Alajuela Wildlife Rescue Center
Costa Rica
Experience the magic of Costa Rica while helping its feathered, furry and scaly residents. This wildlife rescue center was founded in 2020 with no government funding amidst a global pandemic, in response to a dire need for local wildlife care. Volunteers stay on-site and spend most of their session in the animal hospital caring for sick and juvenile animals, but also have an opportunity to assist with husbandry tasks for a wide variety of exotic species in the center. Volunteers have made a huge impact on the center’s design and development- taking ideas and concepts from around the world has allowed the center to provide the best possible care for its residents, and new suggestions are always welcome. It’s important to note that most animals come from government agencies and private citizens who have nowhere else to take them, which can strain the Center’s resources. Every effort is put forth to rehabilitate and release these animals, however some are non-releasable and must become permanent residents.
*Please note that this is a working rescue/rehabilitation center and wildlife hospital- activities and caseload are highly variable and invasive procedures will not be performed on otherwise healthy animals. Therefore, some activities may not be available in every session and some sessions may have a heavier caseload than others. In addition, there are numerous long-term local volunteers on site working in a variety of capacities. This program is geared towards those with a basic/beginner-level knowledge of, and experience with, exotic birds and mammals*
The program fee covers transportation, food and accommodation, as well as financial support for the rescue center. Guided tours are available during free time.
Some knowledge of Spanish is recommended as staff members have varying levels of English-speaking ability.
Cost
2-week session: $1,000 USD
Additional weeks: $500 USD/week
Students and volunteers on the Vet team work in rotating shifts.
6am-4pm (opens hospital and morning feedings, daily activities)
2pm-10pm (assists with daily activities, evening feedings and closing hospital for the night)
See the “activities” tab for more details
Center daily schedule:
6:00am Rise & Shine
6:30am Breakfast
7:30am Team Meeting
8:00am Get to Work
- Weigh & obtain vital parameters on all neonates
- Food prep & feeding
- Treatments, exams & enrichment (see “Activities” for details)
- Clean hospitalized animal cages
12:00pm Lunch & Free Time
1:30pm Afternoon Team Meeting
2:00pm Back to Work
- Food prep & feeding
- Treatments & procedures (see “Activities” for details)
- Clean hospitalized animal cages
6:00pm Dinner
7:00pm Evening feedings/treatments
Night feedings (optional): 12am, 3am
6:00am Rise & Shine
6:30am Breakfast
7:30am Team Meeting
8:00am Get to Work
- Food prep & feeding
- Food assessment to determine future diet
- Enclosure maintenance & safety assessments
- Species-specific enrichment (see “Activities” for details)
12:00pm Lunch & Free Time
1:30pm Afternoon Team Meeting
2:00pm Back to Work
- Food prep & feeding
- Enclosure maintenance & safety assessments
- Species-specific enrichment (see “Activities” for details)
6:00pm Dinner
*Volunteers may have the opportunity to help local dogs, cats, cows, horses and sheep based on the needs of the community.
This itinerary is an example of a 2-week session. Weekly activities are planned according to the needs of the rescue center and the community, new opportunities, vet emergencies, and inclement weather.
Arrival and Departure days are every Sunday. Training & Orientation take place on the first Monday of each session.
Free time/tour days may vary but volunteers can expect 1 day off per week.
Vet/Animal Activities:
Groups are divided into Vet Team (in the hospital) and Animal Team (outside the hospital). Students will spend the first few days on the animal team performing husbandry tasks, learning about the sanctuary, nutrition, and interacting with the resident sanctuary animals including birds of prey, big cats, sloths, and a variety of other native wildlife. Animal Team days are also typically less intensive, which provides more time for fun & relaxing activities around the center.
Vet team days are spent caring for a variety of hospitalized animals, neonates, emergency care, and procedures as needed. There are also occasional opportunities to help local dogs, cats, cows, horses, and sheep with limited access to vet care (additional fee may apply, depending on demand and group size).
Lectures are in the form of informal discussions, often during treatments, procedures, and necropsies, and are provided at the discretion and availability of the supervising vet(s).
Vet Team Days (5-6 days / weeks 2+)
· Weigh & obtain vital parameters on neonatal animals
· Prepare food & medications for hospitalized and juvenile animals
· Feed & medicate hospitalized animals
· Clean hospitalized animal cages
· Treatments, procedures, exams & enrichment*
· Animal handling
· Fecal parasite analysis
· Dermatological testing & analysis (skin scrapes, impression smears, etc.)
· Bloodwork (analyzed off-site)
· Wound management, bandaging, splinting, etc.
· Subcutaneous/intramuscular/intravenous medications & IV fluids
· Surgeries / Necropsies
· Suture practice (on suture pads, bananas, etc.)
