The Project
Volunteer abroad in Peru and spend time working in a locally run animal sanctuary situated in the beautiful province of San Sebastian just outside of Cusco. The sanctuary itself was founded by the Chavez Family and provides a safe haven for animals rescued from the black market where they will be sheltered and nursed to full health until they are able to be released into their natural environments once again. Almost all of the animals housed in the sanctuary are there on a short term basis aside from more wild animals such as pumas, which have been hand-reared and now do not have the hunting skills to be able to survive in the wild. You’ll come across a number of different species of animals while working in the sanctuary including condors, pumas, various types of birds, alpacas and other wild cats.
Why the project needs you
This project relies heavily on monetary donations to complete the fantastic work which has created a safe environment for a huge number of animals over the years. Volunteers not only provide financial aid through donations toward the project, but also help to support the animals through feeding and rehabilitation programmes.
Role of the volunteer
Volunteers will support the animal sanctuary in a number of different areas including guiding tourists around the site, feeding the animals and helping to build additional rooms on site. If you have any other animal related skills there may be the possibility to design additional activities for you based around these skills. There may also be the opportunity to organize trips for the local children to help educate them as to the real threat of local animals being sold on the black market, and to raise awareness of the work on the sanctuary. Should you wish, you can also spend afternoons teaching English in the local community.
