costa rica wildlife sanctuary

I was conned in to volunteering at Paradero "animal rescue sanctuary" by volunteer exploiters Frontier, a British volunteering agency.In Costa Rica anyone can set up a "sanctuary" with not to no clue of what they are going. The people who own Paradero are passionate about animals and the environment which is all the qualification they assumed the needed. I had the misfortune to spend 4 weeks there; the longer I stayed the more I saw that was wrong with the place.They say they are animal lovers but the mistreat the dogs there, whether they were guard dogs or "pets". All the dogs were obese and probably riddled with parasites and flies as they were left to leave in there own filth as they were chained 24/7. As volunteers we constantly complained about the dogs' treatment and begrudgingly through the effects of volunteers treatment for the dogs was improved though I am under no illusion that the standards we tried to implement will continue.Paradero is more like a petting zoo with their own sloths to parade in front of tourists and attract volunteers. They have animals in cramped, overcrowded and dilapidated cages. The mean focus of the Paradero is money and the petty imaginings of one of the owners was the only reason that some of the sloths were released so they couldn't be taken to other sanctuaries.The animals, many the monkeys were far too humanised to be released and babied by one of the owners but as they bring in the tourists why would they release them?Volunteers at Paradero are left to their own devices, there is no one to tell you anything about animal husbandry and only tip bits from other volunteers helps you get by. You do about 2 hours of work slip throughout the day, the rest of the time is mainly spend doing whatever you want which for many volunteers is reading. When you do ask for something to do you are set to sweeping the forest floor. If places like this are set up the government need to enforce high standards than the no standards that are currently overlooked

I came out to the sanctuary on my last week in Costa rica to see if I could lend my last bit of time to help out. I found it fairly difficult to actually find the place but luckily ran into a few people at the local bus station who were already volunteering and went with them. The animals are well taken care of, with regular feedings of hearty fresh meals and of course they get tons of affection from the great volunteers! Being able to interact so closely with the sloths and monkeys is definitely something I won't forget. The conditions for the volunteers is extremely basic. The usual cold showers, and rickety bunk beds with nets. I struggled with the food however, I'm not overly picky but there wasn't any choice with the meals and if you didn't like something you're basically screwed. Also, it's located pretty far out of Limon so there isn't a whole lot to do once you're done your chores so I would recommend bringing a few books and such. (There's wifi but almost impossible to get a connection.) I only stayed for a few days, as I had caught dengue fever from earlier on in my trip and had to go to San Jose, but It was nice to meet people from around the world coming to help out with these animals and seeing how much they care

We were up close with sloths, monkeys, deer, variety of birds. nquisitive black howler monkeys came right up to us. I was able to hold a very endearing Elvis the Sloth :-)

Get off your sofa..and go and visit the REAL little Neal (anyone who watches UK TV will know of the little Neal used as a promotional item with a sofa company....) Really didnt know what to expect...a wild area...deep in the rain forest...and yes..the clue is in the name...rain...persisting it down...but work didnt stop. Knowledgeable curators....really cherishing their charges....Sitting in a quiet area...watching the birds...one the size of a UK blackbird..with a red front...a cherry ****?? Not really fit enough to walk through the forest..and know I missed a treat...Well worth the visit.

Ask to see Elvis if you go there! You can see a lot of different animals in that sanctuary. Very interesting!

The jungle walk was very enjoyable. Visiting the sanctuary and seeing the two types of sloths, the different kinds if monkeys, the owl,parrots,other colourful birds, was interesting g. I was also so glad to hold a sloth. I had no idea it would be so soft and cuddly. The volunteers who care for the animals are inspiring.

This was the highlight of our visit in Puerto Limon, on a cruise stop. Seeing the animals, holding them. Meeting the volunteers who came from around the world to take care of the animals was inspiring. Thank you so much for your work. Definitely worth the time to visit.

