Have I visited all the wildlife sanctuaries in Costa Rica? Not yet. But of the ones I’ve visited, Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center in Alajuela is hands-down my favorite. So in my book, it earns the title of best wildlife sanctuary in Costa Rica until something even more amazing manages to take its place.

There are a number of reasons why I really like this rescue center, which I’ll explain here. Read on to learn all about this amazing wildlife sanctuary in Costa Rica and why you should visit!

Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center at a Glance

This rescue center is enormous. Located on 14 hectares, there is plenty of space for animals to live in enclosures and be released into the wild in a protected area. The center also releases animals into 800 hectares of dry tropical rainforest on the Nicoya Peninsula or 36 hectares in the tropical jungle of the Osa Peninsula. 

The entire rescue center is not open to visitors, of course, but there is still plenty to see. We spent several hours strolling along and looking at the approximately 800 animals that live there.

The enclosures are large so there is a lot of walking but the trails are paved and easy to walk. Strollers, wheelchairs, etc would have no trouble here. It is in the jungle so most of the area is shaded, which keeps it cooler. We found it really pleasant to wander around the grounds. 

6 Reasons Why You Should Visit Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center

Let’s get to the good stuff. What’s so amazing about Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center and why should you go visit? Here are my top 6 reasons!

1. They Do Amazing Work

According to their website, Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center rescues over 2,700 animals each year. Most of them are provided with whatever help they need and then released back into the wild where they deserve to live. 

Roughly 2% of these animals cannot return to the wild. They may be disabled or not know how to find their own food and otherwise care for themselves. The center provides a home for these animals where they can live out their lives in dignity. Approximately 800 wild animals of 126 different species call the sanctuary home. 

To help bolster local populations, the Center has a reproduction program. Various endangered species are part of this program to help keep these animals from disappearing from Costa Rica’s rainforests forever. 

2. Some of the Animals Live Free

That’s right. Some of the animals living in the sanctuary (birds primarily) are not kept in enclosures. I would say that means the animals are pretty happy living there!

We noticed this immediately upon entering the sanctuary. There were a couple of peacocks wandering around near the entrance watching us with bored expressions as my excited kids squealed and I snapped pictures. A little further along, we ran into a HUGE iguana placidly eating a mango beside the path. 

As we pressed deeper, we found large man-made perches lining some of the paths — completely in the open with no fences. The perches were dotted with scarlet and blue macaws snuggling with their mates or enjoying a snack. 

Finally, the biggest open area is the bird area near the back of the rescue center. There were walls around it, but when we walked inside, we found ourselves face to face with dozens of birds — no fences, no glass, nothing. 

The sanctuary staff had built a playground of sorts for the birds with lots of places to perch. The area was filled mostly with bright red scarlet macaws and green parrots. There was no roof and the birds were free to come and go as they please. 

3. Dozens of Animals Species in One Place

What animals can you see at the Rescate Wildlife Rescue center? Probably any animal you have on your bucket list for Costa Rica. Animals in the center include:

• Howler monkeys
• Marmoset monkeys
• Ocelots
• Jaguars
• Tapirs
• Sloths
• Toucans
• Scarlet Macaws
• Parrots
• Owls
• Crocodiles
• Turtles

There are also dozens of species of birds and even a section with more conventional animals like bunnies and miniature horses. To be honest, this list barely scratches the surface of all there is to see. They even had a small dinosaur exhibit which really got my oldest daughter excited!

Note: please keep in mind that you might not see all of the animals. The enclosures are large and the animals are given places to hide when they feel stressed. 

Also, nocturnal animals are tough to see. It’s rare to see the big cats up and around during the day. We spotted the jaguar, but he was really tough to find and all we could see was his tail hanging over the edge of a platform built high up in a tree. 

However, if you’re trying to choose between a wildlife sanctuary or a national park, you will see way more wildlife here than in the wild! Unless you’re extremely lucky…

4. It’s a Great Place to Spend the Day

We live in Costa Rica so we always enjoy shady activities, lol. I find that we get plenty of sun just going to the grocery store!

