IMPORTANT! It is not guaranteed that you will work with whatever animal you want to work! We will place you where we need you at the time and where we think it´s the most suitable match for each species.

Please understand as well that we are NOT a ZOO! For this reason you will get to see only the animals that you actually work with (plus eventually our released monkeys that are always around).

At our wildlife rescue center, we prioritize the well-being of our extensive animal population, including two large groups of free and semi-free monkeys. Unlike other centers offering shorter/cheaper stays, our extended minimum stay requirements are essential for maintaining a stable and familiar environment for our animals. This approach is CRUCIAL, especially given the complexity of our operations, such as the need for volunteers to learn to identify individual animals within large groups, like our 26 Spider monkeys and 39 Capuchin monkeys. This skill alone typically takes more than two weeks to develop, making the first half of the minimum stay focused on training and familiarization. We believe this not only ensures the best care for our animals but also offers a more meaningful and impactful experience for our volunteers. If you’re passionate about animal welfare and eager to make a significant contribution, our center provides a unique opportunity to connect deeply with wildlife over a longer, more fulfilling stay.

Primates

Minimum: 4 weeks of stay

Spider Monkeys, Capuchin Monkeys and Squirrel Monkeys

We currently work with three species of monkeys. People who are staying for at least 4 weeks will have the opportunity to work either with the Spider monkeys OR with the Capuchin and Squirrel monkeys. Your tasks will include cleaning cages and creating enrichment activities. Additionally, you might be involved in observing and feeding the monkeys, providing milk to the babies, and in some special cases, accompanying them on trail walks to assist in untangling or relocating them. In this role, you might have the unique chance to witness the integration of a newcomer into the group, observing firsthand how they relearn to be a monkey and adapt to social life. Even more rewarding, you may see the transformation of a monkey going through rehabilitation and ultimately being released back into the wild, free again. This experience is not just about the tasks you perform but about the profound impact you’ll have on these animals’ lives and the incredible journey you’ll share with them. The longer your stay, the better the chance you’ll have to be part of these moments. Annually, we release around 3 to 4 individuals back into the wild and help socialize around 10, offering them a new lease on life.

Felines

Margay

Minimum: 5 weeks of stay

Ocelot

Right now on release program no volunteers allowed.

Jaguar

Minimum: 6 weeks of stay

We have three species of felines in the center: our Margay Cefira and our two Jaguars, Beni and Khali.

To be able to help with one of the felines, you need to commit to stay for at least 5 – 6 weeks (depending on the species).

The longer you commit to stay in the center, the higher is the chance to work with one of the cats. This is to avoid the cats getting used to see new people and avoid the staff having to train new people each day. Cats need routine much more than the monkeys do, and it stresses them to meet new persons often. The work with the felines is mainly to walk them on their trails (Not Khali). Also you will do enrichment, clean their cages, prepare the meat and feed them in the afternoon.

Minimum: 2 months of stay

We are looking for a capable person that is willing to help on the following tasks:

Arrangement of institutional conventions for finding students/professionals to make scientific studies (internships, thesis, etc…)

Finding alternative ways for economical income to fulfill the continuous needs of the center (e.g. food, salaries, medication, technical equipment)

Support in the management of the social media networks (We do not like Social Media at all but looks like its needed? 😉

This position could also be done from your home if you don’t have the possibility to come here and stay with us.

One of the most important aspects of the work here is the general maintenance of the common areas. As we are living together in a communal project, we will require that EVERYONE helps out with the daily and weekly chores that need to be done. 

Some of the chores will be:

Prepare the breakfast, lunch or dinner for all the volunteers

Turn on/off the water pumps to have drinking water in the different areas

Clean and organize the common areas and dorms

We are also looking for long-term students who are conducting their master’s thesis, PhD, or other research projects. We have many branches that could be interesting for biologists (fauna and flora), veterinarians, and even psychologists (primate-related). Furthermore, we offer a supportive environment where you can conduct your research and learn from our experienced staff.

Here are some specific examples of research projects that we have hosted in the past:

Assessment of the rehabilitation process’ success of a group of black-capped capuchins (Sapajus spp)

Gastrointestinal parasitism in Neotropical primates and the use of phytotherapy for their control in the Beni River region

Diet and physiological factors of nutrition in the black spider monkey (Ateles chamek) in semi-captivity

Longitudinal parasitological fecal screening in Spider monkeys (Ateles chamek) living here, Beni Region, Bolivia.