This was the better part of the tour. The only thing to remember is that it always rain in Costa Rica in the afternoon, no matter which part of the country you're in. The walk was refreshing. The sanctuary has some really pretty animals, and of course lots of sloths and monkeys.

Being able to hold a SLOTH was great. The animals were well taken care and the lady over the Sanctuary was very dedicated to all the animals welfare.

This was so wonderful and the best tour we were on. The owners are such loyal advocates for the sloths and monkeys and birds .. She does everything and is very helpful in describing everything. You can hold a sloth and walk thru the rainforest and see toucans, monkeys, sloths, and baby sloths. Awesome place.

Loved all of it but traffic issues, which were not the sanctuary northe tour leaders responsibility, just a problem for them. I have never been at a better facility. Better than Disney parks as closer to nature and protective of the natural.

Paradero is the name of this place and it is quite awesome to visit if in Puerto Limon. They have 2 websites, which is confusing, but you have to go there and take a tour. We drove up to the gate with our guide, Chuse, from SylTravel. Our driver honked the horn, and we were let into the Wildlife Sanctuary. I suggest using a local tour company familiar with the roads and able to navigate the winding and detour laden 'streets'. Cruise ship busses could not take you here, plus too many tourists would ruin the experience. My family of four loved this side trip while seeing the highlights of Limon, CR. See http://costaricawildlifesanctuary.com/home.html

I volunteered here for a little while. The lady who runs this organisation is a beautiful person and i believe she has the animals best interests in mind however there was another older man also in charge and I found him to be very rude, arrogant and only interested in tricking people out of their money while he lives in a fair amount luxury (much more than the volunteers were given for a very high per day price). He has very little respect for the volunteers I found and also lied a lot to make what he was doing seem justifiable. For example, each volunteer signs a contract on arrival and when I called him out on some things in this a few times, he was verbally manipulative and rude and would not even let me see the contract I had signed. It was as if he cared about money and how he was viewed more than the welfare of his volunteers and the animals. I think it was very sad that I had this experience because the center itself is beautiful, the volunteer coordinator is beautiful and has the biggest heart and the animals are always taken such good care of. the grounds are amazingly maintained and the facilities and food nutrition for the animals are great! but i felt a really weird vibe here while i visited, like the animals and volunteers are being used for tourism's sake rather than for actual conservation and rehabilitation. Having said this I want to say that Vanessa is a great person and the current volunteer coordinator is doing such a great job to rehabilitate the animals and she is an amazing asset to the center, with the animals best interests in her heart. it was just unfortunate that I saw this other side to the center while Vanessa was away. Please do come and volunteer here, but i just want volunteers to be aware of this and for day visitors to be careful about what you are giving money for, or ask the center what they need and bring it yourself (ie, food, medicine etc) instead of just giving money and it may be going to paying for a bunch of unnecessary ipads and cable tv for this man, than to the animals and grounds which you are being told it is going to.

This was my first volunteer trip and was a fantastic trip for my daughter and I. Accommodations and food are basic but comfortable. What is truly outstanding is the daily interactions with the animals. Being up close and personal with sloths, monkeys and other animals were something that I will never forget. The variety of tasks, interactions with other visitors and the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of animals make this a truly unique experience.

This rescue center takes care of endangered, injured, and abandoned animals, but the atmosphere is dynamic and interesting, not depressing. You get to see and even hold some monkeys, sloths, and parrots. We were given a tour by a woman whose family runs the entire sanctuary. The tour included a walk through a very large enclosure containing exotic birds like toucans, and some monkeys. The pace was slow with lots of opportunities to ask questions. The sanctuary is clean, including the restrooms! They are non-profit, and welcome, but don't push for donations. Fresh melon was offered for free at the end of the tour, and even though the cruise ship cautioned against eating fresh fruit, my husband and I did and had NO problems. The fruit was fantastic. They also have a small gift area, and the T-shirts are priced better than the shops in town. We definitely recommend.