14 DAY TRIAL // If in doubt as to whether staying home is the best solution for the winter holidays, plenty of other tempting ideas should be considered. For the ones who love traveling as much as they love nature, there are many volunteering programs being developed, particularly aimed at animals in need or those struggling on the verge of extinction, in different corners of the world, just waiting for someone to give a helping hand.
Earthwatch takes you to Kenya, at the Sweetwaters Research Center, for a two-week program that costs about £1,500, to take care of some of probably the last black rhinos on the planet. As the nearly-extinct species has a diet based only on plants, a volunteer's work consists in measuring the amount and the composition of herbs in different areas in the savanna. The lucky guest will also have the chance to closely observe the genuine behavior of other wild animals, such as lions, leopards, zebras, buffalos, impala, baboons and hippos, in their natural environment.
Another exciting adventure might be going to Oman for twelve days, in the rocky mountains of the Dhofar region, for almost the same amount of money, and search for the Arabian leopard. The species is also almost extinct, which is why the combined efforts of the Royal Omani Court and the international specialists, as well as volunteers' support, are necessary in order to identify and properly supervise the few animals still alive. The adrenaline level should be high, as the “tracking” will be mostly on foot or by camel.
On the South-American continent, in Bolivia, Inti Wara Yassi are also developing a community project. They take care of the animals rescued from the exotic animal black-market. Their “patients” have special needs that should be taken care of, as their health condition is extremely poor. They need to be properly nourished; cages are to be constructed or cleaned. The volunteers should look after capuchin and howler monkeys, pumas, ocelots, jaguars, parrots ands many other species, until they are ready to return to the wild. The costs of a 14-day stay are minimum (£150), but reaching Bolivia might prove harder – not to mention more expansive.