Monkey Therapy

The Jaguar Rescue Center on Costa Rica's Caribbean Coast offers a rare opportunity for visitors to learn about the fragile relationship between Costa Rica's animals and the people who live and work here. At the Rescue Center they specialize in rescuing animals and educating the Ticos about the benefits of living in harmony with nature. They have an extensive collection of snakes, birds, sloths and monkeys. During the day the animals (monkeys in particular) live at the rescue center, but at night the staff members open the cages and allow the animals to venture out into their natural habitat. Most animals, when they are ready, will return to the jungle permanently to live out their lives. The day we visited we were lucky enough to pet the sloths and play with the monkeys.