Wildlife Rehabilitation, Guatemala

Guatemala 2019 was my first expedition with Animal Experience International. Even though I had been considering an expedition for nearly two years, I could not quite make up my mind which expedition to do. When Nora told me about the Guatemala expedition, I signed up right away. Nora and her team at AEI made the whole process easy and anxiety free – from assistance with flights, to advising on the gear to bring. She was always available to answer my questions, no matter how simple they were. In my moments of self-doubt, she cheered me on and gave me the confidence to persevere. Nora is part leader, part travel agent, part therapist and full time lovely person! Even though I tried not to have any expectations for the trip, what I really wanted to do was vacation with purpose. And that is exactly what I did! During the expedition, I was particularly impressed with the dedication of the staff at the wildlife sanctuary in Guatemala and the success that they have had in rehabilitating wild animals, most of whom were confiscated from the black market trade. The staff made the volunteers feel welcome, provided training in animal care and animal behaviour, answered our many questions and were genuinely thankful for the work that we did. The success of this volunteer placement is also an attestation to the diligence of AEI. Nora and her team carefully and methodically investigate each volunteer experience before partnering with them to place volunteers. They are committed to making every volunteer placement a safe and happy one! In the end, I came home inspired by courageous people who persevere day after day and take joy in every howler monkey, toucan and anteater saved and returned to the wild. I am ready to sign up for my next AEI adventure!