Rainsong Wildlife Sanctuary and Retreat
 Rainsong Wildlife Sanctuary

ARES - Association for the Reintroduction of Endangered Species ARES - Association for the Reintroduction of Endangered Species

Although the Southern Nicoya Peninsula is known for its wildlife, there are several amazing species that have become extinct in the area in the past few decades due to hunting and deforestation. We are working to bring these animals back to the area, which is a monumental task. Our first hurdle is to get MINAE approval. Contrary to what one might initially think, it's illegal in Costa Rica to reintroduce species that have become extinct back into the national parks. This is because many biologists fear that these animals, which would be from other areas, may have diseases or parasites that could affect the animals still surviving in the park. However, in theory we can obtain MINAE approval to release extinct animals onto privately owned land, if we can prove that they'll be relatively safe there, and that the species is native to that particular area. Proving this last part is more difficult than one might imagine. Mammals are very difficult to study, and many biologists do their work with animal cadavers in museums, not in the field. Also, many mammals are rare, active only at night, and well-camoflaged. Trees and insects have been studied much more thoroughly than mammals in the field, because they're easier to see.

The species that we would like to bring back to the area are:

   Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao)
   Great Green Macaw (Ara ambigua)
   Three-toed Sloth (Bradypus variegatus)
   Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi)
   Baird's Tapir (Tapirus bairdii)
   Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno)
Beaches of Cabuya Photo Collage
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