MERAZONIA - WILDLIFE RESCUE AND REHABILITATION CENTRE
When: December 13th - 27th 2018
Website: https://www.merazonia.org/en/
We spent two weeks volunteering at Merazonia, a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre situated on the edge of the Amazon rainforest. A typical day ran from 7.30am to 5pm during which time we were required to feed the animals and clean out their living areas. We’d also look to replenish the vegetation in their cages in order to give them a more natural, comfortable environment. The work was hands-off (touching and interacting with the wildlife was not allowed) as the goal is to return every animal to the wild where possible once they are deemed fit enough to be able to survive on their own.
We’d work in teams on a daily schedule, rotating between small birds, big birds, capuchin and tamarin monkeys and kinkajous. There was also a puma and a turtle to take care of. One particular kinkajou, Whistler, was not able to ever be released so we’d get the chance to keep him company by playing with him in the evenings.
Other duties included general upkeep of the facilities (kitchen, toilets, living quarters) and communal cooking and cleaning after each meal.
