Wildlife SOS

I spend a lot of time in India, and recently I came across a group called Wildlife SOS. I wish I had found them sooner! Their programs look amazing, and I am hoping to visit them someday.

Here are a few highlights on their programs:

Sanctuary Volunteers

Volunteer With us – If you want to spend some time with elephants and bears rescued from working in the streets, this is the place. Through their volunteer travel program, Wildlife SOS enables you to spend time working with the bears and elephants in Agra, the home of the Taj Mahal . Your duties as a volunteer will include building hammocks for sloth bears to rest in, constructing enrichment structures for play, and assisting keepers on daily afternoon feedings. You will also enjoy the opportunity to visit the elephants, help with their feeding or with giving them a bath.

Women’s Empowerment

Empowering-Women – Wildlife SOS also funds an amazing women’s empowerment program that provides job training and business seed funding to women and girls. The women they empower – some of them former child brides – all come from difficult backgrounds.

Alternative Livelihood

Tribal Rehabilitation Programs – One of the reasons “dancing bears” and other animals are still used in countries like India is that the families in these industries have no other opportunities. In the last 12 years, Wildlife SOS has helped over 3,000 families spread out through six states with training and support to become economically self-sufficient in other trades. Their work in this area breaks the cycle of generations of imprisonment for bears and other wildlife.

If you want to connect with Wildlife SOS, you can contact them via their site at www.wildlifesos.org or email volunteer@wildlifesos.org.