Please note: The volunteer program is currently on hold. You can apply for our Asian Wildlife Rescue Center in Thailand. Here, you will volunteer with orangutans, as well as over 10 species of primates, including gibbons and macaques. You can also work with other animals such as bears, otters, civets, reptiles, birds, and many more.
With orangutans quickly losing their natural habitats, you can be an integral part of their survival as you join this rescue center’s conservation efforts. The center provides a safe haven for an array of ‘at-risk’ animals from the rainforests of Indonesia. The center is dedicated to rescuing, and when possible, rehabilitating wild animals so that they may one day return to their natural habitats.
Program Highlights:
Your Schedule at a Glance (Minimum one-week commitment):
Arrival Day, Monday: Arrive at Jogjakarta International Airport (JOG). You will be picked up from the airport and transferred to your new home in Java. Take the time to settle in.
Days 1-4, Tuesday-Friday: You will participate in different activities throughout the day.
Mornings: Your morning will be spent working with the animal keepers. Spend time preparing food, cleaning cages and learning about the orangutans.
Afternoons: In the afternoon you will have the opportunity to participate in enrichment projects with the orangutans, so that they have a stimulating and interesting life at the center. You will also spend some time working with local village children as a teaching assistant as well as join a community English class where you will help participants improve their English.
Evenings: Enjoy a home-cooked, Javan dinner before relaxing in the evening. Evenings are usually quiet so you will have time to get to know other volunteers better or enjoy a good book.
Days 5-6, Saturday-Sunday: The weekends are free for you to explore the surrounding areas. You can organize a local driver to take you to nearby attractions. Alternatively, you can also continue working with the orangutans on the weekends.
Remaining Weeks: The remaining weeks will follow a similar schedule of volunteering Monday-Friday and having Saturday-Sunday off. Use your weekends to relax and enjoy your life in tropical Indonesia or visit the local temples and palaces to learn more about the culture. Departures are on a Sunday.
It is important to note that the center is not a zoo and tourists cannot come on day visits unless they are volunteering on the project and playing an active role in the care of these animals. The center has rescued 17 animals and released 20 others in 2017!
What’s Included
What’s not Included
Flights, visas (if required), travel health insurance, personal expenses, local transportation, vaccinations
Indonesia, in Southeast Asia, is the largest archipelago in the world. The country is comprised of a range of stunning islands and is known for its natural biodiversity, despite heavily populated areas. The center is located in Jogjakarta, a city on the Indonesian island of Java. It’s known for its traditional arts and cultural heritage and its beautiful, lush rainforests, which are home to many extremely rare species.
Volunteers at the center will help with a variety of different tasks related to animal conservation and rehabilitation, including the cleaning of animal enclosures, preparing food and enrichment for the animals. Volunteers will also assist in conducting informal English lessons to advance the villagers’ and children’s English and environmental awareness. Some of the animals being housed at the center include orangutans, Siamang gibbons, crocodiles, raptors – including the Javan eagle – and many other bird species. All of these special animals share similar, devastating stories. The center provides them with a safe space in which to recover. The center is also famous for rehabilitating and releasing injured eagles, including the endangered Javan Eagle.
Volunteer tasks may include:
Please Note: The cages for the orangutans and gibbons are small. There are plans to build a new enclosure close to trees where the orangutans and gibbons can live in a more natural habitat. This project is long-term and requires significant funding that needs to be raised through donations.
Conservation English Club: Every Wednesday you will go into the village to teach an informal 90-minute ‘Conservation English’ class for the local school children – using environmental topics to improve their English vocabulary and raise awareness. A typical lesson consists of:
Please take note of this project’s minimum requirements:
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