Zookeeper

location
1 - 10 weeks  ·  Age 16 - 50+

rating  Brilliant 4.7  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Very high response rate

Complete your reservation as soon as possible. This project fills up quickly and is already booked on certain dates.


Highlights

  • Broaden your experience with exotic animals as a dedicated volunteer
  • Channel your passion for animals into hands-on care and conservation of these remarkable creatures and their habitats
  • Join the mission to raise awareness and educate others about the importance of protecting and understanding exotic animals

Highlights

  • Broaden your experience with exotic animals as a dedicated volunteer
  • Channel your passion for animals into hands-on care and conservation of these remarkable creatures and their habitats
  • Join the mission to raise awareness and educate others about the importance of protecting and understanding exotic animals
  • Immerse yourself in the tranquil beauty of Hungary's natural surroundings, creating a peaceful and rejuvenating experience
  • Explore the diverse local environment, offering a range of activities blending rural charm with urban attractions


  • Especially good for

    Age 16+
    Singles
    Couples
    Groups

    About the program

    Feed animals, clean cages, build new enclosures, and so on. You can help us out in our sanctuary in Hungary!

    Being a part of this projects offers you a real animal experience where you can be a real zookeeper and you can expand your experience with (exotic) animals! You can help us with the daily care of abandoned and mistreated animals. Beside that, you can enjoy the nature of the beautiful country named ...

    About the program

    Being a part of this projects offers you a real animal experience where you can be a real zookeeper and you can expand your experience with (exotic) animals! You can help us with the daily care of abandoned and mistreated animals. Beside that, you can enjoy the nature of the beautiful country named Hungary!

    About us
    Repzootic Animal Center is a sanctuary and educational center in Hungary, nearby Pécs. We give a last home to exotic 'pets' who were abandoned or mistreated. We also take in Hungarian wildlife to release them in the nature again. Our mission is to educate people about nature and wildlife and these exotic 'pets'. 
    I am a Belgian girl with crazy dreams who moved to Hungary to start in this education and experience center with my very loved animals. I'm in the animal business for years and still love every single creature. I have a lot of experience with exotic animals and would love to teach you what I know and show you that no dream is too much to create.

    The Repzootic Animal Center is expanding. That means there are a lot of cages to build and a lot of new animals to arrive. Repzootic Animal Center is a non-profit organisation who gives educational lessons in whole Europe. We survive by giving these lessons and by organisation events. 

    Our animals

    We have a lot of different animals at our site. Most of them are small mammals like foxes, wolf-dogs, porcupines, mongooses, marsupials, small cats, rodents and more. But also reptiles, amphibians and  birds live at our center. This amount of animals can teach you a lot about their needs, husbandry and more. A very special experience for any animal lover!

    Friends for life
    What's a better friend than a friend who shares your interests? We work with a lot of volunteers and students, so it's possible you won't be alone in this job. If you share an accommodation and help each other as zookeepers, you can learn a lot and, above all, have a lot of fun!



    Typical day

    Being a zookeeper means:

    • Feeding the animals and cleaning their water bowls
    • Observing the animals
    • Making some enrichment for them
    • Help them when they are in (medical) need
    • Learn about them
    But also:
    • Cleaning their cages
    • Building some new enclosures
    • Gardening around the enclosures
    • Give educational lessons to ...

    Typical day

    Being a zookeeper means:

    • Feeding the animals and cleaning their water bowls
    • Observing the animals
    • Making some enrichment for them
    • Help them when they are in (medical) need
    • Learn about them
    But also:
    • Cleaning their cages
    • Building some new enclosures
    • Gardening around the enclosures
    • Give educational lessons to groups
    Hungary is a country where you have plenty of time. We don't rush and we don't scream. We love our animals and we give them the best care we can. After that, without rushing, we can do some other maintaining jobs but we can also love our nature and country. 

    We hope to see you soon!


    Free-time activities

    Volunteers will have the possibility to visit:

    • the city of Pécs which also has a zoo, a lot of shopping malls, sport centers, swimming pools, museums and monuments and more
    • In Pécsvarad, at 9km of the center, we have a natural pool and a small city center. 
    • In the village Erdosmecske, where the ...

    Free-time activities

    Volunteers will have the possibility to visit:

    • the city of Pécs which also has a zoo, a lot of shopping malls, sport centers, swimming pools, museums and monuments and more
    • In Pécsvarad, at 9km of the center, we have a natural pool and a small city center. 
    • In the village Erdosmecske, where the center is located, you can enjoy the nature at any moment of the day. There's a possibility to go for a walk or to visit our local pub.

    In the guest house you can enjoy a TV, DVD's, Playstation, books and board games. 


    Requirements

    Requirements

    Minimum Age: 16 years

    In order to join the program you need to be at least 16 years old on the program start date.

    Language Skills

    You need to speak English (intermediate level)

    Nationality Restrictions

    No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

    Time Commitment

    Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 08:00 - 16:00

    What's Included

    What's Included

    Services by Repzootic Animal Center

    Program Fees include: 

    • Accommodation in Guest house
    • Water, electricity, gas, WIFI, laundry and more
    • 3 meals a day

    Accommodation

    We offer a guesthouse (max 6 persons) for our volunteers and students. When there are more people at our location, the rooms can be shared. There's also a kitchen, a bathroom, toilet and living room. You have access to the animal center at all time.

