Las Pumas Rescue Center

The rescue center—which comprises a veterinarian clinic and quarantine and pre-release areas, where animals stay before returning to the wilderness—is completely closed to the public. However, you are welcome to visit the sanctuary, home to animals that cannot return to the wild. Free naturalist-led tours are available and are designed to educate the public about animal behavior, natural history, and rescue stories. These guided tours are subject to availability; contact the sanctuary directly by phone or email to book them.

• Guests can feed guinea pigs, rabbits, chickens, and other animals.

• Bring repellent, sunscreen, water, long pants, and closed-toe shoes.

• There’s no café or restaurant on-site, but visitors can bring their own food.

• Pets are not allowed in the sanctuary.

• Visitors cannot touch, bother, or feed any of the wild animals.

Las Pumas Rescue Center is on the Inter-American Highway, roughly 3 miles (4.5 kilometers) north of Cañas. From downtown Cañas, drive north on the highway and turn right before reaching the tiny town of Corobicí. If you don’t have a rental car, taxis are a good alternative. Be aware that public transportation in the area is limited.

The sanctuary is open year-round, from early in the morning to mid-afternoon daily. The best (and most popular) time to go to Costa Rica is from November through April when the weather is typically at its warmest and sunniest. If you’re planning to travel in the summer, June through September, be prepared for torrential rains.

At the rescue center, the animals that cannot return to the wild for health or other reasons live in enclosed “homes” of their own. Among them are a partly-blind jaguar, a permanently injured white-faced monkey, an orphaned two-toed sloth, and a toucan that fell from his nest as a chick. Weasels, deer, and turtles round out the animal residents, welcoming new roommates from time to time.