5 Amazing Volunteer Opportunities with Animals Abroad

It is no secret that one of the best things you can do before delving into a career is to get some prior experience volunteering in your field of interest. Work with animals is no different. Even for those who are not looking for more than just a fun and adventurous trip, these volunteer opportunities will provide just that. These companies offer incredible places to visit and hands on work with all kinds of animals -largely wildlife- that you wouldn't get anywhere else!

1. International Volunteer HQ

This company offers volunteer opportunities starting at just 270$ for a week's trip! They hire thousands of volunteers each year and locate them in over 30 different countries. You may find yourself getting involved with animal care and welfare or even in conservation projects for wolves, elephants or turtles! They offer a vast amount of places to volunteer in to suit your interests. You may find yourself anywhere from Guatemala to Portugal! This company strives to provide the optimum experience for volunteers while also keeping safety and affordability a priority, especially for students. Projects usually span from 1 week to a year depending on your preference. Typical work varies depending on location. You may focus on the enrichment and veterinary care of the animals in one location or research and tracking of another animal in a different location.

2. WorkingAbroad

This company has a huge variety of locations to choose from, all across the world! They place volunteers every year in over 150 different countries. Many of their volunteer opportunities with animals focus largely on conservation. You may find yourself tracking bears in Sweden, reintroducing White Lions in South Africa, tracking and monitoring whales and dolphins on the sea etc. Most of the locations offer some form of lodging that is included in the pricing. Trips can range anywhere from a week to a year and usually start at around 600$.

3. GoEco

The company was originally formed by eager volunteers who loved what they had experienced in the past. It has been featured in various articles on well known websites including MSN and The Guardian. GoEco offers some very amazing opportunities with very different animals. You can basically choose any kind of animal you love and find some hands on work to do with it! Maybe you love small monkeys, large cats like cheetahs or even great white sharks; there is work to be done with all of these animals in spectacular locations like Madagascar or South Africa. GoEco also offers all sorts of very different kinds of jobs to best suit you as well. Maybe you are interested in becoming a vet and would like to be involved in a pre vet internship; you may be into photography or scuba diving or would love to experience rehabilitation work, all of this is offered by GoEco. Prices usually are in and around 1000-2000$ for 2- 12 weeks.

4. GVI

GVI involves over 20000 volunteers every year and has a very high approval rate for those interested. They offer both volunteer opportunities and internships for those looking for career development placements. Many of the volunteers have very positive reviews from their experience with GVI. This company prides themselves on the degree of impact from their work, known for significantly helping in dire situations involving animals. Conservation is their main focus in projects involving animals. GVI is neat because they don't just offer volunteer opportunities for adults, they also offer some special opportunities solely for people under 18 years of age. They also offer field courses abroad where you may find yourself being trained on animal conservation directly with amazing creatures like cheetahs! GVI also wants to ensure their volunteers are looked after. They try their best to provide an emergency phone, airport pickup, accommodations, meals and sometimes even internet! Typically, projects can run from 1 week to 2 years and cost around 1000-3000$.

5. AfricanImpact

AfricanImpact's main goal is to ensure that responsible volunteering is done at all times and that the help being offered by people like you is not exploited. All of the work is done alongside community shareholders to ensure that the local knowledge/ needs are taken into account. This makes certain that all of the work done is necessary and efficient. They always provide end goals to their projects as well as deadlines. They offer 24/7 support to all volunteers and ensure that they get a proper introduction to everything including the community and culture of the new location they find themselves in. AfricanImpact is largely involved in veterinary care for animals as well as rehabilitation of wildlife in each location. They have a couple placements to help with community animals that are in need of urgent care such as livestock, including horses, and pets. They have many different locations including ones in Malawi and Zimbabwe. Projects usually start from around 600$ with a minimum stay of around 2 weeks.

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