My family went on our first real family vacation in years, and my first trip out of the country ever, in April of this year. We went to Costa Rica and stayed in a village called Tarcoles. While driving, we always passed little signs advertising a Serpentarium, so we stopped at an internet cafe to read some reviews. I wasn't really in the mood for a depressing run-down zoo visit, which I'm sure is common in Central America. We visited this place unsure of what we'd find. All of the reviews we read online sounded good so we thought we'd give it a try. They breed certain species of frogs and butterflies that are facing difficulties and reintroduce them into the wild. They currently produce 3 different endangered dart frogs and five leaf/tree frogs and send them for release to the Caribbean side of the country. They also breed 25 species of butterflys that they release and sell to zoos and displays around the world. They also work hand in hand with a Jaguar Rehabilitation Center/Reserve, assisting in rescuing and transporting orphaned Jaguar cubs and financially supporting the rescue efforts with a percentage of the farms income. All in all, we thought it was pretty nice. They had snakes on display, and although it would have been nice if they were in much larger enclosures, the enclosures were no smaller then what the average pet owner uses for their own snakes. They were also all beautifully planted and naturally decorated with native plants and carefully shaded from the sun. They were all clean, had fresh water, and appeared to be in good condition. One thing that made our hearts sink when we walked in was a small cage with a white faced capuchin. When we got to the cage, our guide told us the story of how they got him. Less then a month ago, they got a call from a woman with a "crazy monkey". She had raised the monkey from a baby and once he hit maturity, she could no longer keep him. They went to her house to catch him, and used the cage that was empty and available. Right next to his small cage was his new cage, which is under construction. He said it should be finished within the week, and that they plan to furnish it with live trees and natural flora to mimic the surrounding rainforest. Because the monkey is humanized, there's no way to release him. They're keeping their eyes and ears open for another monkey in need that they could introduce him to. They did express sadness that the monkey is alone, and spend a lot of time with him. The new cage looked great, nice and big, with plants growing in it already, and they had obviously been working on it that day as there was chainlink, wire clipper, etc all out and ready to be used. So we were happy with that! All in all, we liked the place! It would be a lot nicer with larger enclosures, but all of the animals needs are being met. Their large boas had very big cages with raised platforms and large pools. Our guide, though very young, was very knowledgeable and was able to answer all of our questions. Here's an article about them! The Beach Times - Preserving Costa Rica, Breeding By Example I am kicking myself for not writing down all of the names of the snakles and dart frogs that we saw..anybody in the mood to help me ID them?
Thanks Devonvm - an interesting personal review and a good accompanying article. I always think that specialist animal parks like that with a worth-while purpose should be supported.
