Animal Rescue X: Nicaraguan Macaws

Two species of macaws, large parrots of the genus Ara, are found in Nicaragua. The Great Green Macaw (Ara ambiguus) is limited to extremely humid areas with abundance of a particular tree, Dipteryx panamensis, and it is only found from Mexico to northern South America. The bird is big and noisy and flies above the canopy while screaming, bringing ample attention to it wherever it goes. As a result, its population has been severely affected by commerce in macaws as pets. Today, only about 2500 adult birds are left in the wild, the majority of them in the Rio San Juan area of Nicaragua.

Bumbelina is a Great Green Macaw. Photo by Hans Rademaker.

The birds are heavy, strong, and have large, piercing claws and beaks that can sever a finger. Handling them requires rough treatment if they are wild. Sadly, these birds are pursued for the pet trade so vigorously that broken wings and legs do not deter the pet traders from ravaging the forests.
Bumbelina, pictured here, has suffered this typical, yet tragic, fate. We do not know her specific history, we can only reconstruct it. Her right wing was so badly broken that it required amputation. She loves to flap her wings, but given that her right wing is now a stump, she can not even manage a soft landing. Falling from any height presents a risk for her. Furthermore, she has been affected psychologically by the trauma of captivity: she is extremely unsocial, does not permit any human to touch her. (Yet.)

Bumbelina sits atop her cage. Photo by Hans Rademaker.

The Great Green Macaw is the largest of all the macaws. Like all others, Bumbelina "walks" on three points, using her beak as a third appendage when climbing on any but the flattest of surfaces. Her splendid colors include bright red, baby blue, maroon, and lots of green. When excited, the light pink skin exposed on her face flushes to bright red.

The Great Green Macaw is the most endangered of the macaw species found in Central America. Photo by Hans Rademaker.

The association between this species and the river almond tree Dipteryx panamensis is remarkable and problematic.  Not only are these birds pursued for the pet trade, the tree with which it associates is harvested for its fine wood. The trees remaining in Nicaragua Because so few birds remain in the wild, and because the habitat and the birds themselves are under severe, direct threats, the Great Green Macaw is now listed as Endangered.

The Great Green Macaw loves to climb. Photo by Hans Rademaker.

Bumbelina came to us accompanied by a Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao), named Midorna. These birds are rescued from the pet trade in Nicaragua. Midorna is considerably more sociable than Bumbelina, and she allows brave people to touch her, sometimes. She, too, was captured in the wild and subjected to the trade in wild animals as pets. Captivity has also been very unfortunate for her. She has a broken wing which prevents flight, so she, like Bumbelina, will never return to the wild. Life in a cage has led to self-destructive behaviors, too, such as feather-plucking. She has eliminated many of the feathers on her breast and back, and she has begun to do the same to Bumbelina. This is a typical pathology of animals kept in captivity without sufficient recreation. 

Midorna is a female Scarlet Macaw, now residing at Estacion Biologica Laguna de Apoyo. Photo by Hans Rademaker.

Their calm demeanor and spectacular plumage make the Scarlet Macaw highly prized as a pet. As a result, these birds no longer can be found over almost all the Pacific region of Nicaragua, where they are native. The last bird regularly seen in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve was in 1969, according to the consensus of older residents. The Scarlet Macaws were either captured for use as pets, or killed for their aptitude as crop pests. Macaws can eat a lot of corn in the field! No one thought, just a few decades ago, that these majestic birds would never again fly over the cities and countryside of western Nicaragua.

The Scarlet Macaw is no longer found in most of the Pacific region of Nicaragua, thanks to hunting and the pet trade. Photo by Hans Rademaker.