The use of GPS devices in the management of neotropical primates in a rescue and rehabilitation center.

Camera Trapping Study of Terrestrial Mammals.

If you are interested in conducting research at our center, please contact us at research@oncaorg.org to discuss your project. We would be happy to answer any questions you have and help you get started.

ACCOMODATION

Living conditions in the camp are quite rustic. We have a really simple big DORM with mattresses and mosquito nets where most of our volunteers will find room. The dorm is located in the main area next to the kitchen and bathroom (two compost toilets and one bathroom with shower). You will live here together with our 5 camp dogs.

In addition we have some very basic CABINS (indigenous style) around the park, where 1-2 persons each find room. These cabins are mainly reserved for our long-term volunteers who like to have some more privacy.

During your stay we will provide you with bed sheets. Please bring your own sleeping bag/warm blanket (can also be bought in Rurrenabaque) if you plan to stay during the dry season (approx. May to July), when it can get cold at night. 

FOOD

We are not a restaurant, an eco-lodge or something similar where we will be looking after all your special dietary whims (we had a few problems with this in the past). For breakfast we offer you some slices of bread, margarine, coffee and tea (no milk). The lunch is simple and the main meal is dinner. Usually everyone is super happy with the food as you can see in the reviews. But if you have special wishes (just as jam, eggs, fruits, chocolate,…) or you need to eat more, you can buy extra food/snacks on your free days (once per week) if you go to town. We can´t afford to buy this for everyone.

The dishes are mainly vegetarian. Meat is not on our shopping list (just for special occasions), so if you need to eat meat every day, you won’t be happy here. 

Also, if you are really picky with your taste or food requirements (“I don’t like carrots or onions”…) OR you have any food sicknesses (like e.g. celiac) please let us know in advance to check out what we can do… It is simply much too hard to cook 3 different meals in between everyone.

HEATING/GAS

The use of gas is restricted. We just use it for cooking the common lunch and dinner. An exception is the breakfast where anyone can cook extra stuff (toasted bread, boiled eggs, etc.). We cannot allow the gas being used anytime for making tea or coffee,… Gas is hard to find in town and it´s quite expensive.

ELECTRICITY

We have electricity to charge your devices in the kitchen and inside the dorms. But be aware that there are not many plugs to charge your stuff so sometimes you will have to wait until someone else finished charging. 

For walking around at night time, don’t forget to bring a head torch.

INTERNET & TELEPHONE

Until now, we do NOT have proper cellphone signal in the center. If you have a Bolivian simcard (“entel” or “tigo” companies) you MIGHT (not always) be able to send some Whatsapp messages or make a phone call on the beach nearby. With this, we want to make clear, that if you need internet connection every day for online work etc., here it won’t be possible.

DRINKING WATER

Drinking water is available in different spots in the park. Just bring your own water bottle. The water is not treated like in the “western” countries, so if you’re a bit sensitive to this, we advise to bring a drinking bottle with filter.

CLOTHING

For your work here, we advise you to bring the oldest clothes you can find. It´s nothing unusual to be covered by monkey pee and poo or cat scratches by the end of the day. Long and loose trousers and long shirts are the best solution for the flies and mosquitos in the jungle. Also we have a second hand clothes box (from previous volunteers) where you might find some clothes that you can use.

MOSQUITO REPELLENT

Important! Please understand that we can NOT ALLOW you to use mosquito repellent during the day when you work with the animals, as it can be extremely poisonous for them! An exception is “citronella”, a natural based repellent. After work (from around 5 pm on) you can use as much mosquito repellent as you want. If you have any serious problems with insect bites, better don´t come here… we live in the jungle!

MALARIA

There is NO Malaria in this area, so no need to bring pills with you unless you plan to go during your travels to Malaria endemic areas.

BOOTS

There is plenty of rubber boots to lend to the volunteers but we cannot make sure we will have your size upon arrival. In Bolivia normally the biggest available size is EU 44.

DOGS

We share our life with 5 dogs. They need to be taken care of like any other wild animal. With this we mean to be ready to also play with them, feed them, walk around the place etc.

Before contacting us we want to make sure the people will understand a few really IMPORTANT things about working with us… so please keep reading….

If you don´t finish reading this with all the questions included on the profile, we will infer that you are not committed to the project and you are sending a mail just to check out for a cheap place to stay in the jungle where you will make pictures with the animals, or looking for some kind of ecotourism-experience. That is quite the opposite. 

