Road to Freedom Internship

Our Bosque Escondido internship gives you the unique opportunity to not only see, but to play an active part in what we call: The Road to Freedom. Our Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center in La Garita, Alajuela receives hundreds of primates and other animals that have been rescued from the pet trade, injured, sick, or orphaned. It is at Bosque Escondido on the Nicoya Peninsula that we see the fruition of our team’s hard work, and aid the animals in their release and their second chance at life in the wild, the final step on their Road to Freedom.

If needed, we are happy to help you design a program that meets your university’s academic requirements for credit. 

Recommendations

• Health insurance while in Costa Rica

• Basic Spanish proficiency is helpful but all our internships are conducted in English

• Tolerance for various field conditions (heat, humidity, rain)

What you will be doing

• Working with teams to monitor and release critically endangered and rescued Spider Monkeys, Howler Monkeys, Capuchin Monkeys, Peccaries, Macaws, Parrots, and more

• Collecting data during the prerelease process to help us determine release fitness

• Monitor the animals post-release to ensure their long-term survival 

• Prepare food, refill wildlife feeding stations, and quantify how much has been eaten 

• Conceptualize, create, and implement environmental enrichment activities for the animals in pre-release 

• Identify and collect natural foods to teach the animals to forage for food post-release

• Personal Project: Volunteers who stay 8 weeks or longer, have the opportunity to create and carry out a personal project based on an area of their interest or conduct research for your University 

Knowledge and Skills that will be developed

• Ethical wildlife conservation and critically endangered species practices

• Wildlife behavioral observations 

• Data collection and analysis

• Wildlife tracking techniques

• Learn how to utilize the ZooMonitor program

• Ability to identify and collect various natural foods for wildlife 

• Ability to conceptualize, create, and implement environmental enrichment for wildlife 

• Field experience alongside experts

Certificate and University Credit: If you stay a month or longer, you have the opportunity to receive a certificate of completion. We are happy to help you design a program that meets your university’s academic requirements for credit.