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The Stars of the Rainforest
Posted by Zoë | August 13, 2009 | Categories: Environment, Tourism | 5 Comments
 Angelina Jolie as worn by Encar, Jaguar Centre |
Angelina Jolie stretched out a delicate hand and gripped mine tightly. I was enchanted. After all it’s not every day that you meet a star. Impressively beautiful but also graceful, her charisma was palpable.
As she wound her tail around my neck and swung upside down I wondered if her namesake has the same ‘star presence’… For the Angelina Jolie I met lives in Playa Chiquita, not Hollywood, but like her namesake, is surrounded by stars – of the Rainforest.
At Jaguar, Rescue Centre for the Protection and Conservation of Wild Fauna of Costa Rica, orphaned, mistreated, injured and confiscated animals are brought to heal and/or grow before being reintroduced where possible, back into their natural habitat in protected areas.
 Young smiley sloths with Blanca, the famous ‘Barefoot Vet’ |
Angelina Jolie and friends are lovingly looked after by the owners of Jaguar, Encar & Sandro who are ably assisted by this coast’s own ‘Barefoot Vet’, Blanca, and enthusiastic volunteers. Encar & Sandro created Jaguar to fulfill a need and it has become their passion and indeed a way of life. Totally committed to conservation and rehabilitation, Encar & Sandro can be found surrounded by an ever changing ‘galaxy of stars’. For a guided visit please telephone 2750 0710 or you can book a tour online through Gecko Trail Adventures which includes transport and other area spots of interest.
 Amanda, dreaming up some new seductive moves. |
Your donation of minimum US$10 will go in entirety to caring for their stars of the rainforest.
Angelina Jolie may be one of the newer stars, but she shares the stage with an impressive cast. Amanda, a flirtatious kinkajou with an eye for a good looking man, is a permanent resident. With three feet instead of four, she lives at Jaguar and practises her seduction techniques on visiting men.
Hollywood stars often claim that working with children or animals is to sacrifice their share of the limelight and certainly the ‘baby stars’ at Jaguar steal the show.
The baby stars at Jaguar may be adorable but the ‘dangerous’ stars have an appeal all their own. Ever seen a Margay up close? Stunningly beautiful, fantastically feline and deceptively cute, try and resist the temptation to play with them…they’re wilder and stronger than they look!
 Eyelash Palm Pitviper |
And last, but certainly not least, are the creepy, slithery stars that can make the hair stand up on the back of your neck if you come across one unexpectedly…The Snakes.
Venomous and non-venomous, Jaguar’s snakes are reassuringly housed so that you can see them up close without fear. But perhaps after listening to Encar or Sandro you might feel quite differently about the Snaky Stars and applaud their efforts to breed endangered snake species to reintroduce into the wild.
So the next time you’re in the area, give Jaguar centre a ring and visit some of the ‘stars of the rainforest’… you’ll be helping to protect the wildlife of Costa Rica and enchantment is guaranteed.
 Amanda enjoys a snack from a volunteer and Sandro |
 A baby raccoon cuddling up with brothers and sisters |
 Baby Ginger monkey with cool dude hairdo |
 Tigrili, the Margay, on the lookout for a game at Jaguar Centre |
 Gianni the owl at Jaguar Centre |
 Terciopelo / Fer de Lance at Jaguar Centre |
All photos taken at Jaguar Centre and used by kind permission.
| Article by Zoë Courtier. Zoë is the proprietor of Geckoes Rainforest River Lodge. Two luxurious holiday houses with private plunge pools in a magnificent rainforest and river setting minutes from Playa Cocles. More information at www.geckoeslodge.com |
Comments
5 Comments so far
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Wow! What a great feature! Thanks Zoe for taking the time to put this together. The visitors to Puerto Viejo will enjoy this new hidden gem.
This is wonderful! We are moving to Puerto Viejo and I can’t wait to visit this place. I couldn’t see from the article where it is located – does anyone know?
It is in Cocles…..but is a little hard to find. They need a sign on the main road. Ask someone and they can give you better direction that I could! We were there in May and it was closed, but the owner came to the gate with 2 baby howler monkeys and I could not get out of the car fast enough to hold them. What a treat to play with a baby monkey!! Jana,,when are you moving there? We will be coming the second week in October for a week. Hope to see you then!
Hello Jana,
Welcome to Puerto Viejo!
Jaguar Centre now has a sign on the main road in Cocles. Coming from Puerto Viejo, you turn right just before the hotel Villas del Caribe.
After turning right you will see Jaguar Centre after a few metres on your right.
It’s best to telephone ahead to arrange a visit as only a certain number of people can be admitted at a time.
I was there with family the other day and met their latest star, a baby toucan. More adorable is hard to imagine!
All the best,
Zoe.
Thanks Margo and Zoe. We’ll definitely plan to see it when we are back in February. We are moving permanently in December 2010 but will be back two or three times before the permanent move. We can’t wait!!