Biography

Founder and Director, Leslie grew up in Costa Rica. Her father was one of the first property developers on the Pacific coast, laying the foundation for ecotourism in the Nosara region. Many years later, back in the United States and working as an Occupational Therapist and Outdoor Adventure Ropes course entrepreneur, with her own growing collection of birds she traveled to the jungles of Peru to study wild macaws. This led her back to her roots in Costa Rica in pursuing her lifelong dream of operating a bird refuge center, for parrots and toucans. Later, the bed and breakfast were started as a guesthouse when friends stayed while visiting. Today, Leslie’s vision for breeding and refuge for toucans has quickly grown into a fully functioning wildlife rescue center. Her care goes beyond toucans and now heals sloths, otters, owls, spider monkeys and much more!

Biography

Janet is the Toucan Rescue Ranch’s Veterinarian Director. She obtained her DMV from Escuela de Medicina y Cirugía Veterinaria San Francisco de Asís in 2006. During her studies, she worked with Aviarios Sloth Sanctuary 2005-2006 and interned with the Dallas World Aquarium in December 2006 (exotics). Janet interned with the Wimberley Veterinary Clinic in Texas in 2007. She opened her private veterinary clinic in Curridabat, San José in 2008, and became a consultant to the zoo in Playa Bonita, Moín, Limón (Paradero Ecotour) in 2008. At TRR, she conducts examinations, medical logs, maintains MINAE procedures and protocols, and oversees surgeries. She manages the overall health of all of the animals in Toucan Rescue Ranch’s clinic and works closely with the veterinarian supervisor, Ana Maria. Her role as a veterinarian has evolved into more management tasks since obtaining her MBA.

Biography

Carol has worked and volunteered all over the world including countries like Malawi and the Philippines. She has a professional background in IT development and consulting. Carol was one of the original volunteers at Toucan Rescue Ranch, coming every Saturday for a few years to help founder, Leslie Howle, prepare the various diets for the rescued animals. Since her earlier years with us, her position has evolved into an administrative role. Now, she works part-time as an advisor to the administrative team and as the project coordinator. As the project coordinator, she maintains and monitors project plans, schedules, budgets, and expenditures. Carol also assists with financial management and writes company procedures and protocols. On a rare occasion, you might also see Carol giving a tour for our Educational Walks.

Zara Palmer is the Marketing Advisor at Toucan Rescue Ranch, hailing from Northern Idaho, USA. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing from Lewis-Clark State College in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Zara began her tenure at the Ranch as a volunteer, progressing to become the organization’s first intern. She has since advanced through various roles, including Marketing Specialist and Marketing Manager, to her current position as Marketing Advisor. Her strategic crowdfunding campaigns have been vital in expanding the Ranch’s facilities, including developing new animal enclosures at both the headquarters and the Release Site.

Zara was foundational in establishing the Ranch’s volunteer and intern programs and co-founded the TRR “Owl Team,” focusing on tourism and education while establishing many operational standards. She started her career as an educational tour guide at the Ranch, providing valuable support across multiple departments.

Since relocating intermittently to Costa Rica in 2015, Zara has spearheaded the center’s marketing, fundraising, and branding strategies. She manages essential areas such as donor programs, organically developed the Ranch’s social media presence, authored corporate sustainability programs, and led crowdfunding initiatives and community events, significantly boosting the Ranch’s overall marketing and brand awareness.

In addition to her work at the Ranch, Zara has an impressive portfolio in media production. She served as the Producer for National Geographic’s Photo Ark photoshoot throughout Costa Rica in 2022 and worked as an Associate Producer for NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior.” Furthermore, she was an Associate Producer for NatGeo Wild’s “Dr. Oakley Yukon Vet” Costa Rica episode. Zara also owns Zarpal Media Co., and her work has been published in NatGeo Kids.

Zara has organized significant fundraising events, including the Tunes for Toucans charity concert in Costa Rica and the multimedia Sloth Ironman Games fundraiser for the Saving Sloths Together Program. She has also orchestrated high-profile fundraising events in the United States, such as the Wildlife Wonders gala.

