Trip Details

Endangered Animal Sanctuary Volunteer Peru

Animal lovers are in for a treat with our Endangered Animal Sanctuary Volunteer programme in Peru! This is an incredible opportunity to learn about the practice of caring for endangered species, whilst exploring all that Peru has to offer its visitors!  Of course, animals are fickle creatures, so you will need to be flexible and fit around daily care tasks.  However, you will also likely be involved in nursery planting, construction, and even teaching at a local school!

Play your Part in helping Endangered Animals in Peru

As an Endangered Animal Volunteer, you will take part in looking after many animals at the sanctuary, including hawks, ground turtles, coati, monkeys, foxes, sloths, agouti, guinea pigs, crocodiles and kinkajou – and many others, including Humboldt penguins! Your typical day will include construction work, reforestation, cleaning, as well as the preparation of food/feeding for the animals at the sanctuary. Importantly, do be aware that you may not get to pet all of the animals – as some are rather shy – but there will many that you can touch, and will welcome your visits!

Make your own Adventure in Deepest, Darkest Peru!

You will have plenty of places to explore here in Peru. Only 15 minutes away, you’ll find the “valley of the pyramids”, a fascinating visit which transports you back to the dawn of time! Then, there’s the Mercado Modelo; the famous witch doctor’s market offering fresh fruits and veg – as well as shark jaws, snakeskins, scents and potions! Lastly, we recommend a trip to the museum in Lambayeque with its gold treasure discoveries of global importance. Whatever your interests, you’ll find something here in Peru to get excited about!

Why be an Endangered Animal Sanctuary Volunteer in Peru

  • Care for and bond with many exotic and endangered animals in this sanctuary
  • Gain practical skills in animal care and learn about their habitats and needs
  • Enjoy exploring the multitude of ancient historical sites of Peru
  • Discover Peruvian cuisine, and explore Peru’s food markets and restaurants
  • Stay in our comfortable accommodation with all meals and beverages* included

*tea, coffee and drinking water

Get in touch to find out more or browse through our many other volunteer experiences.

Trip Itinerary

You will arrive on Sunday, to give you some time to settle into your new time zone. You can expect around 6 hours of activities per day, and each day will differ, depending on the needs of the animals, and events planned.

Training and Orientation Session

On the first day as an Endangered Animal Sanctuary Volunteer, you will have a training and orientation session about your project: what your tasks will be, as well as the Dos and Dont’s in Peru.

You’ll also discover all you need to know about the animal sanctuary before you start, with plenty of background information about the many fascinating species of endangered animals that are supported here. We like to make sure that you’re well-prepped for your project, so feel free to ask our experienced coordinator any niggling questions!

Tuesday to Thursday

You will typically take on a mixture of the following activities:

  • Construction work
  • Creating a natural fence
  • Reforestation of cactus
  • Vegetable garden and nursery maintenance
  • Preparation of food for the animals
  • Feeding animals (not possible during reproduction time).
  • Preparing material to teach the general public and children about the animals.

Friday

Friday will be a little different! After breakfast, you will go to a nearby school and educate the children on the endangered animals at the sanctuary. This is a way volunteers help within the local community, to promote the conservation of the animals at the centre and raise awareness of environmental issues affecting the wildlife in Peru.

Evenings and Weekends

Your evenings and weekends are free to explore and head off on your own adventures! Most volunteers will hang out at the volunteer accommodation with other volunteers through the week and plan bigger adventures at the weekends with their new found friends.

Places to Visit

There’s a lot to see and do, once your day as an Endangered Animal Sanctuary Volunteer is done! Even if you stay at this site for a few months, you won’t run out of astonishing places to visit!

Cruz de Motupe

Just 20 min away you will find this holy site of a large cross sitting on a hill, which is accessed by a man-made pathway. Many make a pilgrimage here to pray, and watch the cross brought to town for a festival in early August and carried to a local church.

