Volunteering in Asia

Re: Volunteering in Asia

Zoom Zoom — Sat, 12 May 2012 23:09:45 GMT

Hiya,

My friend and I are going to Sri Lanka in two weeks time to volunteer for the Animal SOS charity, http://www.animalsos-sl.com/

I know it's cat and dogs but i've been reading of a few various places in Sri lanka which we'd like to visit and you may be able to volunteer at such as the Sea Turtle sanctuary and elephant conservation.

http://www.seaturtlesanctuary.org/

http://www.leoproject.org/volunteer/working-with-elephants/

Hope this helps and you have fun!

Re: Volunteering in Asia

Dippy — Sat, 05 May 2012 17:28:06 GMT

Don't forget www.wvs.org.uk too - they have regular placements for VN's around the world, including SE Asia, so you might be able to time it so that you could do one of their trips.

Re: Volunteering in Asia

emmadilemma — Sat, 05 May 2012 17:25:05 GMT

http://www.pacthailand.com/

Highly recommend these guys as well. Not sure if things have changed but i got free accommodation and a weekly wage when i worked there

Re: Volunteering in Asia

emmadilemma — Sat, 05 May 2012 17:21:26 GMT

http://www.vetsbeyondborders.org/our-projects/

I volunteered with this charity in India. It`s just dogs really but they supplied a lovely place to live and i got fed the days i was working. Got to see lots of cool wee places in the Himalayas that i never would have had the chance to go to

Re: Volunteering in Asia

Dippy — Sat, 05 May 2012 16:57:53 GMT

If you want just elephants, the other place (along similar lines to WFFT) is www.elephantnaturepark.org Theirs are also all rescues. Both places are in Thailand.

Depending on your opinions about animals being used for tourism and exploited, choose carefully as there are tons of places in all of those countries who simply tout themselves as wildlife volunteer places but actually use wild caught animals purely for that purpose and to make money by performing for tourists (in particular, elephant camps - and if you want to see a video of how they train the eles to do all those tricks, just say the word and I can send you one but it's not pretty viewing!) Both the places I mentioned only have animals who have been rescued or confiscated from a life of cruelty and abuse and therefore are either being rehabilitated before release or living there as a refuge if they are too tame/too injured to consider being released.

Re: Volunteering in Asia

Dippy — Sat, 05 May 2012 16:53:04 GMT

Try www.wfft.org We were there in January (you may have seen my posts about the petition a while ago after the government raids etc). They do charge a small fee but it really just covers your accommodation and full board and is a couple of hundred as opposed to the couple of thousand some places charge. They have elephants, gibbons, monkeys, bears and various other rescued wildlife species. Fantastic place and amazing people who will make you feel SO welcome.