Santiago Garcia Dobles is a veterinarian supervisor. His major is in Veterinary Medicine from Costa Rica National University. He started at Toucan Rescue Ranch as a local TCU volunteer. Soon after he was given the opportunity to work as an HQ Clinic Intern where he earned his major degree by writing the results of the internship focused on wildlife casualties, diagnostic approach, and therapeutic treatments. After finishing his internship, he worked alongside Dra. Janet Sandí, Toucan Rescue Ranch’s current Animal Care Coordinator, at different wildlife organizations as well as a backup for the vet staff at TRR.

As a Vet Supervisor, he shares the responsibility of keeping a record of all wildlife casualties and correlating said casualties to potential threats that local fauna face. As a part of the Medical Team, he assists in the diagnostic approach such as diagnostic imaging with X-rays and ultrasonography. As well as other diagnostic methods such as laboratory tests. He supports the team with surgical procedures and other therapeutical methods such as the use of regenerative medicine techniques, which include the use of tilapia skin and collagen. Santiago is in charge of the preventive medicine protocols implemented for the welfare of the animals in the sanctuary.

Daniel Espinoza, the Human Resources Manager for Toucan Rescue Ranch, supervises the Education & Ecotourism Team (Owl Team) and assists in the operational management of the Foundation.

He was born in 1989 in the province of Heredia, Costa Rica. Professional in Business Administration, specializing in Human Resources. He graduated from the Universidad Latina de Costa Rica in 2015 and is pursuing his master’s in human resources at EUDE Business School in Madrid, Spain.

He has worked in Human Resources since 2013, mainly in the aviation industry for a multinational company (2014-2022). Since January 2023, he has joined Toucan Rescue Ranch, where he is responsible for establishing and improving the Foundation’s Human Resources processes.

Being part of a cause that helps Costa Rican wildlife is Daniel’s favorite part of his job at TRR.

Stephanie Valle Cubero is the Environmental Education Coordinator and a guide at Toucan Rescue Ranch. She studied Tropical Biology at the National University (UNA) of Costa Rica and she is getting a Lic. degree on Natural Resource Management at the Universidad Estatal a Distancia (UNED). She is currently doing her thesis on Environmental Education, and she hopes to have a long-lasting impact on the local communities’ view and relationship with wildlife. Stephanie has worked as a naturalist guide since 2010 and also worked for the Organisation of Tropical Studies (OTS) as a teaching assistant for field courses on Tropical Biology for undergraduate students from the USA. Even before studying biology, Stephanie volunteered for ONGs that fight for wildlife in Costa Rica, like UESPRA and PRETOMA, and she has been an activist for several conservation campaigns and always felt passionate about wildlife conservation. One of Stephanie’s interests is ornithology, she is part of a group of women birders who want to change the environment around this activity, making it more inclusive and using it as a tool for environmental education.

María Vargas is the Marketing Supervisor at Toucan Rescue Ranch. Her responsibilities include managing national brand awareness and local fundraising activities. With over five years of experience in fundraising and crowdfunding, María specializes in social communication, advertising, and digital marketing. She has previously worked with various NGOs and foundations in Costa Rica, where she supported fundraising and global campaigns, promoted brand awareness and media relations, and ensured that communication efforts aligned with the principles of rights protection through diligent monitoring and evaluation.

Ivette Sirias has lived in San Isidro, Costa Rica for 25 years. Her first job was at a company that offered laundry services, nine years later she became the administrator of the business until she got very sick and had to quit her job. After four years of recuperation, she started searching for a job but didn’t want to work at a stressful place that would affect her health. A friend told her about an open position at the Toucan Rescue Ranch and since Ivette has always loved animals, she applied. The day after the interview she was hired! Ivette has a very special place in TRR’s heart due to her charm and dedication. Ivette tells everyone that this job is like her therapy, she recovered her health. She loves working with animals and feels good about doing something useful and meaningful.

Ivette oversees daily operations in the outdoor animal kitchen where she advises volunteers and interns on animal diets, food preparation, and general care. She is the reason we are able to keep hundreds of animal residents and patient animals happy and healthy. Ivette has proven to be a crucial role at TRR. She works effortlessly with experienced and inexperienced volunteers and is a working component to the success of the Toucan Rescue Ranch!

