Protecting and caring for animals abroad: what is it, why would you do it, and where is the best place to go?

What is working with animals abroad?

• Working with animals abroad means that you actively work for the protection or care of one or more animal species.
• The work can be divided into working with animals in their natural environment and working with animals in shelters. In addition, there are often activities to be done in the field of communication, education or, for example, fundraising.
• What is protecting animals in the natural environment of the animal?
• Protecting animals abroad in the natural environment (habitat) of the animal means that you do activities that relate to improving the living environment. Or that you help with research such as measurements, counts or behavioral observations.
• What is caring for animals in shelters and zoos?
• Caring for animals abroad in shelters means that you do activities that relate to providing food, carrying out fence checks, cleaning cages and monitoring their health.

Why would you protect and care for animals abroad?

• Helpfulness: whether you help another person or an animal in need: you get more back for the rewarding work than you put into it.
• Involvement: it strengthens your sense of involvement in the protection of nature and the animal world and also with other animal lovers.
• Experience: the chance that you will experience something you have never done before, that you will be pulled out of your comfort zone and that you will have an unforgettable experience is considerable.
• Stability and stress reduction: animals can have a strong influence on you when it comes to stress reduction; well-known examples are horses and dolphins. Other animals can be a good indicator of the extent to which you are already stress-resistant.
• Freedom: especially when you are working in the middle of nature, you will notice the difference with the life you sometimes lead at home.

What do you need or can you learn if you are going to protect and care for animals abroad?

• Being environmentally aware: for example by taking your environment into account, carefully storing your waste, leaving animals alone in their own habitat. Analytical skills: you will often have to analyse the behaviour of animals well. Sometimes to prevent danger, and sometimes because it is part of your work. In this way, you often also strengthen your own analytical skills.
• Being aware of the organisation: animal and nature protection organisations, and animal shelters, are often run by a special breed of very committed people. In addition, these are organisations that often have few resources and have to fight against local bureaucracy.
• Empathy: being aware of these circumstances is sometimes half the battle if you want to understand the behaviour of the employees of a project, or your direct co-helpers.

To what extent are you insured for the risks?

• All over the world there are reserves, animal shelters and zoos where you can roll up your sleeves as an intern or volunteer.
• In addition to 'cute' or 'impressive', 'unpredictable' is also a word that you can attribute to (wild) animals.
• Working with wildlife (and with animals in general) is therefore not without its risks. If a cute monkey suddenly turns out to be able to bite viciously, this can cause nasty injuries and even illnesses.
• Because many insurers exclude working with animals from coverage, it is important to handle this carefully.
• Read more: Travel insurances and insurances for long term abroad - Theme
• Read more: Werken met dieren in het buitenland verzekeren (NL)

Protecting animals abroad: what is the best place to go?

• Australia: marsupials, horses, koalas
• China: giant pandas, dogs and cats
• Costa Rica: monkeys, turtles
• Curaçao: dolphins, birds, dogs, cats
• Ecuador: felines, capuchin monkeys and kink-tailed bears
• Egypt: donkeys, horses, dogs and cats
• Philippines: monkeys
• Greece: sea turtles, dogs
• India: dogs and cats
• Indonesia: orangutans, gibbons, street dogs, birds of prey
• Cameroon: chimpanzees
• Malta: birds
• Madagascar: lemurs, fish
• Mexico: sea turtles. Mongolia: wild mountain sheep, Prezewalski horses
• Namibia: cheetahs, horses, wild cats
• New Zealand: kiwis (the birds)
• Uganda: rhinos
• Portugal: Iberian wolves
• Spain: stray dogs
• Sri Lanka: elephants, sea turtles
• Suriname: dogs
• Thailand: gibbons, elephants
• United States: wolves, horses
• Zambia: chimpanzees, lions
• Zimbabwe: lions, wild dogs
• South Africa: monkeys, white sharks, lions, rhinos, penguins

How does the preparation for working with animals abroad work in short?

• Accommodation: In many nature reserves you can sleep in ranger accommodations, mountain huts, etc., but bringing your own tent often provides a lot more privacy (but keep an eye on the animals). If you work at an animal shelter, for example, your accommodation will often be less primitive.
• Visas and permits: For some areas you need a special permit. Check this well in advance.
• Currency: Take extra precautions if you are going to remote areas.
• Safety & Troubleshooting: safety obviously differs per area you go to, so check the situation carefully with regard to possible rebels, weather and seasonal conditions, routes, presence of wild animals, etc. When working with animals in their natural environment, the environment often offers more risk than the animals you are examining. If you are going to work with animals in a form of captivity, the species you are working with determines the risks to a certain extent.
• Vaccinations & Health: If you are going into nature or working with animals, make sure you get specialized advice from a travel doctor or the Travel Clinic. Also check the information about the rabies and tick encephalitis vaccination.
• Insurance & Emergency Centers: when working with animals, an insurance that has taken into account the risks and local circumstances is actually the only luxury that is recommended.