Animals in Costa Rica come to Leslie Howle on the brink of death, and leave with a new lease on life. Howle grew up in the country learning to rescue and rehabilitate native species, and went on to establish the Toucan Rescue Ranch. Founded in 2004, it was intended primarily for the care of these tropical birds. The success of her programme caught the attention of wildlife authorities, who began bringing other species to the facility. In 2007, the arrival of a week-old sloth named Millie spurred the transformation of Howle’s foundation into a leading wildlife rehabilitation programme.
“We pride ourselves on the fact that we give every animal the care that it needs,” Howle says. While the ranch specialises in owls, sloths, and toucans, they take in a diversity of species including parrots, oncillas, monkeys, and weasels. Today, Howle’s organisation tends to nearly 350 creatures. With a fully-fledged veterinary clinic, they provide expert medical care to sick and injured animals. “We deal with life and death every day,” Howle says. But for each loss, this dedicated team has also seen hundreds of triumphs. “The most rewarding part has been to look at an animal that’s been severely electrocuted or that we’ve had to amputate a limb on and then actually send them back to the wild,” Howle says. Animals who are unable to return to their natural habitats become permanent residents. Millie is one of them, and is now the oldest sloth at the sanctuary.
In addition to rehabilitation work, the organisation runs educational workshops which include virtual classrooms for children across the world, and lessons for local authorities on how to provide first aid to wildlife. Through on-site tours, visitors learn about the different species and how they can contribute to protecting them. Forbidding unethical animal selfies and handling by non-professionals, Howle reinforces the importance of respecting wildlife. As many of the animals at the ranch were kept as pets – a common albeit illegal practice in the country – she strongly advocates against the trade in exotic creatures. “We can all pull together and pull it off,” Howle says. With a lifetime of conservation work behind her, she’s providing the animals of Costa Rica a greater chance at a future in the wild.
Footage by the Toucan Rescue Ranch was used in the creation of this film.
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