In Australia
Free The Bears Fund Inc welcomes volunteers to help out with fundraising
events held throughout the year. These events are predominantly held in Perth, Albany, Adelaide and Sydney.
If you would like to help out, please contact
info@freethebears.org.au for more
information about upcoming events.
Volunteering with the bears
in our Asian Sanctuaries
Cambodia - about Phnom Tamao and the bears
Free the Bears Fund now offers the chance for supporters to come and work with
the bears at our sanctuary in Cambodia. In exchange for a small fee (all of
which goes directly to support the bears) you can now come and help our keepers
look after the bears for up to six weeks ( one week minimum stay).
Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre (PTWRC) is very large and houses many
species. Volunteers will be working with our groups of rescued Sun bears and
Asiatic Black bears. We currently house over 85 bears in 16 large outdoor
enclosures covering 5 – 6 hectares. The enclosures are very natural and have
large rocky outcrops, native fauna, climbing frames and platforms, pools and
other enrichments. It is a safe and happy home to bears that have been rescued
from a range of different situations including poachers, the black market, the
bile farm industry and businesses using them for entertainment, trades which
often leave behind very young orphaned cubs.
For more information and an application form, please contact us at
this email address.
1.Payment of fees and cancellation charges:
A non-refundable administration fee of $60 AUD is payable at the time of booking
in order to secure your placement.
The fees for volunteering are $300 AUD per person per week. The prices are based
on having at least two volunteers. If there is only one volunteer a weekly
supplement of $90 AUD will have to be charged.
- Full payment is due 4 weeks before your arrival.
- If you book within 4 weeks of your arrival, full payment is due immediately.
- If you cancel more than 4 weeks from your arrival you will just lose your
administration fee.
- If you cancel between 2 and 4 weeks from your arrival date we will refund you
50% of your fee.
- If you cancel between 0 and 2 weeks from your arrival we will refund you
25% of your fee.
- Please note that any monies retained by Free the Bears Fund Inc. due to
cancellation charges and retained administration fees will be gratefully
considered as a donation and will go directly to helping the bears.
- Free the Bears Fund Inc. reserves the right to cancel specific dates due
to lack of volunteer numbers or for any unforeseen circumstances. In the
unlikely event that this happens, volunteers will be offered an alternative
date or a full refund will be made to any affected volunteers as soon as
possible.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
- Airport pick up on arrival
- 7 nights accommodation with breakfast in a guest house in Phnom Penh
- Transport to and from Phnom Tamao Monday to Friday (around one hour each way by
car)
- Lunches Monday to Friday at Phnom Tamao
- Comprehensive training by experienced keepers
- Full in country support from English-speaking Volunteer Coordinator
- First day induction
SHOULD I BE EXPERIENCED IN WILD ANIMAL CARE?
Not necessarily, you just need to be willing and enthusiastic and have a strong
interest in conservation and wildlife. You will be fully trained by experienced
animal keepers and supervised at all times. We just ask that you always listen
to the keepers and follow their instructions carefully.
HOW CLOSELY WILL I BE WORKING WITH THE BEARS?
There will be tasks that will not involve direct contact with the bears, but
will benefit them greatly. These include building new enrichments, repairing and
maintaining their enclosures and maintenance of the area surrounding the
enclosures. You will also get to work with the keepers giving out the daily
feeds and cleaning the enclosures (the bears will be brought in to holding cages
whilst you are in the enclosure). Obviously, direct physical contact is not
possible as these are large wild animals and can potentially be dangerous.
IS THERE AN AGE LIMIT ON THE PROGRAMME?
Due to the nature of
the program and the kind of work involved we do have to impose a minimum age
limit of 21.
THE BENEFITS
You will have a unique, once in a lifetime chance to get behind the scenes of
this world class bear rescue facility. Your time and your financial contribution
will provide critical aid enabling us to rescue more bears and continue to
improve and enrich their lives.
On a personal level you will have an amazing opportunity to work alongside these
incredible animals and gain the satisfaction of helping to make a difference to
their lives.More information can be downloaded in
the following PDF documents:
THANK YOU! For choosing to help us
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