Don't be a part of the problem. Macaws are not entirely domesticatable animals. If set free in a setting with abundant food available, they rarely return willingly. Even hand-raised birds from captive-breeding programs will readily go wild if permitted. These birds want to be free, and whenever feasible, they should. Most of the macaws treated as pets in Nicaragua are owned by wealthy people, especially non-Nicaraguans, who propel the illegal trade in these animals.
The macaws found in the pet trade or their progenitors were the victims of poorly established or enforced laws regarding poaching and the trade in wild animals. However, better procedures for enforcing environmental laws are now operating throughout the ranges of the macaws. Active monitoring of many macaws populations are now underway, as well as environmental education programs. Forests are protected against habitat destruction as well as poaching, better than at any time in the past. Some of the forests could be inhabited by macaws, if only there were a program to reinstate them into natural areas.
Even when macaws in the pet trade are injured, such as Bumbelina and Midorna, they could still be utilized as genetic stock in a program to reinstate wild macaws into the forests. If you know of anyone with a macaw, encourage this person to led the bird to a captive breeding program. There are so few of these birds left in the wild, every fertile adult in captivity could play an important role in saving the species over large parts of their habitats.

These beautiful birds need a lot of attention and food. Would you like to help them? Feel free to make a visit, bring them a bag of nuts or a papaya. These birds consume large quantities of food, so your donations are more than welcome. Macaws live for many decades, so these birds need a lot of resources to make their lives happy. If you would like to help these birds, please visit or write. 

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Rosebelly Lizard

The Rosebelly Lizard, Sceloporus variabilis, is common in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. Photo by Senen Rivero.

Fourteen species of lizards are known to inhabit the tropical dry forest habitat in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. One of the more common species is the rosebelly lizard, Sceloporus variabilis, a member of the family Phrynosomatidae. Until recently, this species was classified in the family Iguanidae, along with the iguanas. The species is commonly seen rustling among leaves on the ground, scurrying over rocks or along fenceposts. The local name for this species in Nicaragua is terepota.

The rosebelly lizard is similar to the anoles, but is distinguished by the absence of a gular pouch, and the presence of a small post-femoral pouch, which can barely be noted in the photograph above. The species complex extends as far north as southern Texas. The variety found in Nicaragua, Sceloporus variabilis olloporus, is found from Guatemala into Costa Rica, and is considered by some researchers to be a distinct species. This species is among a group of species widely known as fence lizards.

We do not know how building and clearing of undergrowth for real estate, agriculture, and firewood extraction affects the rosebelly lizard populations in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. In fact, there is little information about the reproductive biology, diet, and population dynamics of this species, even less about the Central American taxon. This species is just one more example of the biodiversity of Nicaragua of which we know too little.

The longitudinal pattern of black-white compound spots on the back of the rosebelly lizard in Nicaragua is distinct from the pattern found on individuals in Mexico. Photo by Senen Rivero.

Distinctive markings help to identify the rosebelly lizard. Photo by Senen Rivero.

We have a lot to learn about the wildlife of the tropics, even in accessible places such as Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. In fact, our understanding of the needs of wildlife in this place is especially important, because firewood cutting, agricultural expansion, and even housing construction is expanding every day. The loss of wildlife habitat could destroy this place as a protected area. FUNDECI/GAIA supports the local efforts to stop all illegal constructions of housing, which are often conducted in the area, almost always by non-Nicaraguans.

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Wheelchair donation

Having a disability from birth can be a terrible burden for a child and the parents. A poor child in a remote area of a poor country like Nicaragua, faces an even more difficult life than someone in a wealthy country. This poor boy, named Pablo, suffers from hydrocephalus. He has lots of problems with his body, and his parents are very poor farmers in a rural area.

Pablo gets seated into his new chair. Photo by Steven Allday.

As if paralysis and poverty weren't enough, he lives where only a four-wheel drive vehicle can reach. He had no wheelchair, so transporting him even to doctors and physical therapy was costly and a logistical nightmare. Somehow he must not know the heartbreak people feel when they see him, though, because he seemed generally happy, even though his horizons were not distant.

Pablo is finally buckled into his new chair. Photo by Steven Allday.

The folks at Campbell Street Church of Christ in Jackson, Tennessee, have been arranging wheelchair donations in Nicaragua for a long time. They even retrofit wheelchairs with seats for children. Pablo was so fortunate, because we at FUNDECI/GAIA had been holding one of the wheelchairs from the church, looking for a fitting beneficiary. His parents asked, and we took the chair out to his home to see if it fit.

Pablo waves and shows delight in his new wheels. Photo by Steven Allday.