Tumbas Reales – Senor de Sipan: Best Museum in Latin America

Just 40 mins away, the museum in Lambayeque is considered the best museum in Latin America, as it exhibits one of the most important gold treasure discoveries in ancient Peru and the world. You’ll view amazing artefacts of gold, silver, precious stones and other metals from ancient times. Not to be missed!

Tucume

The “valley of the pyramids” is only 15 minutes away and was discovered just a few years ago.

Bosque de Pomac

Visit the world’s largest dry forest just north of Chiclayo (about 10 minutes away). Besides Peru’s oldest tree it also hides pyramids of the Sican culture. The attentive visitor can easily spot leftovers of antique ceramics or even bones along the walkways.

Chiclayo

This is where you can find the Mercado Modelo; the famous witch doctor’s market which offers lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and fish, as well as shark jaws, deer legs, snakeskins, potions, scent and amulets! There are heaps of dried mountain herbs and San Pedro cacti, which shamans use to produce a hallucinogenic drink.

Huaca Rajada

Some of the world’s most extraordinary tombs, place of discovery of the “Lord of Sipan”, also known as the “King Tutankamon of the Americas”. Most of the treasures found in the tombs are now displayed in the museum Tumbas Reales, but still, the site is definitely worth a visit.

Huaca del Sol & Huaca de la Luna

Well known pyramids of the Moche culture, hosting Peru’s best-preserved murals. One used to be an administrative centre, the other one a religious complex. While you can visit the pyramids in a single day, getting back to Chiclayo by night, we recommend combining the visit with a tour through Chan Chan, staying overnight at the popular beach of Huanchaco.

Chan Chan: World’s largest adobe city

Chan Chan is the world’s largest city built of adobe – sun-dried mud-bricks – with walls as high as 12 meters, and home to around 60.000 inhabitants. As this impressive place is endangered by the frequently occurring El Niño storms, consider visiting it soon.

Please note: this schedule can be changed and/or amended depending on weather conditions, local conditions and unforeseen circumstances.

Trip Accommodation

You will stay in Jayanca, Lambayeque, which has a desert climate with almost no rainfall.  This is very different to our other locations in Peru so you should pack accordingly!  Jayanca is not too far from the north beach side of Peru, and is just 45 km from Chiclayo, the fourth largest of Peru’s cities.

About the Accommodation

Your accommodation is an Ecological Tourist Centre that offers to its clients a variety of facilities and creative activities. (Interestingly, it supports a private zoo!)

Staff will clean rooms regularly but you should expect to clean up after yourself, and to play your part to keep the accommodation neat and organised. There is Wi-fi in your rooms as well as public areas here for your convenience. Our standard rooms accommodate up to 5 people, but private rooms are also available, which accommodate up to 2 people.

Food Arrangements

The staff daily menu is typically Peruvian, meaning lots of sweet potatoes, beans, rice, chili peppers, potatoes, wheat, and other grains, all very vegetarian friendly. Keep in mind that some local dishes may be spicy!

Facilities

Since our centre is a tourist centre itself, there are options (under very strict restrictions) for the usage of slides, swimming pool area, boats, green areas, sports areas, four-wheelers, zoo access and grill areas. All in all, a great place to be staying!

Closeby, you’ll find lots of historical and archaeological sites to explore, as well as small villages, restaurants and shops. These are easy to reach by public transport – perfect or a wander after your day of volunteering!

Transportation

The accommodation is about 1 km walking distance from the main square of Jayanca town, and about 1hr away from the Chiclayo city centre by bus.

Trip Country Info

Participant Criteria & Requirements

Standard Requirements

Travel Insurance
Under 18, Parental Consent

Additional Requirements

Recommended Vaccinations

What's included

  • 24/7 support in case of emergencies
  • Accommodation
  • Airport Pick up
  • English speaking coordinator
  • Meals
  • Orientation

What's not included

  • Airport drop off
  • Flights
  • Travel insurance
  • Vaccination
  • Visa