"Volunteers lessons are part of a structured curriculum as part of our focus on long-term benefits"
The Project / The Placement / The Location / Pricing and Application
The Animal Centre & Surrounding Area
Set amongst stunning scenery the Arajuno road weaves its way through the outer Amazon, frequently offering clifftop views over the miles and miles of virtually untouched rainforest. In between the towns of Arajuno and Puyo are scattered communities of farmers and lumberjacks, the small hamlet of 10 de Deciembre and the halfway town of El Triunfo. Aside from the games of volleyball and the frequent fiestas, the towns and communities are yet to yield to the commodification of modern Ecuador.
For essentials and internet, the provincial town of Puyo (pop. 20,000) is the destination for locals and volunteers alike. Puyo is a large town with a small town feel. Nestled amongst tree filled hills, with active volcanoes as a back drop, Puyo is the last real bit of civilisation before the Amazon jungle takes hold. It is the transport hub for the region of Pastaza and most destinations are accessible from Puyo.
The Centre
From the Arajuno Road a path leads over a muddy lagoon and up through the trees to the centre. Perched on the hill top, the centre commands breathtaking views over the rainforest. Dotted around the 2 hectare site lay enclosures where the rescued animals live, on their journey back to the jungle. In the middle of the site sits the volunteer house, and outbuildings which store the food, equipment and the meeting hut, once the centre of the tribal communities and now a make shift hospital for injured and sick animals. A path winds its way around the site, which is still mainly rainforest. Vegetation is maintained wherever possible to keep the animals in an environment as close to the wild as possible. The Arc has 1000 hectares of rainforest in which it releases animals back into the wild.
The Animals
There is a steady rotation of animals at the centre as animals are rehabilitated and released and new animals arrive. The centre accepts any animal that needs a home, and is mainly home to jungle animals as the Andean animals (such as the Andean Bear) go to the Arcs sister centre near Quito. There has been a wide range of animals that have been through the centre, including parrots, macaws, alligators, sloths, hawks, ocelots, kinkajous and squirrel, wooly and capuchin monkeys, to name a few. Monkeys and parrots and kinkajous make up the majority of the animals at the centre as they are the most common in the jungle are are popular pets.
Flor de la Amazonia & the animals
The Flor de la Amazonia Animal Rescue Centre was created to give captured animals the chance to live in their natural habitat, although this is sometimes not so straight forward. Some animals were taken from the jungle when they were babies and have never learnt to hunt and find food for themselves, if released immediately they would not be able to survive in the jungle. The jungle is full of dangers for tame animals from predators and humans, to poisonous plants and fruit. Alone these animals will never be released back into the wild, although the Arc tries to form groups, which the animals would naturally have in the wild, and the older ones teach and care for the youngsters. This can be a long process and to help this the Animal Rescue Centre tries to keep human contact to the least possible.
