Building the Wildlife Rescue Centre

We built everything from scratch – multiple aviaries, large forest enclosures for peccaries, a safe haven for reptiles, spacious swinging playgrounds for monkeys and smaller temporary enclosures for animals to transition from quarantine to freedom. Because many of the animals that arrive won’t be able to be released again, due to too much human contact and injury or disease, we’re always looking to improve and build new spaces for them to live as naturally as possible. So, of course, we’re always concocting the next construction project.

Reforestation

Without a safe and healthy jungle, the released animals will end up back with us. So, we’ve cultivated a protected forest around the Wildlife Rescue Centre – Selva Dormida. Consisting of 180 hectares of primary forest, secondary forest, and former agricultural plantations. Providing shelter for plant and animal species like capuchins, squirrel monkeys, tamarins, sakis, toucans, king vultures, parrots, sloths, anteaters, peccaries, ocelots, jaguarundis, and tapirs (to name a few).
Since we started, nearly 3000 seedlings have been planted in Selva Dormida. Mostly cedar, mahogany, and shihuahuaco as these are species that are often illegally harvested. The reforestation happens during the rainy season as it gives the seedlings the best conditions to grow strong.

Finca Don Jorge, our plantation

Just a few kilometres downstream from the centre is our ecological and sustainably managed plantation Finca Don Jorge. The pandemic taught us the importance of self-sufficiency when we have so many human and animal mouths to feed. There we harvest fruits, vegetables and plants for both volunteers and animals. It’s hard work, but there’s nothing like (literally) tasting the fruits of your labour.

Subscribe to our newsletter and get all the latest news from the jungle. You will be kept informed about the project, animals, constructions, reforestation and volunteers!