This little boy had to tolerate some five minutes of strap adjustments as many hands pulled and experimented with all the buckles and ties. Eventually, he was in and secure. His mother began to move him round the yard, and his expression showed a real happiness. He could sense a liberation that this new (to him) chair has brought him.

Pablo's mother is so happy to have a wheelchair for Pablo! Photo by Steven Allday.

Pablo and his brother went round the yard, under the shade of a large fig tree. It surely felt to him like a fairground ride would feel: something new and sensational. His eyes glowed!

Pablo poses in his new wheelchair. Photo by Steven Allday.

We want to thank all the people involved with the wheelchair donation at Campbell Street Church of Christ! This may have seemed like a very small gesture by someone in the USA, but it means a world of difference to a young, disabled child in Nicaragua.
Would you like to be involved in making Nicaragua a better place for all? We receive volunteers to work on several projects related to social issues and then environment. And there are projects dealing with persons with disabilities, too. Please contact us for more information.

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Migratory birds

Each year, millions of birds come to Nicaragua from the north, stay for several months, and then head northward again to nest. Their existence is treacherous, depending on excellent navigation skills, luck in weather patterns, and finding and maintaining adequate habitat at each end of the journey, year after year. Perhaps a quarter of the more than 700 bird species found in Nicaragua only spend part of their year in Nicaragua. Many of these birds spend a substantial part of their lives in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve.

Tennessee Warbler (Oreothlypis peregrina) in Laguna de Apoyo. Photo by Pier-Olivier Beaudrault.

Some of these birds are seen as early as August, but most are first seen in late September. The forest is different with these birds present, for sure, because there are simply more birds than before. New arrivals are sometimes quite easy to detect, because the birds are tired from a long and arduous journey. The new arrivals may move sluggishly and less cautiously, and stay lower in trees while resting and recovering. Many don't survive the journey and the adjustment to the new environment with all its new threats and challenges. 

We have often wondered what the resident birds must think to find their habitat more filled than ever with new birds arriving from afar. Within weeks, the forest population seemingly doubles, with birds that probably have to be more active to survive, because they are the new kids on the block. After lots of rain, the forests are burgeoning with fresh vegetation and new flowers. The insects, nectar and fruits provide a feast for resident and migratory birds, alike. 

Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, Nicaragua. Photo by Pier-Oliver Beaudrault.

We often catch migratory birds during our studies using mist nets. Most of the catches are passerines (Order Passeriformes). Many of the passerines in North America are what we call songbirds (clade Passeri), which have vocal chords developed for unique and melodious songs. The Tennessee Warbler (Oreothlypis peregrina) is a common bird in our nets and in the forest canopy of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, too. The bird nests much further north than Tennessee, so Tennessee Warblers spend only hours or at most, very few days in that state. Perhaps it should be called the Nicaragua Warbler! Like almost all migratory songbirds, however, the Tennessee Warbler does not sing while in Nicaragua. It produces a weak, monotonous chip while in its southern home. It usually is found in a loose flock with other insectivorous birds, feeding on arthropods on the undersides of leaves in medium and tall trees.

The Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) is a migratory bird from the other major passerine division, the flycatchers and similar birds (clade Tyranni). Whereas more songbirds found in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve are migratory than resident, the majority of the flycatchers are residents, and several other very similar flycatchers of the same genus, Myiarchus, are found in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve.

The phenomenon of seasonal migration in birds is amazing, more so in the tiny Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris). Photo by Pier-Oliver Beaudrault.

Hummingbirds are always everyone's favorite birds. Most of North America is inhabited with only a single hummingbird species, whereas ten can be found in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. There are plenty of hummingbirds year round for the birdwatcher, but sighting a Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is always comforting. Such a small bird making such a long trip, twice each year, seems improbable, but we see them each year, and many are captured during mist netting.

The characteristic tail pattern in the Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) helps identify it in the field. Note the clipped leftmost rectrice (tail feather), to demonstrate the bird has been previously captured. The mark should last until the bird's next molt. Photo by Pier-Oliver Beaudrault.

