Frida

I’m the only non-native species living at the sanctuary. I was kept as a pet and eventually seized near the Costa Rica–Panama border. Once I arrived here, the staff tried to arrange for me to be taken back to Panama, but the government there wouldn’t accept me into any of their sanctuaries. And I can’t be released in Costa Rica either, it isn’t my natural range, and releasing me here would make me an invasive species, something that could harm the local environment.

So this is where I stay. To help with the loneliness that comes from being the only one of my kind here, the staff works with me every night using ethical training. It keeps me stimulated, engaged, and connected in a way I wouldn’t have on my own. My name is Frida