THIS IS A GENERAL LIST. PLEASE REVIEW THE JOB APPLICATION FOR SPECIFICS.
- Be able to commit at least 3 or 6 months
- Must be 18 years or older
- Have a current tetanus vaccination
- Have a current Covid-19 vaccination
- International emergency medical insurance while interning
- Willingness to get dirty, sweaty, tired, and work for wildlife
- The ANIMAL RELATED INTERNSHIP(s) must get the rabies vaccination in order to apply.
Internships are voluntary self-funded positions. You will be responsible for all travel expenses/flights and immigration expenses.
Meals:
Meals are provided 7-days a week. We will show you the local stores where you can buy additional food to supplement your meals. Please let us know if you are vegetarian, vegan, or have special dietary requirements.
Other:
All other costs are to be paid for by the intern. This includes travel expenses, medical insurance, entertainment expenses, and a 5-day trip out of the country every three months to renew your visa. Common household items.
All internships have a 3 or 6-month requirement. If you would like to apply for a longer duration please indicate in your internship application. You must have education, training, or experience regarding the internships you apply for.
As a part of the application process, we will ask for 3-professional references.
The Toucan Rescue Ranch provides housing for international interns:
- The Headquarters Intern House: Here you will be staying with fellow interns at the Toucan Rescue Ranch. Housing includes a bedroom (private and/or shared), 2-bathrooms, common area, and kitchen. Laundry access is at the Toucan Rescue Ranch (not the house). The house is in a safe gated community with WiFi. The house is located off grounds and is a 6-minute walk to/from the Toucan Rescue Ranch. Located in San Josecito, San Isidro, Heredia.
- The Sloth House: Depending on your internship position you may be staying in the Sloth House located on TRR grounds. This is a small cabin with a shared bedroom, small common area, kitchenette, and 1-bathroom. There is laundry access and Wi-Fi. Located at Toucan Rescue Ranch Headquarters - San Josecito, San Isidro, Heredia.
- Release Site Intern House: If you are applying for a Main Release Site internship you will be located at our Release Site in a remote area in Sarapiqui, Costa Rica. Housing includes a bedroom (private and/or shared), 2-bathrooms, common area, and kitchen with some laundry access. Wi-Fi included. The house is located on TRR Release Site grounds. You will be living and working at the same location. Located in Nazareth, Sarapiqui, Heredia.
The Toucan Rescue Ranch provides 3-meals per-day for all internships. Please indicate in your application if you have any dietary restrictions or allergies so we can plan accordingly.
- Carta de interés de una página
- Currículum Vitae
- Información de contacto con tres referencias profesionales
You can Google Map these locations and familiarize yourself with where you will be located during the internship:
- Headquarters (HQ) in San Josecito, San Isidro, Heredia.
- Release Site (RS) in Nazareth, Sarapiqui, Heredia.
Internships Locations & Job Descriptions
- GREEN - Headquarters (HQ) in San Josecito, San Isidro, Heredia.
- BLUE - Release Site (RS) in Nazareth, Sarapiqui, Heredia.
- ORANGE will be a remote internship.
Professional Internships with the Toucan Rescue Ranch!
Get involved by becoming an intern at the Toucan Rescue Ranch! By applying for an internship - you are given a unique experience, gaining an in-depth understanding of our mission and the animals we serve. We have several internships requiring various skills and experience - from marketing, business administration, animal clinical work, conservation research, ecology and environment, and veterinarian education. We also work with various schools worldwide if you want an externship or earn credit with your university. We happily accept university students, graduates, individuals working in their respective fields, and so on. Please read our various descriptions for a better understanding of your applied position.
Your Safety, Our Priority:
Regardless of your role, we are committed to providing a rich internship opportunity that utilizes your unique skills to help Toucan Rescue Ranch achieve its mission of rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing wildlife. Your health and safety are of utmost concern to us during your internship assignment. While working with animals, it’s essential to understand and minimize the risks you take to ensure your safety and that of the wildlife. We’ll work to provide our interns with appropriate training and protective gear throughout their stay.
We require that ALL internships have a current tetanus vaccination. You must also have international medical insurance that will cover you in Costa Rica. We have insurance coverage recommendations for those being covered in Costa Rica. If you are interested, please ask in your application. You must turn in document proof of your current vaccinations and insurance during orientation.
