Best Stories from 2020
Unusual and Dangerous Place to Take a Nap
In late January, we received a call for a juvenile Northern tamandua (anteater) that was stuck on the power lines. At first, we were worried that she might have been electrocuted, but it seems she just thought it was a good place to take a nap. Playa Guiones has become more developed in recent months which means wildlife often use the dangerous electrical cables to travel between fragmented habitat.
Thanks to ICE and our Stop the Shocks program, the cables and the transformer had covers installed and were safe for wildlife. Although she wasn’t likely to be electrocuted at that particular location, the cables are a dangerous place for any animal. We decided that she needed to be relocated to a safer habitat where there are no electrical cables, roads or human development. We called the electrical company, ICE, to help us safely rescue her from the cables using fiberglass hot-sticks. After thoroughly assessing her at our wildlife clinic and confirming that she wasn’t sick or injured, we relocated her to a heavily forested area in the remote hills behind Nosara. Here she will make a safe home for herself with plenty of habitat and food resources.
Successful Surgery on Brown Booby Who Swallowed Fishing Hook!
When Capitán, a brown booby (Sula leucogaster) from Samara beach, accidentally swallowed a large fishing hook, a local fisherman took immediate action and rushed to a local hotel for help. They called the rescue team from Samara Stop the Shocks and they transferred the bird to Refuge for Wildlife. In order to save his life, Capitán needed emergency surgery and the veterinary team sprung into action. Under the expert care of Dr. Francisco Sánchez Murillo and Catalina Aguilar, the extremely large fishing hook was safely removed.
Brown boobies are expert fishermen and use a plunge-diving technique where they fly 10 to 12 m above the water searching for fish and then angle their body so they can dive deep into the water. We suspect that Capitán mistook the large, shiny hook for a fish and gobbled it up. Thankfully a local fisherman sprung into action to get him the help he needed to survive. These types of accidents do happen and we are very pleased that Capitán was helped and not left to suffer. Thanks to the fisherman who found him, to the hotel that called us, Samara Stop the Shocks who transported him to us, and our dedicated staff, Capitán has been given a second chance.
Baby Jaguarundi Receives the Help He Needs
This tiny infant jaguarundi was separated from his mother here in Guanacaste. He was found all alone by some local residents who mistakenly thought he had been abandoned. Wild animals do not abandon their young, but they do leave them alone for a few hours while they hunt or forage for food. It is perfectly normal for infant wildlife to be alone in the wild so you should never remove them from their habitat. If you find infant wildlife and you are concerned, please call us (8824 3323) and we can advise you on how to safely monitor the infant until the mother returns. Sadly, this little guy was taken from his home and now his mother will never be able to find him again.
The little jaguarundi spent the weekend with us here at Refuge for Wildlife. He was very stressed from the ordeal and required intensive care; receiving regular feedings and resting in our snuggly warm incubator. In order for him to get the best care possible, we are transferring him to our friends at Las Pumas who specialize in wild cats. We are pleased to report that today he is being transported by SINAC (National System of Conservation Areas) to Las Pumas to start his rehabilitation! We hope to see him again when it’s time for his release back into the jungle, but for now, we say goodbye so he can receive the special care that he needs. Good luck little guy!
Petite and Ducks Are Released!
Petite and several new friends have been released! The ducks were a little hesitant a first, but it didn’t take long for them to start splashing around in the river! They even made the black-bellied whistling duck’s trademark whistle as they flew!
Petite was rescued as a tiny duckling when he was found all alone in the middle of a parking next to the main road. He was the only duckling at the rescue center so he was raised with a baby chick so he wouldn’t be alone.
Several weeks later when Petite wasn’t a baby anymore, we rescued a group of ducklings who had been abandoned by their parents. The duck parents picked a poor place to raise their young ones, a local swimming pool, and angry dogs scared the parents away.
Thankfully Petite and the ducklings got along great and they formed a strong family bond. We are thrilled that we could release these ducks all together as a family group.
Jaguarundi Released
Some amazing news! After months of expert care provided by the veterinary staff at Centro de Rescate y Santuario Las Pumas, the Jaguarundi rescued from Playa Guiones was released!
Back in October, our emergency rescue team received a call from a local resident reporting a jaguarundi (Herpailurus yaguarondi) that was stuck in a fence in Playa Guiones. The jaguarundi had been traveling between habitat when it was scared by barking dogs and ran headfirst into the chainlink, getting his head stuck. The Bomberos de Nosara assisted us with the difficult rescue which required bolt cutters to free the jaguarundi from the fence.
