Step into one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth, where rainforest rescue centres, injured wildlife rehabilitation, and coastal conservation come together. This is practical wildlife medicine in a living jungle.
Costa Rica is a living laboratory of tropical wildlife care — where rainforest ecosystems, rescue centres, and coastal habitats all connect into one of the most biodiverse environments on Earth.
This programme is built for anyone passionate about wildlife — from veterinary students and nurses to conservation students, gap year participants, and career changers looking for real exposure to wildlife rescue and rehabilitation work.
You will work alongside wildlife veterinarians and rehabilitation teams assisting with intake and triage, husbandry and care routines, treatment observation, release preparation, rainforest monitoring, and field data collection across both land and coastal systems.
Every day moves between clinical care and conservation action — from injured wildlife recovery to rainforest field tracking and release support.
Programme fee from $2,950. A 50% deposit secures your place, with the remaining balance due 30 days before arrival.
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Rescue-centre care, rehabilitation support, nutrition, wound monitoring, and release preparation.
Howler monkey, spider monkey, and capuchin care, behaviour monitoring, and rehabilitation records.
Nesting beach monitoring, hatchery support, coastal conservation data, and health assessment exposure.
Rescue-centre rehabilitation, release monitoring, nutrition, behaviour, and rainforest conservation context.
Reptile handling context, population monitoring, tropical husbandry, and field-survey exposure.
Camera trap monitoring, movement data, conflict context, and predator conservation records.
Daily exposure to rescued and injured tropical wildlife, with emphasis on clinical observation, triage support, wound care context, nutrition, husbandry, and rehabilitation planning.
Move into rainforest conservation work focused on monitoring free-ranging wildlife, reviewing camera trap data, supporting field surveys, and understanding habitat-level health pressures.
Coastal field exposure focused on sea turtle monitoring, hatchery support, beach patrol context, wetland wildlife, and the conservation pressures facing tropical coastlines.
Costa Rica field work is shaped by patient admissions, rehabilitation progress, weather, release readiness, tides, and conservation project needs.
Some days involve urgent admissions or wound care; others focus on feeding, monitoring, hygiene, data, and rehabilitation routines.
Beach patrols, field surveys, releases, and animal care routines may begin early or run around weather and tides.
You may assist with preparation, observation, husbandry, sample handling, data recording, feeding plans, and rehabilitation support under supervision.
A day can include clinical observation, enclosure care, camera trap data, rainforest surveys, turtle monitoring, or release preparation.
The programme follows real animal welfare needs. Wildlife is not staged, and hands-on tasks depend on training level and patient safety.
Field and rescue-centre activities are supported by safety briefings, case context, practical explanation, and debriefs with the team.
This programme does not require athletic training, but participants should be comfortable in humid tropical conditions. You may walk on uneven rainforest trails, work in heat and rain, stand for extended periods, and assist with practical rescue-centre routines.
You should be ready for early starts, muddy tracks, insects, beach patrols, and moving between rescue-centre, rainforest, and coastal settings with a small day pack.
Participation is adjusted to your training level and the case situation. Safety, biosecurity, animal welfare, and the supervising team's judgement always come first.
This is a realistic outline, not a fixed timetable. Final activities depend on animal welfare, patient flow, weather, tides, and field conditions.
Arrival in San Jose, transfer to the rescue-centre phase, safety briefing, biosecurity induction, and team introduction.
Clinical observation, husbandry, feeding routines, treatment support, rehabilitation records, and case debriefs.
Camera trap checks, transects, biodiversity records, release monitoring where available, and predator conservation context.
Sea turtle monitoring, hatchery support, beach patrol context, wetland wildlife observation, and coastal data collection.
Rehabilitation planning, post-release monitoring context, data review, equipment checks, and skills consolidation.
CPD log completion, certificate presentation, final debrief, and return transfer to San Jose.
Rolling 14-day cohorts run from June through October. Confirm your place before 1 October 2026 to receive a 20% early-booking discount.
Rescue-centre, rainforest, or coastal accommodation throughout your stay, depending on programme phase.
All meals during the programme, plus a tea and coffee station where facilities allow.
Airport pick-up, return transfer, and scheduled movement between project locations.
Required access fees, conservation permissions, and project costs used by the programme.
Planning support before arrival, including packing guidance, arrival information, and programme preparation.
Verified CPD log, certificate on completion, and programme merchandise including cap, shirt, notebook, pen, and USB.
Excluded: international flights, visas, travel insurance, private excursions, optional extra activities, alcoholic beverages, and personal spending money.
Wildlife rescue and rehabilitation requires trained staff, patient care infrastructure, food, medicines, enclosure maintenance, transport, field permits, monitoring equipment, and long-term conservation partnerships.
Accommodation is arranged across rescue, rainforest, and coastal phases so you can stay close to the work.
Full board catering throughout the programme to support early starts and active field days.
Programme transport including airport transfers and scheduled movement between project locations.
Patient food, enclosure support, husbandry materials, medicines, clinical consumables, and rehabilitation infrastructure.
Time with veterinarians, rehabilitators, field teams, and conservation staff who supervise your learning.
Monitoring tools, survey supplies, PPE, project coordination, permits, data systems, and release-support logistics.
Inductions, daily coordination, field safety, hygiene protocols, quarantine awareness, and practical support.
Your contribution supports rescue, rehabilitation, release monitoring, and field conservation work beyond your visit.
A 50% deposit secures your place, with the remaining balance due 30 days before arrival. Programme fees may vary slightly depending on location and field focus.
"Costa Rica gave me exactly the kind of tropical wildlife exposure I was looking for. The rescue-centre work was practical and structured, and the field phases showed how rehabilitation connects to real conservation outcomes."
Programmes start from $2,700. Groups cap at 8, and a 50% deposit confirms your place once accepted.