The great northern bird migration coincides with flowering of many plants in Mesoamerica, and this is not a coincidence. By January, many flowers can be found in forests and fields in Nicaragua. Most migratory birds are not spending their entire winter season in a single spot, but rather, following the flowers and fruits as each tree peaks. Migratory birds tend to flock in their southern range and their distribution is patchy, concentrated near trees with food for them or for the insects upon which they feed.

Female Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea). Photo by Pier-Oliver Beaudrault.

Not all migratory birds eat insects and fruit. Lots of birds which inhabit our seas and shores migrate latitudinally. Other land birds consume small seeds, especially the sparrow-like birds. The Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) is far less common than the Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris) in Laguna de Apoyo, perhaps partly because we are closer to the southern end of its southern range. We also have noted that the Indigo Buntings we have sighted and captured are almost all female. In many species, males and females migrate differently and reunite once on their northern territories. 

Swainson's Thrushes (Catharus ustulatus) are deceptively common in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, turning up often in mist nets during their southern season. Photo by Pier-Oliver Beaudrault.

The resident Clay-colored Thrush (Turdus grayi) is abundant in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, but other thrushes may be found here during migration. The ebullient resident birds tend to distract the birdwatcher from the migratory Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus). We capture them far more than we expected, based on birdwatching observations. Like many migratory birds, the Swainson's Thrush does not sing most of its time in the south, although a beautiful song might be heard as they begin their northward journeys.

The most abundant migratory bird in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve is the Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia). Photo by Joe Taylor.

The most common and typical of the migratory passerine birds in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve is the Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia). The tropical dry forest ecosystem of western Nicaragua is prime southern habitat for this bird. It occupies the outer portions of trees from high to low, moves rapidly, and repeatedly emits a loud, sharp chip. Other birds seem to flock around it. Where they are found, other, less obvious birds might be lurking, so a birdwatcher always likes to seen them.

The Louisiana Waterthrush is uncommon and local to wet areas. Photo by Pier-Oliver Beaudrault.

A lurking warbler which acts more thrush-like is the Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla). Like many more species, it is present in low numbers, so it is not seen just any day in any place. It is not so easy to distinguish it from its sister species, the Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis). This species is thought to be in decline due to elimination of habitat through channelization of streams and draining of swampy areas.

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Woodcreepers

The birds of Nicaragua are diverse and, in many natural areas, abundant. Many of them are only found in forests, never in gardens or towns. Woodcreepers (Family Dendrocolaptidae) are examples of birds which do not prosper in areas with much human impact. Several woodcreeper species can be found in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, but only in areas where human influence is limited.

Ivory-billed Woodcreeper (Lepidocolaptes flavigaster) in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, Nicaragua. Photo by Pier-Oliver Beaudrault.

The woodcreepers crawl along the trunks of trees similarly to woodpeckers. All of them have a rufous-brown base color, some are quite similar. They use their tails for leverage against the tree trunks, and seek invertebrates on and within the bark.

The Ivory-billed Woodcreeper (Xiphorhynchus flavigaster). Photo by Pier-Oliver Beaudrault.

A rising and falling, almost hysterical laughing call may be heard when the Ivory-billed Woodcreeper (Xiphorhynchus flavigaster) is near. Its strong relatively straight bill distinguishes it from the Streak-headed Woodcreeper, also present here.

The Ruddy Woodcreeper (Dendrocincla homochroa) climbing Spondias mombin. Photo by Pier-Oliver Beaudrault.

It is easier to identify on sight the Ruddy Woodcreeper (Dendrocincla homochroa), because it is uniquely uniform in color. It is not at all common, however, and we have seen it in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve only a few times. It is known to follow army ant columns, preying upon animals that try to escape the path of the ants.

Ruddy Woodcreeper (Dendrocincla homochroa) in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, Nicaragua. Photo by Pier-Oliver Beaudrault.

The woodcreepers are all limited to certain parts of the forest in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. No woodcreepers are found in the northern section of the reserve, where Estacion Biologica is located. The forest is considerably older and trees are bigger to the south and the west of the lake, where woodcreepers are common.

Ruddy Wooodcreeper (Dendrocincla homochroa) is entirely ruddy colored, in constrast to other woodcreepers in Nicaragua. Photo by Pier-Oliver Beaudrault.

