Chloe Stringfellow - Costa Rica
Toucan Rescue Ranch is a rescue, rehabilitation and release organization in Costa Rica. Toucan Rescue Ranch operates through a model centered on conservation, education, and research to help secure a brighter future for the country's wildlife. They not only have a working hospital for all incoming injured wildlife, but also have half the facility dedicated to creating a safe space for the non-releasable animals to live out the rest of their lives. The sanctuary area is open for private tours to the public, to teach the public about these wonderful native species and teach the community the importance of conserving these species homes to allow these animals to thrive in their natural habitat.
I was lucky enough to travel to Toucan Rescue Ranch with one of my close friends in veterinary school, Melody. We lived right next to the ranch, in an intern house with 10 other wildlife enthusiasts from all around the world including Germany, Mexico, England, Australia and so much more! We all worked at the rescue center full time and were able to come home and have movie nights all together after the day's work. It was great to have already created a community right when I arrived in Costa Rica.
Our days consisted of working with an incredible biodiversity of species including sloths, ocelots, endangered owl species, parakeets, pacas, opossums, porcupines, toucans, kinkajous and so many more unique species. So many of these animals had been unfamiliar to me before, and I was able to learn and discover the proper treatment catered to each species. I gained experience in radiograph interpretation, lab work interpretation, forming treatment plans, physical exams, anatomy and necropsy evaluation, nebulization, and overall husbandry of Costa Rican native wildlife.
Every day, we were responsible for helping maintain proper treatments for each patient, ensuring they got all the medication, food and workups they needed for the day. At the clinic I was under the supervision of two veterinarians, who I worked closely with throughout the day and was able to learn so much from them. I really enjoyed working with these two veterinarians, as they were always willing to answer questions, gave me so much insight on these species I had little knowledge about and overall tried to give me a well-rounded education while I was on internship.
One of the highlights of my time at Toucan Rescue Ranch was being able to release a screech owl back into the wild after he had fully rehabilitated from a window collision injury. Being able to treat the patient from intake to release was truly incredible and really showed me the important work wildlife rehabilitation centers do.
This internship was truly incredible. It gave me first-hand knowledge of the day-to-day practice of a wildlife veterinarian, and reignited my eagerness to begin a career helping these underrepresented species. This experience also equipped me with the skills to work in clinics with limited resources, while giving the best veterinary care possible to wildlife. I saw first-hand that, even without all the advanced equipment one might see in a small animal hospital, you can still provide a high standard of care to these animals. I have returned to UC Davis with a new sense of enthusiasm and anticipation for what the future holds; tightly holding to the values of TRR - rescue, rehabilitation, release and conservation - as I build towards my future career.