Nela

My name is Nela. I once lived in a breeding and educational program in San José. One day, I managed to escape, and no one could find me.

Around the same time, the program lost its funding and had to relocate the crocodiles that remained in its care. Almost a year later, I was discovered at a nearby water treatment plant. I was thin, weak, and clearly struggling to find enough food to survive.

I was captured and brought back to the facility, but by then, the program no longer had the resources to care for me. That’s when Alturas stepped in and offered me a permanent home.

I cannot be released into the wild. I have become accustomed to people and no longer have the hunting skills or natural wariness I would need to survive safely on my own.

So, this is my home now, a place where I am safe, cared for, and protected. My story is a reminder that animals raised around people cannot always return to the wild, and that sometimes, giving them a permanent home is the most responsible way to protect them.