Maybe we are going to be a bit too straight forward, too strong in these next lines… but we want to filter out the type of people that apply to come here. Our goal is to find the best suited volunteers for this job to make it an amazing experience for all of us.

We strongly advise against coming here if you are a) not an animal lover b) not a hard worker and c) picky in what you want to do or how to do the things. The hours are long, the work is repetitive and it can be tiresome and stressful or sometimes boring for some people. Please don’t apply if you think it’s a cheap way to get to spend time in the jungle without having to pay for a tour in Rurrenabaque. You will be disappointed and you will not last or will be politely asked to leave.

Do not apply if you only want to cuddle the animals and take photos of them! We are not a cuddle friendly sanctuary for the animals. Our mission is to release the animals back into the wild someday, so keeping them connected to their domesticated past is the most counterproductive thing that could happen to them. Any volunteer who comes for a short amount of time and cuddles them, is acting on an ego boost, disrespecting and destroying serious difficult work we are trying to achieve with these animals. It will not be tolerated. 

We know we will lose loads of requests because of this, but that’s our goal… being able to receive only the people that know in their heart that they are ready for this experience, helping with their soul to a really important project for everyone in the Amazon, especially the animals!

It is really important to be able to fluently speak English because it is the main language spoken here. If you do not speak English we can’t train you properly and this is a huge problem.

With that!, we mean we need ENTHUSIASTIC volunteers wanting to do something different, help an NON lucrative NGO and at the same time learn a lot about life in the jungle. We strongly need adult minded people, who take action without needing to be told what to do all the time. 

NO ILLEGAL DRUGS allowed here! Tobacco, alcohol and coca leaves are okay as they are legal. But no marihuana, cocaine or anything related… 

This is a jungle environment, hard and rustic, jobs can be quite dirty, muddy (don’t expect to have your trekking boots as clean as when you bought them (USE THEM!), dirty clothes almost every day, hooooot and really humid… mosquitos, tarantulas in your room, snakes etc… perfect for adventures souls… city people that need everything shiny and their nails clean, won´t enjoy it here at all… but the wild souls definitely will love it.

HOW TO GET TO US

The nearest town is Rurrenabaque (Department of Beni) with approx. 17000 inhabitants. 

IMPORTANT If you’re flying into Bolivia they might ask for a return ticket in the airport and might cancel your flight if you do not have it. Please make sure with the airlines about this problem because it happened already to a quite a few people.

From La Paz city we can be reached overland in a night bus ride that takes 14-18 hours (around 80 Bs). You have to leave La Paz from the Villa Fatima neighborhood (not the La Paz bus terminal!!!, so just ask a taxi to drop you in “donde salen las flotas a Rurrenabaque de Villa Fatima”). There are four bus companies that leave every day to Rurrenabaque between 3 to 6 pm. No online booking, so you either just show up and pick whatever bus is available or you go there in the morning to reserve a ticket. 

Another option is to arrive from La Paz to Rurrenabaque by air in a 45 minutes flight (around 700 Bs) – not always available.

Once in Rurrenabaque you have the possibility to stay in a hostel/hotel and buy the last things that you might need for your stay (snacks, simcard, etc.) before we meet you. Our partner hostel is called “El Curichal” (located in comercio street), where the owners Selim & Yariza will be happy to welcome you at any time.

Please aim to plan your arrival date on either a Monday or Friday as we only come to town on these days. We can then meet you around midday after lunch and take a boat together on the Beni River for around 15-20 minutes to arrive to our place.

CONTRIBUTION

The contribution for the project to continue being sustainable is 50 Bs/night. This will cover food and accommodation costs, and derivatives (electricity, cleaning products etc.). It doesn’t include your own luxuries like snacks, beer, chocolate etc.

This fee also includes the money needed to cover the expenses related to the center (mainly the animal food and meds, paying the vets, biologist etc…)

We are NOT a business… lodge, hostel, touristic operator or whatever… we are an organization that fights for a big dream. We do NOT earn a single cent from visitors and therefore volunteers shouldn’t expect to be in one of those places where the host has to babysit the people only because they pay or the host EARNS MONEY. None of the staff earn a cent from your contribution, except for our indigenous employee Mario. With this, we give you some easy examples… We are not going take care of your garbage, your mess, or your hangovers (extreme party people won’t have a good time here (although we do like to party occasionally!), we are not going to clean your bed or dishes. YOU are supposed to be a part of the project, so everyone will be responsible for their chores and at the same time responsible for each other.