Based in the Tortuguero National Park, assist in the protection of endangered Jaguars.

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Program Overview
Life on the Program
Project Details
Volunteer Testimonials

Program Overview

Assist in the protection of endangered Jaguars, whilst living and working in Costa Rica’s rainforest. Since the 1950s the population of Jaguars within the Americas has plummeted from over 400,000 to an estimated 14,000 now.

You will be searching for signs of the elusive jaguar and their prey species, which include wild boar, deer, tapir and more, as well as setting up remote cameras. Through relaying data to the government of Costa Rica and other conservation organisations, our team aids this conservation effort through monitoring and tracking on Costa Rica’s beautiful Caribbean coast in the Tortugero National Park.

Through unique and hands-on training you will have the opportunity to understand the rainforest and the wild variety of wildlife that depend on it’s future.

Highlights Include: Getting the chance to go on this unique adventure in a Costa Rican National Park; enjoying life at the research station; learning about the wildlife and their habitat; seeing unique wildlife in marine and coastal rainforest environments including remote Caribbean beaches and tropical rainforest, seeing endemic and protected species; joining the research team to undertake research inside a protected area; exploring this wonderful Central American country.

Scholarships

We are always looking for enthusiastic and dedicated people to join our team. This project offers qualifying and high-performing volunteers the chance to stay on the project for a longer duration on a GVI Scholarship free of charge and as part of the staff team in the field. If you would like to work towards a field career and make the very most of your time abroad, you might want to work towards a place on a GVI Scholarship. Successful scholars may find themselves offered full time employment with GVI, and many of our current staff have come through this route. Contact us for more information!

Please note, the awarding of scholarships is at the sole discretion of GVI and may be offered immediately after the completion of your program or at a later date.

Life on the Program

You will live and work on the base at Jalova, conducting your research out in the surrounding forest and beach. At the base, you will learn about the technical side of working in the field, analyzing, processing and recording data.

While in the field, you will work collecting important data and learn a vast array of research skills. With many dawn patrols, you will get to see some spectacular sunrises on Totrugero’s breathtaking Caribbean beaches.

Our small and comfortable base is home. Living here with your fellow volunteers starts to feel like a family soon after arrival. You will make lifelong friends and some good professional contacts along the way.

Project Details

Currently, one of the biggest threats to jaguar populations in Cost Rica is people and their negative impact on jaguar habitats and food sources. This project tries to determine the seasonal numbers of jaguars in correlation with what they like to eat, including wild boar, deer, tapir and sea turtle. This data is then passed to the Costa Rican Ministry of Environment to help create consistent and holistic conservation policies.

The jaguar is one of the world’s most elusive animals and there is very little recorded data on their habitats and behavior. Because of this, the data we collect is extremely important and is shared with researchers and policy institutes across the world.

How this project makes a difference:

GVI’s data goes out to national and international organisations, is presented at international conferences, and is used in species and area management policy development.

Jaguar conservation efforts have been successful in recording new and useful data about jaguars and their habitats that is being used worldwide to restore declining jaguar populations.

Volunteer Testimonials

Jag walk was one of the more challenging things that I have ever accomplished. You use every ounce of strength you have to walk 15 miles down the beach looking for turtles that have been...

Claire Vincent- Canada 2012

Jag walk was one of the more challenging things that I have ever accomplished. You use every ounce of strength you have to walk 15 miles down the beach looking for turtles that have been predated by jaguars. There is nothing that compares to the feeling of arriving in Tortuguero after the hot slog down the beach and enjoying a well deserved cold drink to accompany the euphoria of having completed the walk.

The opportunity to live around hunting jaguars and study their activity is unique and exhilarating. With Jaguar densities so high, there is a real chance of the sighting of a lifetime!

Benji Barca- Italy 2012

The opportunity to live around hunting jaguars and study their activity is unique and exhilarating. With Jaguar densities so high, there is a real chance of the sighting of a lifetime!