We found it very pleasant to stroll around the grounds at the Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center. It is mostly in the jungle so there is plenty of shade. The paths are paved and easy to walk or push strollers. There were benches scattered along the path that give people an opportunity to rest if needed. 

There are a couple of refreshment stands where you can buy an ice cream or get something cold to drink. We felt the prices were reasonable and not overblown like they sometimes do when there is a captive audience like this. 

You are also allowed to bring your own food. They simply ask that you eat it in the designated picnic areas. 

There were also bathrooms located near the front and back of the center. Really handy when traveling with little kids!

5. Great Prices

We felt that for what you get, admission to the Rescue Center is quite reasonably priced. You can easily spend most of the day wandering around as there is so much to see. As of this writing, these are the prices listed on the Rescue Center’s website:

• International Adult: $30
• International Child: $15
• International Senior: $25
• National Adult: 7800 colones
• National Child (2-12 years): 3900 colones
• National Senior (65+): 5500 colones

We didn’t take this option, but you can opt for a two-hour guided tour for $5 more per person. You can book this tour ahead of time through their website. 

You can also feel good that your money is going to a good cause. 100% of the donations received by the Rescue Center go directly to the animals’ care. 

6. It’s Easy to Get To

It seems like almost everything in Costa Rica requires a minimum 1-hour drive to get to. And most places are much longer. 

It’s not so much that these places are far apart, but rather that the roads are not the greatest. But that’s a topic for a different post. 

The Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center is NOT of these distant places. In fact, it is the nearest animal sanctuary to civilization, lol. it is located a mere 15 minutes from the international airport in San Jose. If you’re driving in your own car, Waze or Google Maps will take you right to the entrance. 

History of Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center 

Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center started as a private zoo in Alajuela. If you don’t already know this, zoos kind of get a bad rap in Costa Rica. The idea of people profiting from animals doesn’t sit well with most of the kind-hearted Costa Rican people. 

In fact, currently, there are no for-profit zoos in Costa Rica, despite what you might read online. All the “zoos” are actually wildlife sanctuaries and rescue centers. 

What’s the difference? Motive. Zoos show off the animals to earn money for the owners. Wildlife sanctuaries provide animals with a comfortable home and open their doors to visitors to pay for the animal’s care. The animals’ welfare is prioritized over the enjoyment of the visitors or the profits of the owners. Is this done perfectly at all wildlife centers? Probably not, but at least the intention is there. 

In the late 1980s, Dennis Janik bought the zoo to rescue the animals and change their lives for the better. He founded the non-profit Fundación Restauración de la Naturaleza (Nature Restoration Foundation) and renamed the place Rescate Animal Zooave (Animal Rescue Zooave) to indicate it’s new purpose. 

More recently, the name was changed again to Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center to avoid the negative connotation with zoos altogether. 

Grecia: A Toucan with a Prosthetic Beak

Have you ever heard of a toucan with a prosthetic beak? A few years ago, a poor little toucan named Grecia was brought to the Rescue Center after being attacked by some young ruffians. The bird suffered a horrendous injury and was missing most of the upper half of her beak. 

You might have heard of this bird’s plight as the story circulated around the world and she even appears on Animal Planet! 

Toucans use their beaks for almost everything — eating, preening, regulating body temperature, singing, etc. Thus, at first, it was thought that the poor bird would have to be euthanized. 

However, the folks at the Rescue Center hand-fed the toucan and took care of her until an amazing thing happened. A team of scientists donated their time to figure out how to create a new prosthetic beak for Grecia. With the help of a 3D printing company in the US, this dream was achieved. 

We saw Grecia happily fluttering about her enclosure where she will live a somewhat normal life thanks to the kindness of people at the Rescue Center and around the world. 

The Best Wildlife Sanctuary in Costa Rica

Can you see now why I’m calling this place the best wildlife sanctuary in Costa Rica? Don’t get me wrong, there are lots of great options. There are many people with big hearts doing great work to help protect the animals. 

From a visitor’s standpoint, though, Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center is hard to beat. There are so many animals and it is so easy to get to that visitors can easily access and enjoy several hours of fun and education. 

So if you’ve ever wondered if you can visit an animal sanctuary in Costa Rica, the answer is a resounding YES! And the Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center is a great choice!