Working in wildlife rescue and rehabilitation is as emotionally draining as it is rewarding.

Our staff sees all sides of human-wildlife conflict–the good, the bad, and the ugly. But for every tragedy, there is a success story that reminds us why we do what we do and why our work is so essential. 

Shuri’s story is one of the good ones.

Shuri arrived at the clinic after being hit by a car. Her injuries were severe; she suffered a broken femur and extensive damage to her tail. Our vet team, with orthopedic surgeon Dr. Daniel Chavarria, performed a successful surgery to repair her femur, but unfortunately, her tail had to be amputated. Her condition improved, but Shuri had a long road to recovery, and realistically, we were unsure if she would be able to make it to the finish. 

But this fierce wildcat never lost her spark.

After a little over two months in our care, Shuri proved that she was ready to go home. Her body and spirit were strong, and she impressed our vet team with her resilience. She adapted quickly to life without a tail and was not only walking again but running. Her time in a prerelease enclosure was short because it was clear that she was ready to return to the forest where she belonged.

On August 31st, MINAE released Shuri in Braulio Carrillo National Park, near Barva Volcano. Seeing this wild jaguarundi, having just come out on the other side of possibly the biggest challenge of her life, explode out of her kennel and race back into the forest was truly inspiring. Her story is a perfect example of the success we strive for with every patient we treat. We hope Shuri’s release story has revived your spirit as it has rejuvenated ours. 

WATCH SHURI’S RELEASE!

Your donations help us make success stories like Shuri’s happen, and for that, we thank you. We make a great team! Continue to take a stand for Costa Rica’s wildlife and donate today!