Shelter of Second Chances

Today, I visited the Jaguar Rescue Center, a foundation dedicated to helping injured animals and rehabilitating them back into the wild. The center is quite large, but most of its area is off-limits to visitors to ensure minimal human interaction with the animals. Only the caretakers have access to those parts.

The sections open to the public house animals that can no longer be released into the wild due to injuries, illnesses, or behaviors that make survival impossible. During my visit, I saw several animals—just a small part of the center’s 200 residents. These include various species of wildcats, birds, sloths, crocodiles, and more.

The foundation relies entirely on entrance fees for funding and supports numerous projects aimed at protecting animals in the wild. For example, they help insulate power lines to reduce electrocution incidents among wildlife. Despite these efforts, some animals, like sloths, still suffer from such accidents. At the center, I saw sloths that had survived electric shocks but were left partially paralyzed, meaning they’ll spend the rest of their lives here. It’s both heartwarming to see them cared for and heartbreaking to think of the decades they may spend in captivity.

Interestingly, the Jaguar Rescue Center was founded by two Italian zoologists. When they moved to this region of Costa Rica, there were no local veterinarians. The locals, believing they had found an injured jaguar, brought it to the couple, who successfully treated the wildcat. Word spread, and more animals began arriving for care. Eventually, they officially opened the rescue center. Ironically, despite the name, no jaguar has ever been brought here—a positive sign, as it suggests this endangered species continues to elude human contact.Read more