DETAILS

Challenges
Ecuador boasts one of the highest rates of illegal animal trafficking in South America, despite being one of the smallest countries on the continent. In 2014, the official number of trafficked animals confiscated by authorities within the past decade was approximately 8,000. This does not include the number of animal deaths during illegal transit, and therefore only reflects a small percentage of the actual deaths.

The majority of exotic animals are taken from their natural rainforest habitat in order to be sold on the domestic or international market. Reptiles are most at risk from trafficking, followed by mammals and birds, but traffickers also capture fish and insects.

Traffickers prey on jungle wildlife because the industry is the fourth most profitable illegal activity in the world. Most animals are sold as pets, but there are many more that are sold for their furs or skin, or to be included as ingredients in various local ‘medicines’. Although trafficking is now officially recognized as a “crime” in Ecuador, it is still big business within the country. If the animals are ‘in demand’ exploitation of the species often occurs: this impacts the balance of the local ecosystem and the lives of local human inhabitants who rely on a small number of them for food, clothing or resources. Unfortunately, wild animals sold as pets can become aggressive and are often abandoned, mistreated or neglected.

Solutions
Over recent decades, many not-for-profit rescue centers have opened within Ecuador with the aim to rehabilitate, care for, and release back into the wild any captured or mistreated exotic animal that comes through their doors. Although wildlife trafficking is now officially an illegal activity, the law can be hard to enforce, especially in the more remote regions of the Amazon, and therefore these small centers and shelters are at the forefront of the fight against illegal trafficking. We need your help to keep these centers operational, to help them grow, and to educate both the local and international communities on the plight of these defenceless animals. With a shared community vision we can stop this cruel and unjust industry once and for all, preventing animals from experiencing the terrible fate of their predecessors.

• Help with the preparation and distribution of the animals’ food on a daily basis.
• Help clean the animals’ cages on a daily basis.
• Assist with constructing and/or maintaining cages when necessary.
• Occasionally assist with the health treatment of the animals (contact with animals must be minimal to prepare for the wild).
• Monitor their health and general welfare.
• Help keep the compound clean.
• Assist with monitoring tasks by filing reports for NGO Taxi.
• Maintain a diary of your time with the project (including photos and blog/ experience report)..
• Obtain daily provisions, run errands and other administrative tasks.

Program Objectives

• Work “hands-on” with exotic animals under the professional care of the center..
• Learn about methods used to rehabilitate different species of animals.
• Nurse “back to health” and “care for” mistreated, neglected or abandoned animals that have been the victims of trafficking.
• Rehabilitate animals and re-educate them on how to survive in the wild: while correcting maladaptive behavior.
• Release animals back into the wild and give them a second chance in life.
• Educate both the local population and visitors on issues surrounding illegal trafficking, describe how others can help.
• Create a long lasting bond between the environment and the community.

The exact responsibilities will depend on the current needs and priorities of the project as determined by the Project Manager and NGO Taxi Management. So the tasks listed above are examples only.

Working Hours
You will work from Monday to Friday 7am-12pm and again between 2.30pm-5pm. However, please bear in mind that flexibility is needed, and in special situations volunteers may be required to lend-a-hand outside of these hours. During the evenings and weekends you are free to explore the surrounding area, and get a true taste of Amazonian life!