Student Experiences: Global Vet Experience in Alajuela, Costa Rica

Submitted by Marielle Yuret, Ross University

Last semester’s break a group of student members of the RUSVM ZEW club, including myself, participated in a two-week program by Global Vet Experience on a Wildlife rescue center located in Alajuela, Costa Rica. We stayed on site and had the opportunity to work in their hospital and do some husbandry work for the resident animals. The center’s goal is to release back to the wild as many animals as possible but the ones that wouldn’t make a good fit to go back serve as education animals for the tourists and locals that come visit the center. 

They receive a wide variety of species on their facility like birds of the Psittacine kind, Sloths, Opossums, Coatis, Porcupines and even a Tamandua, which is a species of ant eater from Central and South America. There are also a few Capuchin monkeys, Spider Monkeys, Squirrel Monkeys, Coyotes, and even a Ocelot that are permanent resident. By the number of species that I just listed it is pretty evident that there is a ton of work to do at the center. A lot of these animals are confiscated by the government or even people that after obtaining these animals realize they won’t be able to take care of them, so they end up surrendering. One thing that stood out for me in my time in Costa Rica is how many laws and regulations exist to protect their wildlife. For example, it is illegal to grab any type of wild animal for a picture or to use wild animals for a photo op to profit from tourism purposes. To put an example, the Three Toed Sloth pictured below, was confiscated from a restaurant that snatched her from the wild and used her for tourists to hug her and take pictures. She got taken to the center where they tried to re-wild her and release her but they later found out she was not a good candidate to go back because she had gotten so used to human touch and attentions that caused her to get depressed when she didn’t have it, and would not even eat.

In the rehabilitation process of a wild animal that is meant to go back to its habitat, it is very important that the human contact is minimized as much as possible, so we are seen as a threat when they encounter us in the wild. In the case of this Sloth, she specially wanted humans around so it is nearly impossible to release her since that would probably become a death sentence. We got to learn all about how to run a wildlife rehab and the protocols that should be followed to keep the animals as safe as possible but also, they showed us how it is impossible to save every animal, and to make peace with the idea that there might be a lot of death in settings like this one. This experience showed us a perspective of veterinary medicine that is very different than your typical small animal general practice.

During our trip we also had the opportunity to visit a horse farm and learn about managing equines utilized for sports. It was a very fun experience that showcased a different perspective of vet med to me. This makes me so excited for the infinite possibilities we have as veterinarians after the diploma is obtained. The farm had many different breeds of horses and even cows that were meant to be used for rodeo competitions. We learned about grooming, deworming protocols and even got to ride one of their horses. This experience was so much better than I expected since I am not a big Large Animal person, but it gave me a different view and even though I don’t believe I would dedicate myself solely to equine, I would be open to learning more about equine medicine with a more open mind.

The people of Costa Rica are really welcoming and warm. It made the trip so much better. The environment is amazing. It’s a beautiful country with so much diversity and possibilities. I don’t think anyone that visits Costa Rica could leave disappointed. It is very easy to fall in love with it from day 1. I strongly recommend everyone to visit Costa Rica, even if it’s just for tourism, but also for these wildlife opportunities because the help is greatly needed. There are so many veterinarians and biologist working all around the country in many different rescues helping wildlife and to me that is inspiring. I hope I get to visit Costa Rica again in my lifetime to learn more.