Güirá Oga wildlife rescue centre

What it is

Güirá Oga is a wildlife rehabilitation center on the outskirts of Puerto Iguazú, in Misiones, Argentina. The tour lasts 1 hour 30 minutes and leaves from your hotel in Puerto Iguazú at 10:00. During the visit you see the veterinary care, feeding, rehabilitation and captive breeding areas, plus monkeys, toucans and leopards.

The itinerary

1. 10:00: pickup at your hotel in Puerto Iguazú.
2. Transfer by minibus or bus to the refuge, on the outskirts of the city.
3. Tour of the refuge facilities with a Spanish-speaking guide.
4. Visit to the veterinary care, feeding and rehabilitation rooms.
5. See the captive breeding area and the animals in recovery.
6. Return to your hotel in Puerto Iguazú, due at 11:30.

What you will see

Güirá Oga is a wildlife refuge founded in 1997 by naturalists Jorge Anfuso and Silvia Elsegood, who specialize in rehabilitating birds of prey and other animals. The name comes from Guaraní and means 'the house of the birds'. The center is surrounded by jungle and is not a zoo. It takes in animals from Iguazú and other areas of Misiones that, for different reasons, cannot return to the wild.

On the tour you see how different kinds of monkeys, toucans, leopards and other animals recover. The visit goes through the veterinary care rooms, the feeding area, the rehabilitation spaces and the captive breeding sector. Because the refuge is not a zoo, the focus is on animal care and recovery. You learn what care each animal needs and why some of them cannot go back to nature.

Tips

• Confirm the 10:00 pickup with your hotel the day before.
• The return to the hotel is set for 11:30, so plan the rest of your day.
• Wear comfortable clothes, since the refuge is surrounded by jungle.
• Remember that Güirá Oga is not a zoo: the visit focuses on care and rehabilitation.

Who it suits

• Families: Kids see monkeys, toucans and leopards up close at a refuge that cares for wildlife.
• Nature lovers: They learn how birds of prey and other species of the region are rehabilitated.
• Travelers with little time: It lasts 1 hour 30 minutes and includes transfer from your hotel.