· Juvenile sloth climbing practice
· Digital imaging (x-rays and/or ultrasounds)
Night Feedings: Newborns require feeding every few hours and nocturnal animals only eat at night, so there is often a rotating nightshift schedule with feedings at 9pm, 12am, 3am, and 6am. These shifts are in addition to the 8-10 hour workdays and are OPTIONAL, but reflect a realistic and important part of vet life at the rescue center. Any additional voluntary time spent at the hospital is very much appreciated!
Animal Team Days (2-4 days week one)
· Food prep & feeding
· Food assessment to determine future diet
· Enclosure maintenance & safety assessments
· Species-specific enrichment*
· Adding/adjusting climbing & hiding spots
· Food puzzles
· Novel toys & objects
· Frozen treats
*These are examples of activities that have been performed at this center in the past. This is a working rescue/rehabilitation center and wildlife hospital—some treatments and procedures are more common than others, but cases and caseload are highly variable. Invasive procedures will not be performed on otherwise healthy animals, so some activities may not be available in every session, and some sessions may have a heavier caseload than others. There is often a good inflow of animals at the Center, and volunteers are often asked to help with less glamorous husbandry work. This is a huge part of wildlife medicine and rehab, and although it’s tough, the staff is incredibly grateful for all the hard work!
Animal Experience: 30-40 hrs/week
Vet Experience: 30-40 hrs/week
Clinical Experience: 10-20 hrs/week
Surgical Experience: 0-5 hrs/week
For the welfare and safety of the animals and staff, some animals are trained to present body parts, accept injections, etc. All medical treatments and procedures are performed under direct or “indirect” veterinary supervision. Supervising veterinary staff may vary by season, but there is at least 1 full-time vet on staff. The supervising vet(s) often rely on short- and long-term volunteers to relay information, perform basic medical tasks, and train new volunteers. This center currently has 1 full-time vet, an additional part-time vet, and a full-time biologist who advises on animal nutrition, enclosure design & maintenance, and enrichment. The center also works with several other local wildlife vets, and staff are trained to provide day-to-day veterinary care.
Free-Time Activities:
Daily Free Activities Include:
· Lounging by the Outdoor Pool & Hammocks
· River Walks
· Board Games
· Yoga
Evening free time activities include:
· Bachata lessons
· Spanish Classes
· Karaoke
Additional evening activities may include:
· Bonfires
· Movies
· Trivia
· Board Games
· Visiting local town for souvenirs, restaurants, bars, etc.
Off-site trips can be arranged by coordinators on site. There will be additional costs associated with transportation and entrance fees. Price ranges are estimated $35-$125 depending on tour and how many volunteers are going. Popular destinations include:
· Jaco Beach
· Manuel Antonio National Park
· Monteverde Cloud Forest
· Arenal Volcano
· Isla Tortuga
· And more!
Included
- Accommodation
- Airport
- Transfers
- Free-time
- Activities
- Laundry
- Facilities
- Meals
- On-Site Support
- Pre-Departure Support
- Wi-fi
Not-Included
- Flights
- Travel Insurance
- Visa Fees (if applicable)
Program Accommodation
Volunteers stay either on-site at the rescue center or at their alternate center 15 minutes away with shuttle service to and from the center. Each room has 2-4 bunk beds and 1 full bathroom. Tiki huts and clamping tents are also available. Amenities include wifi, laundry service, outdoor pool and lounging areas. Staff stay on-site and are available 24/7 to ensure volunteer safety. All meals are included in the program fee.
*This is a non-profit rescue center in a rural location – please expect cozy and rustic accommodations, and limited Wi-Fi signal!*
Volunteer in Paradise!
Have the adventure of a lifetime helping animals and exploring the beauty of Costa Rica.
