Sloth Rehabilitation Internship

The Intern works 5 days a week with two days off a week. Days off are not necessarily on the weekend. A daily schedule must be flexible depending on the animals in the clinic. Night work is required. Works long hours and expects to be ready for emergencies. You will learn about your schedule and days off during your orientation at the Toucan Rescue Ranch.

Internship Location – Headquarters

Toucan Rescue Ranch’s main location in San Isidro, Heredia, Costa Rica, offers a unique environment for aspiring interns eager to work in wildlife conservation. Nestled in a region with a mild tropical climate, The Ranch experiences temperatures ranging from 60-80°F (16-27°C) year-round, with a dry season from December to April and a lush, green, rainy season from May to November. This climate creates a comfortable atmosphere for interns and staff and provides an optimal habitat for the diverse wildlife in our care.

Interns at The Ranch enjoy amenities designed to support their hands-on experience, including comfortable living spaces, shaded walkways through wildlife enclosures, and a fully equipped educational center where training and team collaboration sessions are held. With native plant gardens attracting local species like butterflies and birds, the Ranch offers a peaceful yet dynamic environment ideal for learning about Costa Rican ecology and developing practical animal care, enrichment, and conservation education skills.

Whether working in the sunshine of the dry season or witnessing the vibrant transformation during the rains, an internship at TRR’s Headquarters offers an immersive experience combining Costa Rica’s natural beauty with meaningful conservation work.

• Teamwork
• Exposure to the running of a wildlife rescue center
• Species identification
• Animal handling
• Tube-feeding of mammals and birds
• Medication administration

• Feed adult and baby sloths solid foods.
• Potentially assist the Sloth Nanny with syringe-feed milk to baby sloths if needed.
• Bathroom and monitor weights and overall health of sloths.
• Perform physical therapy and exercise for release candidates on climbing structures, trees, etc.
• Clean outdoor sloth enclosures.
• Provide enrichment to permanent sloth residents.
• Monitor release candidate sloths in outdoor enclosures.
• Help vet staff clean and organize the clinic.
• Aid vet staff with clinical procedures, including exams, surgeries, emergency cases, wound care and caring for critical patients. Patients can be mammals, birds, marsupials, and reptiles.

• Take monthly animal inventory while recording new arrivals, deaths, releases, and transfers.
• Carry out daily inspection (rounds) of the property to ensure all animals on the Toucan Rescue Ranch property are healthy and properly cared for, reporting any issues to the vet staff.