Las Pumas Cat Zoo

Las Pumas (tel. 506/669-6044), five km north of Cañas, was founded by the late Lily 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 all getting along in the large cages. It also raises hundreds of Australian budgerigars and rabbits for sale. By selling only nonnative species, it hopes to help change the pet-keeping habits of Ticos.

The zoo needs donations (each jaguar costs $1,200 a year to feed).

Open daily 8 a.m.–4 p.m. No fee, but donations are requested. The zoo is tucked behind Safari Corobicí. Follow the dirt road 100 meters.