The Jaguar Rescue Center, Playa Cocles, Costa Rica

 My time at the Jaguar Rescue Center!

I should start this blog with the revelation that there are in fact, no jaguars at the rescue center! The name has its origins in the beginings of the center, where an ocelot was confused as a jaguar by the locals, and word got around and everything started saying it was a jaguar going to the center, and the name stuck!

I spent one month at JRC, and worked very closely with some of the animals, such as: Macaws (Scarlett and Green), howler and capuchin monkeys, sloths (two-toed), parrots, small birds, deer). The best experience regaridng the animal care was working with the howler and capuchin monkeys. The juvenile howlers would be taken to the jungle on sunny days for half the day, and we were tasked with taking them (on ourselves) to the jungle and observing their behaviour in the wild, with each other and other wild monkeys!

Some tasks had animal specific duties. Such as a deer called Momo who cannot swallow her food properly due to being shot in the jaw by a hunter, so we have to sit and watch her to make sure she eats all of her food. Or Bobo, the brown footed booby that must be fed with her plate being held up for her, and Mufasa, the sloth that looks very young but is actually 3 years old, must be watched because he loves to eat soil!

Volunteering started with a morning meeting at 7.30, and then tasks were assigned. Tasks were split into three sections (Cleaning in the morning before the centre opened to the public, morning taks, afternoon tasks), with the day finishing at 3.30 / 4. Tasks were varied, ranging cleaning the encolusres, providing environmental enrichment, watching the various animals that are outside (macaws and sloths), working in the rehabilitation area, laundry, taking food plates to all of the enclosures, cleaning and feeding the rats, etc.

The JRC is located in a small town (or area) known as Playa Coccles, nearby to popular tourist town, Puerto Viejo. Any wild animals in need of rescue, healing, relocation, are brought to the attention of the centre by locals. When I was there, on 2 occasions within an hour, 2 Fer De Lance's (Terciopelo) were relocated, one from the center itself, and one from someone's garden nearby. This is a great demonstraion of the benefit the JRC brings, as sadly, this species of snake will often be killed, as they are highly venomous. The JRC, through their tours, helps to educate the community and tourists of the snakes of Costa Rica, relaying their importance in the hope that people opt for rescue and relocation, over killing them.

There was a right mischevious male capuchin monkey called Klaus, super cute but a menace - he would always try and steal our belongings and bully the wild (adult!) howler monkeys. And a really sweet female capuchin monkey, Clara, who took a liking to some of the male volunteers. It was very interesting to observe the behaviour of the monkeys up close, and to see how different each individual is. The capuchin monkeys were much more energetic and playful than the howlers.

I learned a lot about the animals behaviours and needs volunteering here, and about the reasons why animals are admitted to the center. Sloths are very easiy to rehabilate, as they form no bonds whatsoever with the humans caring for them, and howler monkeys are easier to rehabilitate than capuchin monkeys due to the ability of capuchin monkeys to form bonds quickly. Kinkajou's are absolutely filled with energy and birds, moreso out of any animal at the center, have a penchant for aggresiveness and unpredictability, agouti's run rampant in that area of the carribean, they are everywhere; and coati's were nowehere to be seen.

My particular interest in terms of wildlife and ecology is snakes, and more generally, reptiles. I had the oppurtunity to work with Luis, a staff member in charge of the reptiles. I was able to help with the feeding of a crocodile, caiman, turtles and their resident snakes (Neotropical rattlesnake, eyelash pit viper, and boa constrictor). The snakes are there because in the past they were used for venom exraction, for the curation of anti-venom. They are now used for education purposes at the center, which is great, as I've heard many myths and stories of people killing snakes out of fear.

In terms of reasons of admission, common culprits were general injuries / sickness, falling down from a tree, translocation, being orphaned, dog attacks, car accidents, and electrocutions from the power lines here. In the case of birds, the pet trade. Many birds (parrots and macaws mainly) have their wings clipped, where the primary flight feathers are constantly removed, rendering them unable to fly. Also, if a bird breaks the bone's in their wings, oftentimes it will heal incorrectly, not like ours, rendering them unable to fly.

My placement at the JRC provided me with great insight into the wildlife of costa rica, the pet trade, eco-tourism, the functioning of these types of institutions in regards to governmental policy, and much more. The JRC recieves no funding from the Costa Rican government, and relies almost entirely on donations and profits from their tours.

Regarding tours, it was good to see how eco - tourism, wildlife conservation, education and animl care can all co-exist in one place. The money earned from tours goes straight to the care of the animals. It costs roughly 1 million USD to run the centre each year!

It was great to be part of a team and be in an environment where the animals were loved and cared for a great deal, albeit for a short while and to work so closely with so many animals!

The view from outside of the Jaguar Rescue Center!

What JRC stands for!