Sessions
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Available Available PackagesSundayAugust 30, 2026SaturdaySeptember 12, 2026$1,000Available
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Available Available PackagesSundaySeptember 6, 2026SaturdaySeptember 19, 2026$1,000Available
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Available Available PackagesSundaySeptember 13, 2026SaturdaySeptember 26, 2026$1,000Available
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Available Available PackagesSundaySeptember 20, 2026SaturdayOctober 3, 2026$1,000Available
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Available Available PackagesSundaySeptember 27, 2026SaturdayOctober 10, 2026$1,000Available
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Available Available PackagesSundayOctober 4, 2026SaturdayOctober 17, 2026$1,000Available
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Available Available PackagesSundayOctober 11, 2026SaturdayOctober 24, 2026$1,000Available
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Available Available PackagesSundayOctober 18, 2026SaturdayOctober 31, 2026$1,000Available
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Available Available PackagesSundayOctober 25, 2026SaturdayNovember 7, 2026$1,000Available
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Available Available PackagesSundayNovember 1, 2026SaturdayNovember 14, 2026$1,000Available
Overall Trip Rating:
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Verified Purchase
By Amber S November 5, 2024 Hands-onI had a great opportunity to learn about veterinary medicine and had hands on experience.Date of Experience: October 20, 2024
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Verified Purchase
By Kamila G. August 1, 2023 Great experience but recommend conversational SpanishThis program was a great opportunity to interact with a variety of exotic animals and develop professional and technical skills. Having an intermediate level of Spanish is recommended as the staff do not all have English skills.Date of Experience: July 09, 2023
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Verified Purchase
By Amy L June 6, 2023 Loved every momentI personally loved volunteering at the rescue center. I was able to care for wildlife I would never be able to from where I am. It opened my eyes to a new perspective of veterinary medicine and I loved every moment. I also met some of the nicest, fascinating, and funniest people from all around the world. The staff are very friendly and happy to answer all questions.Date of Experience: May 21, 2023
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Verified Purchase
By Kyleigh M August 25, 2022 Incredible experienceThe GVE experience to Costa Rica was incredible. Not only were the staff and vets that I worked with incredible but so were the many people I met from all over the world. The living accommodations and food were fantastic and the excursions they took us on were so fun! I learned so much from the vets there and got wildlife experience I could not have gotten back home.Date of Experience: July 17, 2022
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Verified Purchase
By Anonymous August 14, 2022 Wonderful experience!A truly wonderful experience making many memories with friends and animals. A LOT of hard work, and you will leave with many stories to tell. The trips were fun and different :) . Different experiences, but you will learn a lot and have a different perspective about the world around you. You can pick other teams to work with depending on your stay (construction, animal team, sloth team, vet team, and more), but I believe this program should be 2+ weeks to fully grasp all tasks and routines. The vet team was able to teach volunteers on how to extract blood from a few different animals and also did a necropsy. The vets and coordinators were extremely lovely and helpful and tried their best to teach and explain everything even if there was some miss communication or language barrier. Make sure to bring extra money/ cash for trips. Most excursions were between $45-75, not including additional fees ( food, activity, etc). During your stay you’ll appreciate how much volunteers and needed and how hard it is to manage everything. Be prepared to WORK, be dirty, and make memories :)Date of Experience: July 11, 2022
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Verified Purchase
By Marielle Y May 30, 2022 Work Hard, Play HardCosta Rica is an amazing place to visit if you love animals! There is so much beauty and diversity. Their people are great too and they make you feel right at home. The Rescue Center has a very high case load so you will most definitely be working hard and with all kinds of animals. If wild life is your passion, Costa Rica is one of the places to go.Date of Experience: April 24, 2022
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Verified Purchase
By Valentina T. September 15, 2021 An amazing experienceI recommend taking one of these trips if you're looking to have a future in the wild life veterinarian field. Staff was incredible and treated me like family. The food was also delicious. Overall I had an incredible time and would definitely return if I had the opportunity.Date of Experience: August 22, 2021
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Verified Purchase
By Kristin S. June 7, 2021 Life-changingKnowing how busy young college students are, I wanted to leave this review on behalf of my daughter. She participated in the Alajuela Vet Experience Internship in May 2021, and it was truly a life-changing confirmation of her dream to pursue a career as a veterinarian. The opportunities to care for animals of all ages were amazing, from contributing to the research process to determine diagnoses to assisting in surgical procedures and providing routine care to the many diverse species at the center. Further, the center management and veterinarians on site were extremely encouraging and committed to answering questions throughout all procedures. My daughter was exposed to scenarios she never before imagined—building her confidence and fortitude. As a parent, I can tell you that Global Vet Experience is a fantastic organization. My many questions about travel amid the pandemic were always promptly answered with patience and encouragement, which put our family at ease. Many thanks to Trina in particular for all her guidance. Perhaps the best endorsement for this wonderful program is the fact that my daughter is returning for another multi-week trip in six weeks—it is that amazing!Date of Experience: May 16, 2021
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Verified Purchase
By Lydiana R February 13, 2021 UnforgettableWent to Costa Rica as a vet student through Global Vet Experience and my experience was unforgettable!!! As a volunteer and guest, I can say that the accommodations were great and the food amazing! Putting that aside, the vet team was extraordinary! The entire team an the Center was fully dedicated to the wellbeing and care of the animals. Not only as a vet student volunteer, but as a guest the learning experience was incredible. I 100% recommend the tours given at the site; this way you get to know the animals stories and cool facts about them (plus, I was given an awesome sloth rescue center face mask)!Date of Experience: January 03, 2021
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