is a fast paced, intense, and physically demanding environment. 8-hour shifts with enough break time pass quickly due to regular feedings that must be kept on schedule and endless cleaning duties. Volunteers help with bottle feeding young mammals and hand feeding young birds, preparing diets ...

Typical day

This is a fast paced, intense, and physically demanding environment. 8-hour shifts with enough break time pass quickly due to regular feedings that must be kept on schedule and endless cleaning duties. Volunteers help with bottle feeding young mammals and hand feeding young birds, preparing diets for self-feeding animals, cleaning and enriching animal cages, and general cleaning around the facility such as dishes, laundry, and wash pad. Volunteers that are handy with tools may also help fix or build cages and other structures. Volunteers work both individually and as a team to complete the required tasks.

  • Educate visitors and locals about Hawaii’s fragile island ecology and animal behavior
  • Care for injured wildlife and returning them to the wild in optimal condition
  • Care for resident exotic and non-releasable wildlife in optimal settings
  • build and maintain animal’s enclosures



Free-time activities

On days off volunteers have the chance to go sightseeing like visiting the Volcanoes or take some time to visit the breathtaking beaches and waters where you have the opportunity to go surfing, snorkeling, diving and so much more!

Free-time activities

On days off volunteers have the chance to go sightseeing like visiting the Volcanoes or take some time to visit the breathtaking beaches and waters where you have the opportunity to go surfing, snorkeling, diving and so much more!


Requirements

Requirements

Minimum Age: 18 years

In order to join the program you need to be at least 18 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if you can provide the permission of your legal guardian(s) or if your are accompanied by your parents.

Language Skills

You need to speak English (intermediate level)

Required Documents

CV, Resume, Letter of Motivation, Two pics and Signed Policies and Liability Form (provided during application process)

Nationality Restrictions

No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

Time Commitment

Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 08:00 - 16:00

What's Included

What's Included

Services by Fronteering Travel

  • Airport Pick up & Transfer
  • Accommodation
  • Meals
  • Use of car (driver’s license required)
  • Mail-holding service
  • Ongoing service
  • Tours
  • 24/7 Emergency contact

Airport Pickup at Kona International Airport at Keahole

You will arrive in the beautiful island of Hawaii from where you will be picked up from the airport and transferred to the project.

Accommodation

  • One private room with bath or semi-private flat depending on number of volunteers. 
  • Wifi available for use
  • TV is also available for use and is at your disposal.
  • 3 meals a day provided
  • Swimming pool
  • Laundry facility 

Food & Beverages

Three meals a day provided throughout your entire stay!

Internet Access

Good access at the project site

What's NOT included?

What's NOT included?

Flight Tickets

The nearest airport is Kona International Airport at Keahole (KOA) in Kailua-Kona. We assist you to find cheap flights to United States. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

Travel Insurance

Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for United States provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

Vaccines

If you are intending to volunteer in United States you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for United States. VACCINE CHECKER

Details on arrival

This project has no specific start dates. Spots are available year-round however, try to book early in advance to be assured of a volunteer placement. Please take into consideration that the project prefers applicants start on a Monday!

Availability
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Program fees

4 weeks (min. stay) 4,071€
5 weeks 4,966€
6 weeks (max. stay) 5,761€
Average fees 988€/week

Program fees

988€ per week 4 - 6 weeks Age 18 - 50+

Payment methods

Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

NO CREDIT CARD FEES


Duration

4 - 6 weeks

Deposit

The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.


Final Payment

Your final payment will be agreed with Fronteering Travel during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.


Meet your organization

Fronteering Travel

Perfect 4.6 rating (87 reviews)

Non-profit - founded in 2010

Verified by Volunteer World

  Excellent response rate

Coordinated by

Patrick

Spoken languages: Dutch, English, German

About the project

Fronteering arranges volunteering programs related to wildlife and indigenous people in less visited places of this world as well as more unique destinations.

Meet your organization

Fronteering arranges volunteering programs in some of the last frontiers of this world as well as more unique locations that other organizations ignore. From Field research programs in the Far north of Canada and Husky ranches in the Canadian Arctic to Amerindian community programs and wildlife conservation in the Amazon Rainforest and everything in between.

Most of our programs Focus on either wildlife rehabilitation and release, wildlife conservation & research or involve local indigenous communities.

Fronteering currently offers programs in Canada, Guyana, USA, Australia, Brazil, Borneo, South Africa, Madagascar and Panama.

