WHAT: Visiting the small Santuario Animal de Cochahuasi WHERE: Peru. 20 km as seen from the Plaza de Armas in Cusco, on the way to Pisac. HOW MUCH: Admission is $5,-USD per person HOW LONG: Count 1 to 1,5 hour for a visit which will give you plenty of time to walk around the area a couple of times.
Are you staying in Cusco? In love with animals? In the mood for good? Then here’s a fun little halfday trip for you. Right outside Cusco – about half an hour by car or collectivo – and on the way to Pisaq you’ll find a small animal rescue center: the Santuario Animal de Cochahuasi. This family run and private organisation is dedicated to rescuing and looking after animals which have been mistreated by people (caught in the wild or held as pets) or were found injured in the wild.
Don’t expect a large zoo over here, but try to visit the place with an open mind. Although some of the cages could be bigger, in general it seems like the animals are taken care off in a good way. Also, it’s impressive enough that this Peruvian family is taking care of all of these animals and trying to rehabilitate the ones they can, without any help from the government, at all.
Upon arrival one of the volunteers led us along the areas for a personal tour up and close with the animals; pretty awesome that they give that much information to all of their visitors. As we walked by the spectacled bears, tortoises, wild cats, a fox, all types of camelids and several species of birds, our guide told us where each animal was rescued from, how long they had been at the sanctuary and whether it’ll possible to release them back into the wild, or not.
Amazing enough, you’re able to be in very close proximity to the animals. They even allow you for example to touch the llamas (one of them has blue eyes!), vicuña and alpacas for example (although I wonder whether the animals really like that in return..). Apart from that they have a very cool condor rehab exhibit. While walking through it the condors basically fly all the way over your head. Though I’ve seen them at several occasions by now, it was extremely impressive to be in the same enclosure as these magnificent birds.
At the end of the tour you’ll be led along an area where they make wool from the fur of alpacas and llamas and show you what kind of vegetables are used as a natural dye – right before swinging you off at the shop (which is actually rather big compared to the sanctuary itself). Profits are said to be returned to the rescue center. And if you want too afterwards, you can walk it all the way yourself again! Perhaps just to see the cute, little wild cat again.
Of all the animals however, to me this hairless Peruvian dog below was the most special to me. I mean, just look at it. Have you ever seen a dog so.. interesting? He truly made my day!
Here’s where to find him and all the other Peruvian creatures! ↓