Jorge Luis Mercado Ortega, a proud alumnus of FMVZ-UNAM in Mexico, where he graduated in 2018, has since cultivated a profound career in veterinary and wildlife medicine. His journey in the field began with volunteer positions, including a three-month stint at Dolphin Discovery in the Riviera Maya, Mexico, in 2016-2017, and a month at the Parque Jaime Duque Zoo in Colombia in 2018. Jorge further enriched his hands-on experience by banding blue-footed boobies over two months each year in 2018 and 2019, alongside participating in numerous field courses focusing on wildlife medicine and monitoring.

Post-graduation, Jorge honed his skills in small animal clinics across Mexico before embarking on a 10-month externship at the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) in Florida between 2019 and 2021. His leadership abilities shone through during his tenure as the head vet at the Belize Raptor Center in 2021, where he also facilitated online courses in Avian and Wildlife Medicine through Loop Abroad. In early 2022, Jorge expanded his veterinary knowledge by working with a poultry company, gaining a novel perspective on avian medicine.

Jorge joined the Toucan Rescue Ranch family as a Clinic Intern at our headquarters in mid-2022. Demonstrating exceptional competence and dedication, he quickly rose to the position of head vet at the Release Site by late 2022. At the Ranch, Jorge is tasked with managing the intake of most emergencies from the Limón, Alajuela, and Sarapiquí regions. He oversees the triage and stabilization of these cases and leads the rehabilitation efforts for our release candidates. Additionally, Jorge plays a crucial role in mentoring the next generation of vet students from around the globe who intern with us, ensuring they receive top-tier training and experience.

As the Supply and Inventory Coordinator, Elena is responsible for managing orders that involve all departments of Toucan Rescue Ranch. She keeps products, supplies, and materials, to ensure stock for administrative and animal-related needs. Elena started helping Toucan Rescue Ranch as a volunteer with her mom, Ivette Sirias, in 2016. Since then, her responsibilities have significantly evolved and she assists with many facets of the nonprofit. Currently, she is studying Business Administration. Elena also assists our cook, Giselle Arce Chavarria in the kitchen with intern meals.

Alejandra is a zootechnical engineer who graduated from the University of Costa Rica. She graduated in 2021 with a thesis focusing on the effect of different levels of feed substitution balanced by a Californian red worm (Eisenia fetida), on zootechnical parameters and chemical composition of the tissue in the initial stages of blue tilapia (Orechromis aureus).

Alejandra earned a bachelor’s degree in the topic of nutrition of wildlife in La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park, and that experience taught her that her goal in life is to work with wild animals. Likewise, in 2019, she received an animal facility management certification. She’s volunteered in Refugio Romelia, near Montezuma beach, and worked there with the turtles that arrived in November of 2020.

At Toucan Rescue Ranch she started as a tour guide in 2022. She loves TRR because she fell in love with its mission. Having the opportunity to teach people, not only from Costa Rica but all around the world, about wildlife and why people should care for them is something important to her. Her goal is not only to keep educating, but help with the animal nutrition, check on their diets, and help as much as she can with the knowledge on those topics with the animals in the sanctuary and the new arrivals.

Melanny Bolaños is the Marketing Assistant at Toucan Rescue Ranch. Her role is to support the Marketing Manager in creating marketing and communications materials, such as social media posts, fundraising campaigns, email marketing, and media content.

Originally from San Isidro, Heredia. Melanny graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in advertising design. She began her current position at Toucan Rescue Ranch after completing a one-year TCU and Internship on a Marketing Team.

Don Hector Ramirez was born and raised in Costa Rica. He grew up in San Josecito, Heredia where he developed a passion for agriculture and plants. In his own and other family gardens, he helped plant flowers. Jorge, Co-Founder, was looking for a person who could help with landscaping at TRR, and Don Hector was the perfect fit. He started at TRR several years ago helping clear and manage the yards, but then quickly moved to planting gardens and new plant life at TRR. He focuses on bringing native wildlife to the property by planting nectar rich plants and other plant life that encourages beautiful birds and insects all over Toucan Rescue Ranch. If you’ve visited and marveled at the beautiful landscaping, you can thank Don Hector for that!