A choice of volunteering with animals vacations from leading specialist tour companies that enable you to get up close & personal with the animals and make a contribution to the animals wellbeing and welfare.
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These full and frank independent Volunteering with animals vacations reviews are from travelers who have booked directly through responsibletravel.com. They are not edited by us or any of the companies we work with. Find the real story, from real travelers below.
Being up close and hands on with the elephants was amazing. You dont realise how gentle and inquisitive they really are. Don’t be scared of them, embrace it, you’re never going to get a chance to be this close again...Absolutely amazing. Would definitely go and say hello if I’m visiting Thailand again. 
(more)Most memorable was helping to catch a Crocodile, and a 13 foot long python that had eaten a monkey.... Definitely not your average vacation, which is nice... (more)
I went to the Wildlife Rescue Centre in Thailand, this was a fantastic project helping animals who had been mostly kept as pets. It’s hard to say what was the most memorable part of this vacation as there was so much variety and different experiences, it’s difficult to decide what was the best part of it.
(more)Working with people who are dedicated, informed and enthusiastic about conservation in a practical and realistic way. And of course, seeing the wildlife as they are meant to be....This vacation was a life changing experience and will affect what I do next in my career and attitude to conservation.
(more)Meeting the bears and being able to really make a difference to their day-to-day lives with enrichment, feeding and cleaning; some of the things we were doing (such as enrichment to keep the bears active and happy) wouldn't get done unless we were there to help out! (more)Romania is a beautiful spectacular country, so from the moment I was traveling from Bucharest to Brasov I knew that I had come to a really excellent destination. I was very impressed by the people who run the sanctuary on a daily basis particularly Laci & Emi and Mateusz our driver! (more)Being with the elephants and their handlers. Having the big bull elephants walk past you, just inches from your face, leaving you to feel completely small and vulnerable as these pre-historic like mammals move by with grace, softness, power and majesty! (more)
Working with the young orphaned animals, helping to provide their day-to-day care, was a truly unforgettable experience. Seeing wild Lions, Leopards, Elephants (and many more) up close on safari was fantastic, surpassing all my expectations. (more)The most memorable part was the opportunity to act as foster mother to a baby baboon for a few days. (more)It was a privilege to be involved in the wild dog rescue at Thanda Reserve when a poacher's snare was caught around her neck. Seeing the biggest tuskers when at Tembe was another highlight and identifying them was great fun. (more)I had a fantastic time and I would recommend this to anyone on their gap year, especially those who are reapplying to study veterinary science (it really helped me). (more)I don't know where to begin to say what was the most memorable part... it was all so amazing! (more)Getting close to wild animals and being "groomed" by monkeys was the most exciting part...Good. (more)We invite every traveler who books a vacation via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the vacations they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same vacation can have different views!
If you’re planning a volunteering trip, whether it’s a 3 month volunteer placement in a remote corner of the world or a weekend somewhere closer to home, it’s always good to know what to expect and the best way to do things. Our friends at people & places have helped us to write this guide on responsible volunteering. Responsible volunteers are more likely to be a positive presence, a source of inspiration and empowerment. Poorly prepared volunteers who impose their own agenda and cultural norms, failing to include local people in decisions, can leave behind more problems than they solve, making life even tougher for economically poor people. Let's start at the beginning – you’re already committed to responsible travel and now you want to volunteer, but how can you be sure of being a responsible volunteer?
Read their advice in this volunteering with animals article.