Unfortunately, the jaguarundi had suffered a severe injury from the accident and was not able to properly move his hind limbs. At the Refuge wildlife clinic, we did several tests, including an x-ray and blood work that showed no physical reason for the movement impairment. More tests and longer-term care were required to treat neurological symptoms. We immediately transported him to Las Pumas, a rescue center that specializes in wild cats, where he received the best comprehensive care from the experts in the field.
Thanks to the fantastic dedication of our friends at Las Pumas, the jaguarundi regained the total function of his hind legs after several months of specialized care. We were delighted to be invited to the release which took place on the Refuge for Wildlife property in San Juanillo. It was a thrilling moment when, after an hour of trekking through the forest to find the best location for his new home, the jaguarundi sprinted to freedom!
Dog Attack Victim Released
After treatment for severe wounds from a dog attack, Selina has been released! Without veterinary intervention, Selina would have surely died. Bite wounds always have a high risk of infection due to bacteria in saliva so the gaping wound on her lower back would have become extremely infected without our care. In total, she sustained 7 severe wounds to her entire body, including the gruesome slash to her lower back.
Because there were so many wounds, our onsite Veterinarian, Dr. Francisco and our Administrative Supervisor, Catalina needed to worked simultaneously to suture the most severe lacerations using at total of 21 stitches! In addition to the sutured wounds, the open puncture wounds required several weeks of veterinary care to heal correctly.
Thankfully, with dedicated treatment and rehabilitation, Selina recovered well and was ready to return to the forest and back to her regular life. We released her far from humans and their pets so Selina will never again have to worry about getting injured from a dog.
After treatment for severe wounds from a dog attack, Selina has been released! Without veterinary intervention, Selina would have surely died. Bite wounds always have a high risk of infection due to bacteria in saliva so the gaping wound on her lower back would have become extremely infected without our care. In total, she sustained 7 severe wounds to her entire body, including the gruesome slash to her lower back.
Barn Owl Release
Campanita, a beautiful barn owl, was discovered a few months ago all alone at a hotel in Playa Pelada. Sadly, after many hours of observation, her mother did not return to her. We do not know what happened to her mother, but Campanita was just a juvenile owlet at the time and needed special care from our veterinary team to survive. She thrived at the Refuge and quickly grew her adult feathers and started to learn to fly. After several weeks of perfecting her hunting and flying skills, Campanita ready to go home! She was released in a heavily wooded area next to a stream in the remote forest of Delicias. Her new home is filled with food resources and suitable habitat for Campanita to start a happy new life in the wild.
Injured Porcupines Rehabilitated and Released!
Penelope the porcupine has been released!! Poor Penelope was severely injured when she was attacked by a dog in South Playa Guiones. Unfortunately, she lost her left eye during the incident and suffered from neurological problems and infection from the bite wounds. After several weeks of care inside our wildlife clinic, and a few more rehabilitating in an outdoor enclosure, Penelope was showing all the signs that she was ready to return to the forest. She fully recovered from her injuries and the loss of her eye hasn’t negatively impacted her ability to forage and climb! Yesterday, Penelope was released in the remote hills behind Nosara where there are acres of dense forest, far from humans and dogs. Everyone at Refuge for Wildlife is thrilled to give Penelope another chance at a happy life wild and free.
Back home where he belongs! Kimbo, a juvenile Mexican hairy dwarf porcupine (Sphiggurus mexicanus), was found in distress in the middle of the road in Playa Garza. He was disoriented and unable to return to the safety of the trees. We suspect that he was hit by a motorbike and became very stressed from the incident. Upon arrival at our wildlife clinic, Kimbo was given subcutaneous fluids because he was extremely dehydrated and anti-inflammatory medication. Thankfully Kimbo did not have any serious injuries or broken bones, he just needed a few days of rest and a special diet to help him gain the strength he needed to thrive in the wild. Within a few days, Kimbo was behaving normally and ready to return to the forest so we released him in the hills just behind Playa Garza where there are acres of forest. Kimbo was very eager to get back to regular life and quickly climbed into the trees and started to travel down the valley to enjoy his life far from busy roads.
Christina the Gray fox Released!
This beautiful gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) was hit by a car near Tamarindo and transferred to our rescue center for treatment and rehabilitation. Although she had no broken bones or external wounds, Christina was unable to walk properly and was diagnosed with a proprioception deficit that is consistent with the traffic accidents. Thankfully, after several weeks of veterinary care, Christina was ready to go back home!
