History Ba was confiscated from poachers 8 years ago in the Peruvian Amazon Basin and currently is housed at the Quistococha Zoo, Iquitos, Peru.

Facts Giant otters are critically endangered and only native to certain regions of the Amazon Basin. They live in large family groups and hunt in packs. Their diet consists mainly of freshwater fish which they eat head first crushing them in their powerful jaws. Each otter has its own unique white throat pattern which makes them easy to tell apart from one another.

Adopt Ba for $250                         Click to proceed

History: Bubbles was born at the Quistococha Zoo & hand raised by staff. She currently lives in a small enclosure at the zoo but we hope to soon relocate her into a large immersion rainforest enclosure so as she will the have the jungle to run through.

Facts: Pumas are the second largest cat of the Amazon Basin behind the jaguar. Found throughout the Americas, they are solitary cats, terrestrial and can weigh up to 120 kilos. Hunting prey as large as deer to as small as frogs, pumas have proven to be very adaptable.

Adopt Bubbles for $500                         Click to proceed

History: Our little Tapir, Lukas arrived almost exactly a year ago. He was brought in by some people who had killed his mother & tried to raise him without giving him adequate food, probably keeping him with other animals like pigs because he ended up with a terrible skin disease.

Biography:  Fortunately Lola, an older Tapirwho has always been such a kind animal, adopted Lukas immediately so he has been loved by us & a surrogate mum. 

Facts: The tapir is a hoofed mammal with a long, rubbery nose that forms a small trunk. They are excellent swimmers. This endangered species has a life span of about 25 years in captivity. The young look like brown watermelons with legs; they are light brown with white stripes & dots. Tapirs are plant-eaters. The Brazilian tapir is preyed upon by the jaguar.

Adopt Lukas for one year: $400           Click to proceed

History  Brought to the orphanage in August 2005 by an American tourist who said, "Hello, I've got a present for you!" I was surprised, as I didn't know him but thought it might be chocolate or maybe a book. The guy opened his backbag and pulled a tiny sloth out of it. It's not our habit to take animals like this as it encourages people to sell them to tourists and I was angry at first - he had bought Adriana for 20 soles (about $5).

Biography  Adriana was so tiny she drank babys' milk and had to be carried around all day. Now she eats some fruit and the leaves of two special trees.

Adopt Adriana for a year: $200                  Click to proceeed

History Pedro Bello came to us when a man showed up at the Butterfly Farm trying to sell a young Jaguar. We sent him away. He came back two weeks later saying couldn't afford to feed the animal. We again turned him away because we did not know how to care for a big cat. Another week passed, and he came by again, this time dropping a wooden box into her port. He said, "I think the animal is dying. I'm going to leave him here." We opened the box to find the Jaguar lying in his own dirt; he was skin and bones. Maggots filled the wounds the animal had suffered while trying to escape. He was unable to get up.

Biography Pedro Bella is now about three years old, almost fully grown, and he is gentle as long as people are outside of his cage. He licks Gudrun's fingers during feed times. But because of his strength, just by playing, he could kill them.

Facts Jaguars are in danger of extinction. Pedro Bello eats 3-4kgs of meat, fish, liver or chicken six days a week, which costs about $10 each day. One or two times each month, fishgills are donated to the Orphanage from "Explorama Lodges," which have lots of tourists.

Adopt Pedro $1 000          Click to proceed

History   This little orphan was brought to us from the markets, where he was seen for sale as food for $2.

Biography   Our little newcomer is recovering very well — almost doubling her weight. At first the vet told us to feed her meat but she didn't like it at all. She is so young she wouldn't eat anything but her mother's milk so we bought some regular babymilk and she likes it, and it does her good. Every day we let have a few hours 'play' in a protective cage where she loves to look for worms.

Facts  Coatimundis live in a wide variety of terrain but are usually found in heavily forested areas. Usually brown in colour, they can range from cinnamon to chocolate.  They have faint rings on their tail and ankles that can reverse completely so they can climb down a tree backwards.

Adopt me for a year: $100                   Click to proceed

History  Chica was 'rescued' by a tourist who said he would help with her accommodation and food, but never did. Ocelots are in terrible trouble, and hunted out very widely. We have the room to take a couple more but not the funds to build them proper enclosures.

Facts  Ocelots (Felis pardalis), are seldom seen because they are nocturnal. These small cats (about twice the size of a house cat), were once found in southern North America, Central America, and much of South America. They have almost disappeared from the southern United States, and subspecies are threatened by the conversion of large areas of its natural habitat into farm land, and by the growth of cities.

Adopt Chica and build her a new home: $600                  Click to proceed

History   Brought to the orphanage in November 2006 for protection from locals who hunt and eat snakes. Nigel is 2m long and quite heavy. He could easily swallow one of the monkeys! It was found in the Agouty cage killing one of the rodents.

Lifestyle  Already in a spot of trouble for trying to swallow one of our little Agouties, Nigel lives at the far end of our land where he has lots of jungle and hunting grounds to amuse himself.

Adopt Nigel for $100                         Click to proceed

History Simba has lived nearly his whole life at the Quistococha Zoo. Brought to us in 1996 as an orphan, he spent  10 of his 11 years in a concrete enclosure until Zoo Peru recently raised the funds to create  Simba a rainforest immersion enclosure where he now resides.

Facts Jaguars are the largest of the 6 cats of the neo-tropics & can obtain weights of up to 158 kilos. They are prodominately solitary nocturnal & diurnal hunters.

Adopt Simba for $1000                     Click to proceed

History Hunted by poachers for their bright plumage and unusual bill, even these birds are not safe in the rainforest canopy. Birds are poached and traded in a huge illegal and cruel trade for their parts or for curiosity. Most of the millions taken die before they make it to their destinations.

Biography The Cuvier's Toucan is a large black body bird with white cheeks, throat and upper breast. It has a huge black bill with a yellow ridge and base. The call of this species is a loud yelp. Found normally in the canopy and the tops of isolated trees of primary lowland forests

Adopt the Toucan for $100                         Click to proceed