Location
  • Peru
    • Iquitos
Length
1 to 52 weeks

Program Details

Language
Spanish
Timeframe
Year Round
Housing
Hostel
Groups
Small Group (1-15) Medium Group (16-30)
Travel Type
Family Older Travelers Solo Women

Pricing

Starting Price
60
Price Details
Minimum stay 1 week, total fee per 1 week: US$420

Full meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). You must confirm if you have any special diet such as vegan, vegetarian, or food allergies. Regional fruits and drinks available anytime.
Volunteer bedrooms made of noble material and wood (4 or 6 volunteers per room) with fans and mosquito nets
Electricity all day in all the facilities
Dining room with some ingredients if you want to prepare something extra, board games, movie projector and A/C.
Wi-Fi available in common area, study room and al bedrooms, strong signal
Laundry machine for free use. No dry machine
Pick up and drop off in Iquitos Airport

US$ 420 per every additional week.
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Equipment Meals Transportation Wifi
What's Not Included
Airfare Domestic Airfare Travel Insurance Visa
Mar 02, 2025
Mar 09, 2025
26 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

We need people who love animals and want to support us in rescues, rehabilitation, and medical treatments, as well as enrichment programs, for them.

Our volunteer program as a wildlife caretaker is very important in the project progress. We require people who mainly have a deep love for animals, no previous studies are required, people who have more experience will be designate to certain types of animals and those who do not have much experience will be responsible for other types of animals, the common quality should be to have a lot of patience and be very observant, the time the volunteer spend feeding and taking care of them is essential for the project. The wildlife caretakers are the main and first source of information for monitoring the physical and emotional health of the animals in our care.

Volunteer and enjoy the close relationship between wildlife and their natural habitat, also work closely together with specialists and gain new knowledge about wildlife!

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Wildlife Animal Care: Help us to take care of rescued amazonian manatees, felines, anteaters, sloths, new world primates, reptiles and many other species, and also participate in their release.
  • Gain Knowledge: Collaborate closely with specialists in the field, acquiring valuable knowledge about the animals you'll be working with through hands-on experiences, lectures and workshops.
  • Live in the Amazon Rainforest: Wake up to the sounds of the jungle, explore the rainforest in night walks and make cultural experiences in our communities outreach.
  • Community Outreach: Immerse yourself in a remarkable volunteering opportunity supporting education efforts to contribute to the harmonious relationship between locals and wildlife.
  • Adventures included: Embark on thrilling adventures, such as boat rides along the majestic Amazon River to watch dolphins and visit traditional markets and ancestral tribes!

Program Impact

Support in animal’s rescue, rehabilitation, cleaning, preparation food
Implementation of enrichment programs for animals
Gathering of natural food for the rescued animals
Maintenance of the trials
Help in the preparation of seedbeds and vegetable plantations
Walks for setting up Camera Traps
Manufacture of toys, hammocks and ladders for enclosures
Attending non-specialized lectures / Conservation lectures
Supporting environmental education, sciences classes or computer skills classes for communities
You will receive Spanish classes once per week
Nature walks

Related Programs

Program Reviews

4.83 Rating
based on 24 reviews
  • 5 rating 95.83%
  • 4 rating 0%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 4.17%
  • Impact 4.9
  • Support 4.8
  • Fun 4.9
  • Value 4.8
  • Safety 4.7
Showing 1 - 8 of 24 reviews
Default avatar
Rachel
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Magical Experience

If you’re a nature and animal lover, RAREC will provide you with such a magical experience, taking home very special shared memories whether you were with fellow students, friends, family or your spouse. My husband and I arrived late our first night there and were greeted by the founders at their gate and escorted to our room. Ponds surround the property and you could hear the calming chorus of frogs as we made our way to our quarters. Throughout our time with RAREC we not only volunteered our time with their rescues (cleaning enclosures, prepping meals and helping with feedings, along with animal enrichment) but experienced Iquitos, local dug out canoe boat ride greeted by river dolphins and sampled the local cuisine like Suri (grilled grubs), etc. We continue to support and volunteer with RAREC and they are near and dear to our hearts.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
Suri (grilled grubs)
Pros
  • Volunteering with rescued animals
  • Supporting the community with events and outreach
  • Experiencing local wildlife and cuisine
Cons
  • Some would complain about the heat but I loved it (stay hydrated)
  • Get vaccinations and either take malaria medication or spray your clothes prior to visiting
  • Only drink bottled or boiled water but this facility always has readily clean water for volunteers
22 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Aldana
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

An Unforgettable Experience at RAREC

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24 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Jorge
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Volunteering at RAREC

If you want to gain experience and work with wildlife animals rehabilitating, being part of releasing programs, support researches and take care of the animals, this program is for you. Since you show up, you will feel welcomed by everyone, people here is so welcoming and you will feel part of the rarec family. We work with values and all of us have the same goals to achieve. It is the best experience you can have. the knowlegde you will get is really important. Also we work with the communities about environmental problems and how they can minimize the impact

What was your funniest moment?
When I was feeding the animals and then I fell on the mud
Pros
  • Accesibility
  • Accomodation
  • Building
Cons
  • Food
25 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
McKenna
1/5
No, I don't recommend this program

There are better rescue options in Peru...