True good causes: FRONTEERINGS volunteer abroad projects are either existing local projects or projects that are build from the group up by FRONTEERING. What these projects have in common is that you will be supporting a true good cause! You will have the opportunity to help where the need is the greatest. Our projects focus on helping the local communities, wildlife, indigenous people and the environment in cooperation with the local/indigenous communities. We focus on true volunteer projects where your effort really makes a difference. That’s why through Fronteering you will rehabilitate injured & orphaned wildlife with the goal to release the animal. That is the reason why will not send you to some far southern country to cuddle with tame lions & tigers with any real purpose. If you want to volunteer abroad with a real purpose, contact us!

Safety: At FRONTEERING we do our outmost best to provide the safety measures needed for our Volunteer Abroad projects and Adventure Travel Trips. However due to the fact that many of our projects and trips involve wild animals and/or are in remote locations there is a small element of risk involved. Not all of our projects and trips are for the faint at heart however we do cater to those of all walks of life. If you are not too sure about the suitability of a Volunteer Abroad project or an Adventure Travel trip then feel free to ask as we are always ready to answer any questions or discuss any doubts that come to mind. For more information please check our Safety & In-country Support section before you volunteer abroad.

A real adventure: We do not want our volunteers to end up trying to safe or clean up some small patch of rainforest which in some places they might call a wilderness. Instead you will volunteer in the immense jungle of the Amazon rainforest or venture in to the vast Canadian wilderness! Our volunteer abroad projects are situated in the remote areas of the world and we focus on countries and regions with the lowest population densities. We at FRONTEERING focus on what works; from sleeping in the jungle underneath the stars with nothing more than your own private hammock to back-to-basic cabins in the northern tundra with a cozy smothering fireplace and no electricity! When you volunteer abroad with FRONTEERING you can be sure it will be adventure.

Off the beaten path: With FRONTEERING volunteer abroad projects you will venture to places less visited. We focus on places that are fairly undiscovered where the nature, wildlife and indigenous cultures are still common. You will have the great opportunity to see these amazing places while they are still unspoiled and pure. It is these places where there is the most to lose but even more to gain through successful conservation work and sustainable tourism. 

Community involvement: Foremost when volunteering abroad the well being of the community should come first. For all of our trips we use local guides, local transportation and local communities so that through sustainable tourism we can help to protect the environment, wildlife and sustain the way of life of indigenous cultures & communities. More and more and governments choose the long term benefit of sustainable tourism over the short term gain of mining and logging. A good example is Gabon which in 2002 after recommendations from environmental researchers set up 13 new national parks. The government of Guyana is currently considering protecting its entire rainforest region which still covers 80% of the country. Hopefully through our combined effort this dream will one day become true.

Mission
FRONTEERING specializes in organizing volunteer abroad projects to preserve the environment, wildlife and indigenous people throughout the world while giving the volunteers a real and raw experience in some of the most beautiful and often remote places in the world to make a true difference.

Vision
FRONTEERING strives to provide real off the beaten path volunteer abroad experiences worldwide that satisfy the need for volunteer projects that truly makes a difference for the environment, wildlife and indigenous people.


87 reviews · rating4.6

Hanna Somsky rating5

2023 at Exotic Wildlife Caretaker Assistant

Can get really good hands on experience with a very diverse group of animals. Ranch care takers are very knowledgeable about the animals and will gladly spend time sharing their stories and experiences with you. If you are looking for somewhere that can you know the place and people you're ...
Cindy Lamaha rating5

2023 at Exotic Wildlife Caretaker Assistant

Dear future volunteer, The Hawaii sanctuary is not just a project where you will be taught about all the different kinds of animals and their behaviors, you will also learn a lot about humans, about yourself and you will learn how to feel home at a place that is not your own. If you thinking about ...
Having found an awesome opportunity to partake in a husky care taker placement in Canada, I was assisted in organizing the placement by the helpful and (patient!) team at Fronteering. The organization was dedicated to helping me contact and communicate with my host organization. I always felt I ...
泽宇 张 rating5

2024 at Wild Takhi Research & Conservation

The national park is spectacular! We went for an outing every morning for wild Takhi observation every morning. Having a moment in your lifetime in the wild with all the nature surrounding you is probably the most wonderful experience. The accommodation managers and staffs are super helpful and ...
Chris H rating5

2024 at Critter Caretaker

I volunteered at the critter care taker program in Canada in May just 1 month after I turned 18. I was quite nervous and my parents also and so I decided to book through Fronteering instead of trying to arrange it myself. This made it very easy and I felt a lot better. I did travel to Vancouver a ...
Carol Breen rating5

2024 at Raptors & Owls Caretaker

I spent 8 weeks, 5 days a week, 7 hours a day volunteering with this organization. It was so worthwhile! They not only rescue injured raptor, but they rehabilitate as many as possible and get them back to where they were rescued in order to release them in the same place. They have a network of ...

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Contact Patrick
  Excellent response rate
Dutch, English, German

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