Parrots at an animal rescue center

Corobichi River raft trips often include a stop and short walk to the Las Pumas Animal Rescue Center.  Founded by a Swiss woman in 1982, the center cares for injured and orphaned animals, such as these parrots

The government of Costa Rica is attempting to outlaw private zoos and to discourage people from keeping wild animals as pets, with the exception of animal rescue and rehabilitation facilities.

This week we have photos of Punahka, Bhutan, posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Baby margay

This is a change of pace from the usual pictures that I post of the beach, village life, or even animals in the wild. This is a photo of a margay in the Las Pumas Rescue Center. Margays are the size of a large house cat. They forage in the forest for small rodents.

The Las Pumas Rescue Center is a place where animals who have been injured or who otherwise would not be able to survive in the wild are cared for and fed until they can be reintroduced to the wild. If the animals will not have a good chance of survival, they are cred for at the Center.

Las Pumas Rescue Center was founded by a Swiss woman who fell in love with Costa Rica, Lily Bodner de Hagnauer. She passed away in 2001, but the Center continues her noble work. She started caring for animals, the the Center just grew. The Center welcomes visitors who are on wildlife float trips on the nearby Corobici River and also welcomes donations.

We have photos of Easter Island on our Viva la Voyage travel photos site this week.

Howler Lounging in the Tree

Speaking of howler monkeys, as we glide down the Rio Corobici, we hear the alpha male howling at us and look up to see him spread out comfortably in the tree above our heads.

River rafting down the Rio Corobici is quite a nice experience and a good option while you are visiting Tamarindo.

After the river rafting, and the lunch, you get to see the preserve and rescue center for wild animals that are taken care of by a very committed family. The Las Pumas Refuge Center is a special place.

Check out our travel photos of Varenna, Italy at Viva la Voyage!

Toucan at Las Pumas Rescue Center

This toucan at the Las Pumas Rescue Center for animals illustrates a bird's eye view of the adage that the grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence. Why did this toucan strain to twist his huge beak and his neck through the chain link fence? Everything he or she needs is inside the fence, and there is nothing outside the fence but a few dry leaves, and a closer look at human visitors.

The Las Pumas Rescue Center takes very good care of its animals. It prepares them to be able to be reintroduced into the wild if the animals would be able to survive in the wild. That means hiding food for the animals in their cages, giving them different types of food, and other methods to stimulate them. It gives them treats. In fact, the cougars and other wild cats are even given cow's blood ice cream.

The only explanation I can think of is that this toucan is simply a very friendly fellow, and he wanted a closer look her two visitors, who were my wife (who does the new
Scottsdale Daily Photo) and our friend Sharon (who does Phoenix Daily Photo).

Las Pumas Rescue Center is a wonderful place to visit and does very worthwhile work. If you missed my earlier posts about it, please check out those posts for Las Pumas on the subject index tab on the left side of this website.

Sleeping jaguar

This close up photo of a sleeping jaguar was taken at the Las Pumas Rescue Center. A week or so ago I posted a photo of a toucan at the center, as well as information and a link to the website of the center, including information about how it was founded by a Swiss woman who started caring for sick, injured or orphaned animals, and the center carries on her work even though she passed away a few years ago.

Although she cared for as many as 160 animals at a time, the center is best known for caring for wild cats, such as this jaguar. He looks quite comfortable and content, taking his cat nap. When animals are received at the center, they are evaluated by a biologist to assess whether they can be rehabilitated and reintroduced to the wild. Last year, the center took in 84 animals and was successful in reintroducing 67 of them back into the wild.

While at the center either temporarily or for a long time, the center simulates conditions in the wild as they care for the animals. They vary and hide the food and feed the animals at different times to maintain hunting skills and instincts.

Jaguars are native and still wild in Costa Rica, although they are endangered. I have never seen one in the wild, and tourists do not need to worry that they will confront a jaguar in tourist areas. (I mention this because my tracking of Google searches shows that some people land on my site because they are worried about wild animals they might encounter if they come to Costa Rica.)

Jaguars are 1.1 to 1.8 meters in length (3.5 to 6 feet), plus the tail. My Costa Rica wildlife book has a very simple description of the physical appearance of a jaguar. It says: "You will know it when you see it."

I will post some more photos from the Las Pumas Rescue Center on various days in the weeks ahead, including a photo of very cute young margay.

Toucan and Las Pumas Rescue Center for animals

This is a keel-billed toucan.
This photo was taken by our good friend, Sharon, who operates Phoenix Daily Photo, when she visited us. She and my wife went on a wildlife-viewing raft trip on the Corobici River and the guide parked the raft for a short walk to the Las Pumas Rescue Center, where Sharon took this photo. You can also visit Las Pumas by road.

Las Pumas is a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center founded in 1982 by a Swiss woman living in Costa Rica, Lily Bodmer de Hagnauer. She started by taking in injured or orphaned animals, particularly jaguars and other members of the cat family, then local people started bringing her animals that needed medical care. She provided care for as many as 160 animals at a time. She passed away in 2001, but her wildlife rehabilitation center continues her work.

Information about the center is available on its website: http://www.laspumas.org/. The center dependent on private funds and donations. It is not part of a government agency, although it works in cooperation with government environmental authorities and the park and wildlife agents even bring injured animals to the center for care. Ms. Hagnauer's family continues to contribute money to support and improve the center.

It is a wonderful place to visit, as it includes a nature trail, educational activities, and a small souvenir shop, and visitors may get up close looks at the animals that are orphaned, injured, escaped from illegal poachers, or otherwise in need of care before being re-introduced to the wild. If you are not in the area, please check out the Las Pumas website and consider making a donation.

Now, for some information about toucans. Toucans live only in the tropical areas of the Americas, and there are six species in Costa Rica.

The most distinctive feature of the toucans, of course, is their long, colorful beak. It seems like an awkward feature, but evolution has adapted toucans well to their diet. Their favorite food is ripe fruit. Because their bodies are too large for very small branches, their beaks enable them to land on larger branches and to reach up to pluck the fruit hanging from smaller branches above the larger branch where the sit.

Although their beaks look awkward, they are quite dexterious. Once they pluck a piece of fruit with the end of their beak, the next task is to get the fruit down their throat. They toss the fruit from the end of their beak into the air, then catch the fruit in their mouth in a position to swallow it.

I used this photo of Sharon's because it gave me a chance to talk about the Las Pumas Rescue Center, and because although I have taken a couple of photos of toucans in the wild, but they are not good enough to post. I posted a photo of the wildlife raft trip on the Corobici River on November 4. Tomorrow will be another toucan-related post.