Rescue of an Anteater (Cyclopes didactylus)

About a year ago, Centro Urku helped rescue and release this anteater, of the species "Cyclopes didactylus."

For more than a decade, Centro URKU has sheltered over a thousand wild animals representing 61 species, of which approximately 30% were returned to the wild. A great majority of them have been wild animals rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. Wild animals are confiscated by the authorities from people’s homes, where they are kept as pets in often inhumane conditions; or are intercepted along the trade routes heading for international markets.

Centro URKU has 17 acres of rainforest which is located a few miles from Tarapoto, Peru as a buffer zone of the Cordillera Escalera. We are a community center that promotes life in harmony with nature and the responsible management of its resources.

What exactly does Centro URKU do? I wanted to capture how we work tirelessly against the odds of the illegal wildlife trade in Peru. We have a number of different animals that require to be fed twice a day, water, veterinary care, and appropriate shelter, as well as an enriched environment with stimulation to ensure its overall welfare. To sustain our operating costs, Urku Centre receives 30,000 visitors annually from all over the world. We put great emphasis on environmental education to create a behavioral shift in the society and reduce the demand and offer for illicitly sold wild animals, as well as the number of persons that take to poaching as a livelihood.