Centro de Rescates Las Pumas (tel. 506/669-6044, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. daily, entry by donation), five kilometers north of Cañas, was founded by the late Lilly Bodmer de Hagnauer, a Swiss-born environmentalist whose passion was saving and raising big cats: ocelots, a jaguar, cougars, margays, jaguarundis, and “tiger” cats. All six species are housed in large chain-link cages, but beware: there are no guardrails (nor guards) and the temptation to reach out to stroke a cat through the mesh is tempting but stupid. These are not house cats!

Most of the animals were either injured or orphaned and have been reared by Lily or her family, who still run the zoo.

Other species include deer, fox, monkeys, peccaries, macaws, toucans, and dozens of parrots and other birds. It also raises Australian budgerigars and rabbits for sale.

By selling only nonnative species, it hopes to help change the pet-keeping habits of Ticos.

The zoo is tucked behind Safari Corobicí. Follow the dirt road 100 meters.