Animals Close Up: Refugio Herpetologico de Costa Rica

We spent an enjoyable couple of hours today at the nearby animal rescue center on the old road to Santa Ana, right next to Crocs Pizza.   Our guide, Diego, indulged us by giving his explanations in Spanish (even though he offered the tour in English.)

The snakes, monkeys, crocodiles, parrots, macaws, caimans, turtles that are here are all well cared for.  Most were illegal, discarded pets, who were abandoned when they began to bite their owners, or were in peoples' homes, stuck in tiny habitats.  Some had lost a limb, a tail, and were obviously unable to hunt in the wild.   Several beautiful birds were pulling their own feathers: a stress-induced, potentially fatal disorder.  But all of them  had a home at the refuge, where most would stay for life, but those who were able to be rehabilitated were released into the wild.  

As sad as some of the animals' stories were, it was clear that the knowledgeable staff at the refuge had their hearts with these animals.  The entrance fee was about 6 bucks a person--a worthwhile, local (Escazu/Santa Ana) diversion!