    Food & Beverages

    We offer 3 meals a day with water, coffee and tee. 

    Other snacks, soda, alcohol and more can be bought in the village center.

    Internet Access

    Good access at the project site

    What's NOT included?

    What's NOT included?

    Airport Pickup at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport

    An airport pickup isn't included within the program fees either.

    Flight Tickets

    The nearest airport is Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD) in Budapest. We assist you to find cheap flights to Hungary. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

    Travel Insurance

    Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Hungary provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

    Vaccines

    If you are intending to volunteer in Hungary you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Hungary. VACCINE CHECKER

    Details on arrival

    The nearest airport is Budapest Liszt Ferenc. We can arrange an airport pickup for you.

    Arrivals can be placed every day of the week but are always preferred on Mondays. Keep in mind that Hungarian summers are hot, and winters very very cold!

    Availability
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

    Program fees

    1 week (min. stay) 350€
    10 weeks (max. stay) 3,500€
    Average fees 350€/week

    Program fees

    350€ per week 1 - 10 weeks Age 16 - 50+

    Payment methods

    Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

    NO CREDIT CARD FEES


    Duration

    1 - 10 weeks

    Deposit

    The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.


    Final Payment

    Your final payment will be agreed with Repzootic Animal Center during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.


    Meet your organization

    Repzootic Animal Center

    Brilliant 4.7 rating (23 reviews)

    Non-profit - founded in 2018

    Verified by Volunteer World

      Very high response rate

    Coordinated by

    Sharon

    Spoken languages: Dutch, English

    About the project

    Repzootic Animal Center is a non profit organisation that houses a lot of exotic animals in Hungary to educate people about them.

    Meet your organization

    Organisation
    Repzootic Animal Center is a  non profit organisation to educate people about wildlife and about owning an (exotic) pet. Repzootic is an official zoo and sanctuary located in Erdősmecske, Hungary.

    Location
    Nature, nature and more nature in the amazing country named Hungary where Repzootic is located. At a 30 min drive of Pécs, in the South of Hungary, you can find a small but very pretty village names Erdősmecske. Surrounded by forrest you can find a lot of endemic species out there like deer, foxes and jackals.

    Our animals
    In Repzootic we house a lot of exotic animals. You can think about foxes, wolfdogs, porcupines, sugar gliders, servals, coatis, a lot of reptiles, fishes, birds,...
    All these animals are born in captivity and most of them are saved from people who didn't know how to care for them. We take in all these refugees and try to give them a good and last home.

    Our goal
    At Repzootic we want to show people the beauty of misunderstood animals and we want to educate them to be good owners of (exotic) pets.
    We don't want to show people lions, tigers and elephants, but let them meet unknown animals like martens, foxes and more.

    Staying at Repzootic
    At the site of the center, you can find our nice Hungarian guest house with a kitchen, bathroom, living room and shared bedrooms.

    23 reviews · rating4.7

    Niklas Groffner rating5

    2024 at Zookeeper

    You will meet so kind animals and people too. I realy fell in love with so many of them. You will learn a lot and get to know some of them realy much. You will realy miss them wenn you ...
    Grace Cummins rating5

    2024 at Zookeeper

    Incredible experience! Sharon and András were really helpful and accomodating, they teach you everything you need to know! Food is great, awesome at catering for Vegetarian! We got up close and personal experiences with the amazing animals at the zoo. Each animal has a story of how they were ...
    Sandrine Rioux rating5

    2024 at Zookeeper

    I had an incredible experience during the 3 weeks I spent in January 2024 at Repzootic with Sharon and András and many other great volunteers! It has been an experience I will always keep in my heart. I really loved my time there. I loved discovering Hungary, working with animals and learning. ..
    Towa Nishida rating4.8

    2024 at Zookeeper

    This was my first time going on a program from VolunteerWorld and I was a bit worried about travelling on my own but people were so nice at the zoo and you can get a shuttle bus so no need to worry about getting on a train or bus! All the animals were so cute and I hope to come back again and maybe ...
    Raphaël Moison rating4.8

    2024 at Zookeeper

    Sharon est une personne magnifique. Raphaël à 16 ans, il est allé pour 2 semaines au zoo. Quelle expérience ! Il en ressort grandit. Prévoir d'arriver dans la journée au zoo, de Budapest au zoo, le trajet en taxi est assez long. Le niveau d'anglais doit être tout de même assez élevé, ...
    Danilo van Driest rating4.6

    2024 at Zookeeper

    One of the best weeks that I have spent in my life! + The preparations and communications were very clear with no confusion. + The experience was fun and educational. + The supervisors were very welcoming and patient with the learning process, willing to answer any questions you had. + Everyone ...

    Location

    Europe > Eastern Europe > Hungary > Erdősmecske

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    Contact Sharon
      Very high response rate
    Dutch, English

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