Welcome to the iRescue Wildlife sanctuary, a shelter with a different mission from any other wildlife refuge in Costa Rica. While most sanctuaries are focused on the very important work of returning rehabilitated wildlife to the jungle, at Irescue we are dedicated to an equally important but very different mission, providing lasting care and housing for a very special class of wildlife. These are the jungle creatures that can never be returned to the rainforest because of permanent disability or severe over domestication. Some of our residents have lost a wing or a leg or an eye.
The laws of Costa Rica strictly forbid the possession of any wild creature as a pet. When animals or birds that are in illegal captivity are discovered by MINAE, they are confiscated and brought to the nearest wildlife sanctuary. Creatures that have been injured by dogs or cars are found are taken to a refuge, as well. Hopefully, these animals can be freed back to the wild, but there are always some that cannot return because of their injuries or because they are completely dependent on human care for survival due to over domestication. If the sanctuary is focused on releasing the animals back to the jungle, it will not be set up to house birds and animals on an ongoing basis. Soon, the number of permanent residents begins to increase and this begins to cut into the resources of the institution and affects the efficiency to get animals back into the wild.
That is where our sanctuary comes in. It is our mission to support these unreleasable creatures and provide each one with a custom designed habitat that gives them a life as close to normal as possible. At the same time we relieve the pressures on the release sanctuaries and allow them to be more efficient in their mission of liberation.
By Mike Graeber
INFO:
Mike Graeber - irescuewildlife.org