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43 people found this review helpful.
Response from

We are grateful for any feedback regarding experiences at RAREC.

In this specific case, we would like to clarify that the individual in question applied for a long-term assistant internship position, specifically for the Education for Communities role. This position is different from the typical short-term volunteer experience, the participants in these positions do not pay for their stay, as food and basic accommodations are provided in exchange for a 3-month commitment and they are considered Staff.

We have a comprehensive document that clearly outlines the conditions of the accommodations for staff and induction about the rules, which include: do not hang wet clothes in your rooms because that creates mold. Directors have lived in RAREC since its creation 14 years ago, they have worked hard to develop and improve their personal living space near the operations of RAREC. However, everyone is subject to the same environmental challenges, such as mold or insects, if they do not follow the rules related to cleanliness and proper room care.

We take the health and safety of our staff and volunteers very seriously, we make periodically samples of water, and the water passes through a chemical treatment, that process is explained in our Welcome tour, people can even see the pumps and treatment reservoirs, we want to believe that this comment is just a misunderstanding and lack of experience of a water treatment process. RAREC serves approximately 30 people daily, plus 60 animals, and if the water were contaminated, it would affect everyone.

Regarding animal care, we are committed to providing the best possible care within the constraints of being a rescue center. We hold all necessary permits from Peruvian authorities and follow approved protocols about enclosure measurements, enrichment, nutrition, and veterinary care. We also desire to have huge enclosures for every animal, but due to limited resources, it can be challenging to meet this expectation. Our expenses are clear and accessible to anyone as we give monthly presentations about Operational Expenses to staff and volunteers.

At RAREC, we have a volunteer coordinator available to assist volunteers and staff. As the administrator of all operations, Kathya is not always available to handle every individual request personally. There were instances during this specific stay where non-urgent requests, such as picking up things from the city or even parents’ requests for buying cakes and personal hygiene products, were made to Kathya. These questions had to be directed to the volunteer coordinator, which is why we needed to clarify and set appropriate boundaries to ensure that Kathya could focus on her core responsibilities.

We genuinely appreciate all feedback, both positive and constructive. We are committed to continually improving the experience for all future volunteers and staff. We hope that anyone interested in learning more will consider both sides of the situation and take the time to read this response.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support. RAREC Team.

Default avatar
Faith
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My stay at RAREC

I stayed at the RAREC for 1 week and thoroughly enjoyed my time. The staff ( and John) were very welcoming and made us feel right at home. I got stuck in with training Johns three ponies that he had at that time, l also bottle fed a manatee. We had a couple of adventurous walks in the forest, If you get to go into the forest for a walk or two I recommend lots of bug spray! You can never have too much. This is an experience that I’ll never forget. I would recommend this project to anyone who has a love for the world we live in.

134 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Debora
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A dream come true

I stayed at RAREC for 2 months and I had the time of my life. This program makes a serious effort to better the world around us and to help those who can't always help themselves. Amazing people, amazing animals, a once in a lifetime adventure. The staff teaches you how human beings and wild animals can interact wonderfully together and make you understand their personalities and quirks. Never thought I'd swim with a giant river otter, get to play with monkeys and bottle feed a manatee. It has been a year since I've been to RAREC and I am amazed by all the progress they have made. I will most definitely be back to volunteer again!

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
Being so far away from everything, living in the amazon rain forest and still meeting people from every corner of the planet :)
132 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Julia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Awesome experience!

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What was your funniest moment?
One morning I was drinking a coffee in the kitchen and a little wolly monkey was coming over. After catching him we noticed that all the other wolly monkeys were outside the cage as well. It took a lot of time to get them all back but we could not find the hole in the wire. It was only when one of the monkeys was outside again that we could really find it.
129 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Caspar
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great place, nice staff

We stayed a week at Rarec in May of this year to volunteer and had a great time. There are a lot of different animals that need daily care, like feeding, cleaning of the cages, collecting leaves, etc. Next to that, some of the animals really like it when you play with them. So for example we went swimming with Daniel, the otter, which was a really great experience!  The animals are amazing!

The permanent staff is very helpful and friendly and take the time to explain everything about the animals and the work that has to be done. They really do a great job and make the volunteering fun!  We learned a lot, thanks!

119 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers