Why have Resident Animals?
An animal that is brought to TRR with severe injuries that will prevent it from eating, hunting, climbing, flying, foraging, or supporting itself independently in the wild is considered unreleasable. TRR has an extensive Release Program for orphaned sloths, various bird species, and other mammals. Animals that are desensitized to humans due to human interaction (like being kept as a pet) are considered unfit for release. This is because animals risk being captured and reintroduced into the black market as an illegal pet and could face animal neglect and abuse. As well as, have the chances of dying due to insufficient understanding of wild behaviors. Examples of non-releasable animals are parrots kept in someoneâs home for years, an owl that has a missing wing, monkeys brought as orphans and do not have a troop to be released with, etc.
All rescued animals belong to Costa Rica and the wildlife governing body known as MINAE. The wildlife ministry monitors our activities, but do not contribute financially.  As caretakers for wildlife, we are responsible for the cost of their medical care, diets, housing, special demands, and so forth. We do educational walks, have an authentic guesthouse experience, and have a symbolic adoption program to raise money to care for rescued wildlife.
TRR rescues wildlife with the intention of releasing the animal back into its natural environment. If TRR has the capacity to completely rehabilitate the animal from its former injuries/condition, then, with collaboration with MINAE, we release that animal back into its habitat.
Every animal brought to the Toucan Rescue Ranch is given treatment with the goal of returning it to its natural environment. If deemed unreleasable, that animal is given sanctuary at TRR.
Meet some of our Resident Wildlife
Lorita
Mealy Amazon
Meet Lorita. She was brought to us by MINAE because her owners claimed her to be too noisy, and they weren't wrong, Lorita loves to sing and scream. She came in a small cage with metal perches and had no feathers on her chest. Her feet were completely black from the condition of the cage. We asked about her history and she had spent 15-years with one lady in the same cage and another 15-years with the prior owner who finally gave her to MINAE. She never left the cage that was about 15-inches in diameter. We changed her diet to include fruit, vegetables, and seed as well as buying her a new and larger enclosure allowing her to have baths. Within months her feathers grew back.
After a year, she managed to come out and explore her new world. She had to learn to move and stretch and play with toys as well. Watch her take a bath.
Gobbles
Collared Aracari
Meet Gobbles, he is a collared Aracari that started in an incubator in our clinic and is now living with the other rescued Collared Aracari's at the Toucan Rescue Ranch. He was found on the ground for unknown reasons. This is a common issue that we see with baby birds. A lot of times people mistakenly pick up fledglings because they think they are hurt - when actually they are learning how to fly! He luckily didn't suffer from any major injuries and was brought to the right place to be raised!
Sarapiqui
Spectacled Owl
Meet Sarapiqui. She is a beautiful Spectacled Owl that arrived with a severely broken wing and head injury from being hit by a truck in Braulio Carrillo National Park. She had a collapsed wing and was completely unresponsive for several days upon her arrival. After consulting with colleagues in the United States and local vets, we devised a treatment plan and she slowly recovered. Her wing was fractured in two places and we battled a bone infection among other traumas.
Due to a very strict rehabilitation plan, she was able to recover. She now lives with other owls like her in a large enclosure. If you want to help her you can always consider adopting!
Athena
Striped Owl
Meet Athena. She is a Striped Owl that was rescued by a group of boys from their neighborhood dogs. Striped Owls nest on the ground, or close to the ground, so she might have just wandered away from the nest and found herself in a mess. Leslie hand-fed her for a couple of months and she is very tame and interested in her surroundings. She, unfortunately, was not able to learn to hunt since she has been in captivity from a young age.
There was a hurricane and the roof of her enclosure flew off and she flew away. For a week we put food out every night. Yet, on the eighth day at 2 a.m., Leslie heard the chickens making noise and told Jorge to go check on them. Jorge came over to the bedroom window and said, âLes, you better get up and come out here, there is a large owl sleeping with the chickens!â It was Athena! She found her way home and entered the only cage that was open! Today, Athena has had owlets of her own.
Millie
Hoffmanâs Two-Fingered Sloth
Meet Millie. She arrived late one afternoon in 2007 as a tiny one-week-old baby. Her mother had died, she was found by park rangers. When they dropped her off it was with a special warning, âDonât get too attached to her since she will probably die.â Well, that made us very nervous. Then talking with others, they had the same warning, âSloths are very hard to take care of, she will probably die.â Well, one thing leads to another and we found a great sloth vet who comes to visit. We set up a very intricate plan for Millie and years later and many sleepless nights (theyâre nocturnal) Millie has become the oldest sloth at TRR. Her name is short for Milagro, Miracle, Millie is now the subject of a book weâve published; âMillie, the two-toed sloth: A Costa Rican rescue adventure.â Millie has a huge following on YouTube as well and is our sloth ambassador for our education program.
Milo
Hoffman's Two-Fingered Sloth
Meet Milo. Milo is Millie's BFF. They are the original sloths of Toucan Rescue Ranch. When he arrived, his mother had passed away and he was very sick. Luckily, he made a full recovery and calls TRR home. Milo was rescued in 2008 and is our second longest sloth resident, next to Millie. He has been an educational ambassador for his species, teaching tons of kids and adults alike about sloths. Not to mention, he's been a fantastic potty break mentor to many young sloths who need a little help going to the bathroom. That's what dad figures are all about, right?!
Noelia
Spider Monkey
Meet Noelia. She came in very dehydrated from a horrible pet situation where her tail was severed. Today, she is sharing an enclosure with Izzy, our first Spider Monkey, as well as Samba, and Jazz. Noelia can be a handful but has become quite athletic. Due to her past, sheâs had to learn how to climb without her tail. She has adapted well and can get around the enclosure just as well as her counterparts. This is quite the feat considering the Spider Monkey has the longest tail in the monkey family. The Spider Monkey also uses its tail to climb serving as a fifth limb. Against all odds, Noelia has grown up to be 100% rehabilitated.
Emma
Neotropical River Otter
Meet Emma. She came to us as a baby from the Sarapiqui River. She was involved in an incident of children on vacation swimming in the river who decided to throw rocks and separate her from her family. Fortunately, another lady who came to the river with her children realized what was happening, scolded the children, and attempted to get the baby otter to return to the river but she wouldnât swim away. So the lady stuck Emma in her purse and took her to a wildlife official who then drove over the mountain range in poor weather conditions to deliver her to our care. Today, she is full of energy and thrives on interaction. She is a totally fun and exciting animal to help with the Toucan Rescue Ranch.
Tabu
Oncilla
Meet Tabu. His name means forbidden and sacred, which completely fits him because heâs an Oncilla, one of the most endangered and smallest cats in Costa Rica. He was found in Cartago in people's backyards looking for food. Tabu came here and four different wildlife officials evaluated him as well as people who have worked with feral cats. We found that he was used to people because at an early stage in his life he was probably someoneâs pet. He was poached out of the forest as a kitten, then as he began to get larger and dangerous they chose to let him go. He is endangered and looks to humans for food, it was decided that he should stay at the Toucan Rescue Ranch. He is about the same size as a house cat. We have been very fortunate and two of our guests gave very nice donations and enabled us to build him a huge enclosure!