Rainforest Presentation and Visiting Vets!

Once again Lincoln School first graders have been very involved with the Toucan Rescue Ranch.  They collected a truck load of old newspapers for us to use in our cages and they put on this tremendous Rainforest Production.  Unfortunately I could not load a video, but they told stories, sang songs and danced away to benefit the Toucan Rescue Ranch!!

The theater was packed, I attended with a toucan, an owl, Georgie the sloth and Twili the little baby sloth.  The teachers are incredible at Lincoln, so involved and truly supportive.

Thank you so much!!

We had a group of veterinarians visiting from Venezuela, and Minaet/Sinac asked if I could do a tour with emphasis on how to handle wild animals...so off we went enclosure by enclosure and demonstrated how to pick up a sloth if it is on the ground, how to pick up a porcupine etc.  It was great fun, and they were really very interested in our work!

We also received a call from the University Veterinary School of Heredia. They had a visiting vet from the states, Dr. Kay Backues, President American Association of Zoo Veterinarians who was visiting to give a course in Avian Medicine.  About 8 Costa Rican Vets and Dr. Kay came up to "practice" on our birds.  It was a great learning oportunity for me as well, and so incredible to see a true Avian specialist in action!

Necropsy Results on Sydney Sloth are in, she is the sloth that was found wrapped up in barbed wire, she died of a slow internal hemmorage.  It is always difficult when a rescue dies. We always ask our vet Janet to perform a necropsy so that we can learn and understand why they died.  In her case it is good to know and have an explanation.

Animal Updates Next!  New arrivals, difficult cases, and visitors: Jerry Jennings, toucan expert and Frank Todd, penguin expert! 

Sloth Enclosures Done!!!

Our Sloth Enclosures are Finally completed! It has taken a long time, but thanks to Vicki Carey from PETA and Stephanie Downs from FixIt Foundation, we have a beautiful enclosure for Millie (who just turned 5) and Milo .
Most importantly the sloths seem to really enjoy being outside:)

Here is Millie and Milo sharing a kiss.

Millie has been active very late, early morning hours, 2-3am, and Milo likes to sun himself first thing in the morning. They are both being much more active, but as all nocturnal creatures, fall asleep during the day in their buckets of blankets.

A huge THANK YOU to LINCOLN SCHOOL First graders for fund raising for Georgies Enclosure! Georgie is testing it out today for the first time, and seems to really like being outside, his large nose has not stopped twitching with all the new scents! He found his bucket when he was tired and climbed in and covered himself, so all is well.

This is the first time in 5 years someone can actually sit on my couch!

This is what our work is all about! I was at the farm the other day and came across this relaxed sloth just a few feet up in the tree, and he looks exactly like one of the sloths that we recently released...so we are sure it is him and he is doing fine!

This is a strange photo I know, it is of the eye of a Tropical Screech owl that came into our program hit by a car. He had this blood in his eye, but within a few days it disappeared, he was eating well and ready to go, so we released him down by our creek!

This is Sydney sloth, an elderly sloth that came to us over the Easter holiday. The police showed up at our gate one night at 8pm with sirens and lights. We did not know what was going on, went to investigate and they police handed us this box with Sydney in it. She had barbed wire wrapped all around her legs. Our guests helped us untangle her (took about 15 min.) and get her some fluids. She was horribly weak and in lots of pain. For a few days she seemed better however she could not use any of her limbs, we are not sure why. Then took a turn for the worse, entered into a coma and died. We are waiting to hear back from our great vet. Janet who is going to do a necropsy to determine why she died. She would not of survived here or in the wild with the inability to use her arms or legs.

It was very sad to go thru all this with her, but we made her super comfortable and sometimes that is all we can do.

Sydney bought to our immediate attention the need to have an onsight hospital with a microscope and x-ray machine. Plus a place for her to rest and be isolated from the others. Having her in heating blankets on our porch is OK, but not the best possible solution. I was worried she might have something that the other sloths could pick up, and so the need for our clinic just keeps getting greater and greater! We will be starting to fund raise soon for this huge undertaking.

The clinic will cost about $14,600.00

This Fiery billed aracari could of also used our clinic! He came in hit by a car and is now recovering nicely. He had some air sac damage and some feather damage, but is on the mend! Today we are expecting the arrival of a Keel billed toucan found in the area of our farm, we are not sure of the circumstances, just know one is on the way in.

Unfortunately sometimes we have to say no, that is the reality of our financial situation. Another monkey is another enclosure and huge expenses that we currently cannot afford. This howler monkey we accepted as an emergency shelter. She was being kept in horrid pet conditions and escaped (good for her!). She was with us for several days, long enough to realize that she was full of parasites, external and internal. We began treatment and then sent her to ZOOAVE where they have a full clinical staff and other monkeys. I'm sure she is much happier there. Our spider monkey Issy did not like her at all, and was stressed having her on the property.

I have a whole other blog to write about our visiting Veterinarians! Some from Venezuela that came to learn how to handle wild animals and learn of the rescue efforts we provide and the University of Costa Rica veterinarians were having a course on Avian medicine with a guest vet from the States. We had a couple of great afternoons with everyone.