Woodcreeper tails are utilized to sustain the birds and to provide leverage when digging in bark. Photo by Pier-Oliver Beaudrault.

We were more surprised to sight, and eventually to capture during mist netting, the Northern Barred Woodcreeper (Dendrocolaptes sanctithornae), a bird supposedly limited to the humid tropical forests of the Caribbean side of Nicaragua. Like the Ruddy Woodcreeper, it is expected at ant-swarms, where it may feed nearly exclusively. As a darker, less colorful bird, with sluggish movements, it might go unnoticed by the birdwatcher.

The tail feathers of the Northern Barred Woodcreeper (Dendrocolaptes sanctithornae) have strong central shafts which aid in propping the bird when perched on vertical stems. Photo by Joe Taylor.

Woodcreepers make a special sighting for most birdwatchers, because they are not found in North America, and because they act differently from most other birds. Identification can be very difficult, however. We are especially happy when one ends up in our mist nets, although that means someone is going to get pecked a few times, as they are aggressive.

The Northern Barred Woodcreeper caught during mist netting in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, Nicaragua. Photo by Joe Taylor.

Woodcreepers are part of the conservation story in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, too. We are hoping that soon woodcreepers will be sighted on the north side of Lake Apoyo, because the forest quality in that area has improved steadily in the past several years. Go birdwatching with us!

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World Animal Day

Wild animals should live and die in the wild, and not in cages. Photo by Gordon Evans.

October 4 marked World Animal Day. When we think of animals, we usually think most of dogs, cats, other pets, or perhaps of cows and other food animals. There are some awesome animals who have not co-evolved with humans, however, many of them in the jungles of Nicaragua! One of them is the Keel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus). Several months ago, we were entrusted with the care of Tookie, the now-famous bird who has been a pet for some years.

Tookie the Keel-billed Toucan in his enclosure in Estacion Biologica. 

es. he is the kind of bird depicted on the Froot-Loops box. Tookie has waited patiently for his time to fly free, and we coordinated his liberation date to coincide with World Animal Day. We worried, however: Would he fly away, or just come back? Would he find food and shelter, or starve immediately?

Tookie has been caught and is being placed in a cage for transport to the liberation site in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. Photo by Pablo Somarriba.

We knew that Tookie was not hatched in captivity, however. He has a broken toe which surely came from his capture. He started his life in the wild, and we wanted to see that he end it in the wild, too.

Jeffrey removed his splint to retrieve Tookie from the enclosure! Photo by Pablo Somarriba.

The Keel-billed Toucan eats mostly fruit, and Tookie was prepared for his life in the wild by finding lots of nancites (Byrsonima crassifolia), tiguilotes (Cordia dentata), jobos (Spondias mombin), wild papaya (Carica papaya), and chiles (Capsicum annuum). Hopefully, he has learned some of the fruits to seek in the forest.

Tookie became nervous when first placed in the cage to transport him to the liberation site. Photo by Pablo Somarriba.

Even for a toucan, Tookie is a gorgeous bird. He has amazingly vibrant colors. He is also particularly well-mannered, for a toucan. Toucans do not usually take well to life in captivity, and they often become very mean. They often die from the diet provided them in captivity, because they can not eat just anything, as do other birds such as parrots. Keel-billed Toucans are relatively common in parts of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve.

Tookie relaxed once his cage was placed in the vehicle and was covered. Photo by Pablo Somarriba.

The transportation to Tookie's liberation site went easily. Once he was placed in the small cage and loaded into the car, he felt at ease. He was left an hour in the cage on the grounds, where he could assimilate his new surroundings above. He had already become accustomed to the forest around him, because his pen at Estacion Biologica was ample with views above and all around, and even has a fig tree growing inside it. His enclosure was very natural, but still restricted, and he wanted to be free.

Dennis helps Elmer unload Tookie from the car. Photo by Pablo Somarriba.

The site for Tookie's liberation was carefully chosen. Keel-billed Toucans are not frequently observed near Estacion Biologica, but they are common on the western side of the lake. We learned that Tookie likes water very much, and he would drink fresh water every day. He also loved to take baths, and he even liked the rain. His liberation site was chosen, in part, because water is near, and other toucans are always found in the area.

