The Rescue Center story starts with one person, Vanessa Lizano. She arrived in Limon, Costa Rica in 2009 with a goal and passion. Her goal was to start a place where injured wildlife indigenous to Costa Rica could be rescued, rehabilitated and when possible released.

She secured a rainforest property in front of Moin beach and soon realized she could not only save wildlife but also endangered sea turtles. Vanessa named her project Paradero Eco Tours. She worked hard for many years building animal cages and walking the beaches at night to find and secure turtle nests. It was hard work but her passion and motivation far exceeded any thoughts of quitting. Within a few years, she had monkeys, sloths, kinkajous, coati and exotic birds all being brought to her weekly by people and government workers around the country. If a baby sloth was found injured or abandoned it was Vanessa who received the call and it was her team she trained who would rehabilitate and eventually release that animal.

The volunteer program was created to bring others, who shared her passion, from around the world. The money volunteers spent to stay and help would be the resource she needed to feed and medicate the animals who were in need. She was surprised to find out how many men, women, and children around the world wanted to help..wanted to make a difference. The volunteer program and donations from generous, kind people around the world kept her afloat so she could continue her mission. Without the volunteers and the donors, the project would have never survived and countless animals would have perished.

Unfortunately, on May 31st, 2013 everything ended. Her best friend and co-worker, Jairo Mora Sandoval, was brutally murdered by turtle poachers on the beach in Limon. Vanessa was not there that night but rather was in San Jose with her son. She received the news the next morning and was filled with feelings of grief, anger, and utter devastation. She had received threats in the past from the turtle egg poachers but never imagined the threats were this real. The murderers were never fully brought to justice.

After years of deserved grief, Vanessa decided with the help of Michael and her sister to start her dream again.  They looked for a safe location where dreams could become reality once again and animals could be helped.

Next to SJO international airport, they found their little piece of heaven, a small oasis with its own waterfall.  In this safe location, they started and in little time, found themselves filled with animals to help and already released many back to nature.

Why volunteer with us?

Being a volunteer at the rescue benefits you as much as it benefits the rescue center.  Besides getting unique and meaningful experience to work frontline with the animals and conversation dedicated staff, here are the other benefits of being an animal rescue volunteer in Costa Rica.

• Getting up close to a wide range of wildlife, you will immerse yourself in hands-on animal care and rehabilitation experience.
• The more you give, the happier we feel.  The rescue is often home to hundreds of rescued animals.  Volunteers play an intrinsic role in the success of the center.
• Many animals have to learn basic skills to get back to the wild, volunteers help them by providing enrichment and conditioning their habitats.
• Conservation programs in natural environments help towards the prevention of the current decline in animal populations.  Animals brought here are in severe threat of decline due to illegal wildlife trade, poaching and habitat destruction.  Wildlife conservation is not only about caring for animals, it is also about education in the local community. Research done at the rescue is important to safeguard against destructive threats and to create educational programs within local populations.