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 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

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 to Expect When Interning or Volunteering at the Toucan Rescue Ranch!

    Coming to work at Toucan Rescue Ranch? We are so excited to have you! My name is Emma and I was an intern March-September 2022 at our Headquarters in San Isidro de Heredia! It can be tricky to prepare to live in a place you’ve never been before, especially if the culture and climate are […]

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  • The Best Things to do When Visiting Costa Rica from a Costa Rican herself!

    As a native Costa Rican, I can tell you my home country offers natural beauty beyond comparison – and outside activities are the #1 reason you should visit. In spite of its small size, Costa Rica has never been afraid to take on big challenges when it comes to preserving nature. In fact, more than 28% of our land is dedicated to national parks, reserves, and wildlife refuges and has topped the polls when it comes to ecological footprint since 99% of our energy is renewable. In addition, Costa Rica has been proclaimed as one of the happiest countries in the world, and here’s why:

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  • 5 ways volunteering contributes to your mental health

    This year, the focus of Mental Health Week is nature. Why? We believe that, especially after this year, we can all understand the reason. If we didn’t before, we now appreciate nature more than ever since the pandemic hit earlier last year.

    After lockdowns, closing of businesses, curfews, and all together separation of our normal lives, many of us took to the outdoors and daily walks outside for comfort…

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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