Vera takes another look at Tookie before he goes free. Photo by Pablo Somarriba.

The Masaya Delegation of the Ministry of Natural Resources organized our little event, which included participation from the Procuraduria (the Public Defense office) and the Ministry of Education. Students attended from the Escuela Luis Alfonso Velasquez which is located inside Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. And the volunteers from Movimiento Ambientalista Guardabarranco in Masaya came, and our staff, interns and volunteer group, too. Tookie's return to the wild was well-attended, so we were even more nervous. What if he does not want to go to the forest?

Laguna de Apoyo Ranger Dani Nicaragua helped to document the event. Photo by Pablo Somarriba.

Our message in this event was simple: Wild animals should life free, not in cages. Tookie is a beautiful bird, and well-behaved (for a toucan!), but he was not born in captivity and will never be completely tame. Toucans are not like dogs; they did not co-evolve over millenia in the intimate presence of humans. They don't even make good pets, because they don't show much affection, they are usually even mean, and they have specific dietary needs that are not easily met in captivity. Most toucans in captivity die unnecessarily.

Tookie is relaxed as his moment of liberty approaches. Photo by Ilse Diaz.

What is humane treatment for a wild animal that is caught and then conscripted to the pet trade? The new Law for the Protection and Welfare of Domestic and Domesticated Wild Animals is not completely clear. What is clear is that all animals must be treated with dignity and their welfare must be prioritized. We argue that wild animals which do not easily domesticate should remain in the wild. and whenever possible, should be re-integrated into wild habitat. 

Representatives of the Public Interest Defense office and the Ministry of Natural Resources  discuss the event with the young people before Tookie is set free. Photo by Ilse Diaz. 

Obviously, not all people here agree with us. Many homes in Nicaragua have monkeys, macaws, and even wild felines in cages and on chains. None of these animals are ever happy in cramped quarters, without the freedom to move and interact with other animals in the way their ancestors did for thousands of years. Will we have to wait until the last toucan in Nicaragua is in a cage?

Jeffrey explains how Tookie was once a pet and now will be able to return to the wild, from which he came. Photo by Ilse Diaz. 

Lots of folks have come by Estacion Biologica Laguna de Apoyo in the past several months and they have seen Tookie in his relatively ample enclosure. Commonly, the visitors would ask to take him, instead of having us let him go into the wild. Tookie is beautiful and naturally, we want to acquire him. But Tookie is not an object, he is a live animal, a sentient being, and he needs to be where he is happiest. 

Tookie looks very calm after being transported to the liberation site. Photo by Gordon Evans.

Tookie likes people. He is comfortable with people near him. We were concerned whether he would fly away or whether he would seek us and stay nearby.

Jeffrey removes Tookie from his cage and prepares to let him fly. Photo by Gordon Evans.

But he flew immediately and sought a limb to perch. From about eight meters up, he slowly gathered in all around him, both at his level and above. The canopy remained far above, reaching some twenty meters height. He never looked down again. After several minutes, he flew again, this time further upward, where he stayed another half hour. Eventually, Tookie was gone in the forest of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve.

Tookie's first perch after being set free. Photo by Gordon Evans. 

The participants in his liberation all watched intently, wondering if he would return. He was glorious, high in the trees, with his bright beak clearly visible. He remained near enough for us to watch, but he never looked down upon us again. His sights were set for the jungle!

Tookie is observed as he adapts to his new home in the forest. Photo by Gordon Evans.

Tookie has demonstrated clearly to all of us that wildlife can be returned to its natural habitat, given a number of conditions are met. Tookie today is living with other toucans where he deserves to live and die. 

The wild animal pet trade has been extremely damaging to wildlife populations in Nicaragua. We can respond to their threat by confiscating animals that should not be allowed in captivity, and in some cases, we can prepare them and then release them back to the wild. 

Would you like to help us rehabilitate wild animals? Please contact us if you have time to volunteer or resources to donate. All kinds of things are welcome, from money, to food (dog food works for lots of animals), to office supplies, old computers, and even old pet cages. 

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