By agreeing to come to volunteer/intern at Toucan Rescue Ranch, you must be aware that while working with wildlife, you may encounter zoonotic diseases. It’s your responsibility to follow strict biosecurity measures advised by the staff while volunteering or as an intern at Toucan Rescue Ranch.
Please use the APPLICATION FORM below to apply for an internship.
Application Deadlines & Service Dates
- HQ Clinic
- HQ Sloth Rehabilitation
- HQ Animal Husbandry
- HQ Marketing
- Recruiter, Remote
- RS Clinic
- RS Animal Care
Clinic Internship at Headquarters: San Isidro, Heredia, Costa Rica
- Internship Dates: February 12th, 2024 - August 26th, 2024
- APPLICATION DEADLINE: July 17th, 2023
- Internship Dates: August 12th, 2024 - February 24th, 2025
- APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 15th, 2024
Sloth Rehabilitation Internship(s) at Headquarters: San Isidro, Heredia, Costa Rica
- Internship Dates: October 30th, 2023 - May 13th, 2024
- APPLICATION DEADLINE: May 27th, 2023
- Internship Dates: September 30th, 2023 - April 13th, 2024
- APPLICATION DEADLINE: INTERNSHIP FILLED
Animal Husbandry at Headquarters: San Isidro, Heredia, Costa Rica
- Internship Dates: February 26th, 2024 - September 09th, 2024
- APPLICATION DEADLINE: July 31st, 2023
Marketing & Communications at Headquarters: San Isidro, Heredia, Costa Rica
- Internship Dates: August 14, 2023 - February 26, 2024
- INTERNSHIP FILLED
- Internship Dates: February 13, 2024 - August 28, 2024
- Application Deadline: July 17, 2023
Service Program Recruiter
- November 27, 2023 - June 10, 2024
- APPLICATION DEADLINE: May 1, 2023
Clinic at the Release Site: Nazareth, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica
- Internship Dates: January 29, 2024 - April 26, 2024
- APPLICATION DEADLINE: June 1, 2023
- Internship Dates: April 15, 2024 - July 8, 2024
- APPLICATION DEADLINE: August 1, 2023
- Internship Dates: July 1, 2024 - September 23, 2024
- APPLICATION DEADLINE: November 1, 2023
Animal Care Internship(s) at the Release Site: Nazareth, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica
- Internship Dates: March 25, 2024 - June 17, 2024
- APPLICATION DEADLINE: July 1, 2023
- Internship Dates: May 6, 2024 - July 29, 2024
- APPLICATION DEADLINE: September 1, 2023
Latest Service Program News
What it’s like being the Marketing Intern for Toucan Rescue Ranch!
Posted by Zara Palmer on March 28, 2023Hi, my name is Maria, and I’ve been working as the Marketing Intern at Toucan Rescue Ranch for the past six months. It feels like I just started yesterday; time flies when you are doing something you enjoy. I will tell you more about my experience of What it is like to be a marketing […]
Continue readingWhat it is like to be a volunteer at Toucan Rescue Ranch?
Posted by Zara Palmer on February 24, 2023There’s one thing everyone from the Toucan Rescue Ranch Team has in common: we all started as volunteers. The first day is always the same when joining TRR as a volunteer, intern, or staff member. You will join what we call the Toucan Team and participate in the daily tasks that the volunteers do to […]
Continue readingWhy does Toucan Rescue Ranch Rescue Sloths?
Posted by Zara Palmer on November 3, 2022More than just cute piggy noses or smiling eyes, sloths are incredible arboreal animals. Recently named as a national symbol in Costa Rica, they have gathered people’s attention, yet in more danger than ever: electrocutions, car accidents, and human development has destroyed sloth habitat. Saving sloths and helping them go #backinthetrees is Toucan Rescue Ranch’s […]
Continue reading
- 1
- 2
Costa Rica Wildlife Rescue Internship Online
During this internship, you’ll be joining us by video call. You’ll learn about important past cases from Toucan Rescue Ranch!
Throughout the internship, your veterinarian instructors will be covering these special veterinary topics:
- Release case histories of sloths, owls, parrots, foxes, and tamanduas
- The training of each species to be ready for life in the wild
- Evaluating animals for release, with a focus on sloths and the Saving Sloths Together partnership program
- Treating sloth electrocution cases, an unfortunately common occurrence because of power lines built across the rainforest canopy
- Orthopedic surgery on wildlife
- Physiotherapy cases
- Eye medicine in wildlife
- Cell regeneration therapy
- Hand raising of baby sloths as taught by the TRR Founder Leslie Howle