This wild-animal shelter was started in the 1960s by the late Lilly Hagnauer, a Swiss environmentalist. It’s the largest shelter of its kind in Latin America, housing big cats including pumas, jaguars, ocelots, jaguarundis and margays – plus a few deer, foxes, monkeys, peccaries, toucans, parakeets and other birds that were either orphaned or injured. It's located about 5km north of Cañas on the Interamericana.
The shelter is still operated by the Swiss Family Hagnauer, a local Cañas institution. This is a labor of love. The shelter does not receive any government funding and relies on visitor admission and donations to survive. Volunteers are always welcomed, but you must make arrangements beforehand.
