Zoo Ave

If you like to see lots of beautiful animals, but you do not like to see them in cages, then Zoo Ave may be the place for you to visit. This wonderful small park has an impressive amount of tropical birds, of which 60 are native to Costa Rica; “ave” means bird, and this zoo is more specifically a zoo for birds, but you will see four different types of monkeys there too, as well as 150 different species of reptiles and some mammals. Make sure not to miss the famous 12 foot crocodile!

The flamboyant birds are however the main attraction of the park, with toucans, scarlet macaws, owls and raptors. It is said that if you have not managed to see a quetzal in the wild then this is the place to visit in order to see at least one before you take off again. Many birds are there because they have been rescued, donated, or found in inappropriate housing and confiscated; sadly many are still stolen from their nest in this country.

There is also a breeding program that aims at reintroducing various endangered species in the wild, this usually in the release site in Golfito. In total, 35 scarlet macaws, also called Ara Macaws, have been successfully bred and released in the wild during the last four years. Indeed Zoo Ave has officially been recognized as a Wildlife Rescue Center since 1995. It has received a total of 400 birds form the public as well as 95 more from the Wildlife Foundation.

This park is really full of surprises. Walking down the trail, admiring the mischievous Titi monkeys, you suddenly find yourself face to face with a gigantic creature, something much taller than you are. Ostriches, there are ostriches! If this is a first encounter, it is certainly an exceedingly impressive experience, as these birds really are so big. Further down there are also some King African Cranes too. These tall beautiful birds are indeed very majestic! The howler monkeys seem to be pausing for the photographers, adopting acrobatic pauses as soon as a camera appears! Some of these mischievous Titi Monkeys seem too small to be called monkeys!

Zoo Ave is a wonderful way to spend the morning. During the weekend, it gets quite crowded, so it is a good idea to go as early as possible, and then move on towards La Garita for lunch, where a multitude of restaurants will serve you food made of corn, a specialty of the area.

Zoo Ave could not be simpler to find. Take the highway to the airport and keep going until you see the intersection for Atenas and Jaco and La Garita. There take a right, and the Zoo is just a couple of minutes away.