jungla de panama wildlife refuge

We have the opportunity to meet Dorothy and her sons. She showed us the place, we have the chance to interact face to face with different rescued animals who showed to us the love they are receiving there... all are so friendly and for kids is amazing to have the chance to feed monkeys, goats, bunnies, chickens, owl and even a snake.....Even though it is fee free you will end up giving donations so they can buy food to the animals.Excellent experience!!

Dorothy and her boys do a great job looking after the animals in the refuge. She makes time to introduce you to all of them and tells you a little about each and how they ended up in her care. In many cases, it's a "hands on" experience as you can feed the spider monkey, the owl and the parrot. Something a little out of the ordinary but overall a heart-warming experience.

The animal residents here NEED a refuge, as they are either abused, injured, or out of their element when brought here. Dorothy does a great job with limited resources. Visit www.jungladepanama.com to see more details and donate. If you are really lucky, Daisy the spider monkey will wrap her tail around your arm, a sign she likes you, and Casey the Parrot, who is a youthful 38, will demonstrate her skill at cracking open a peanut or sunflower seed.

I can get a bit irritated by the comments of other people below. Remember this is a project from someone who cares about abused animals. I was there this morning and saw the passion and good care for this animals from the owner and her kids. The cages are not to small. If you hear the stories from in which state the animals where when they got them you can only be proud that there are people on this planet who care. We had a lovely time exploring the animals and there behaviour. Its a very interactive place. Sure, animals should be in the wild but this animals where abused as pets. In this refugee they are being trained to go back in the wild.

We visited the sanctuary and enjoyed the walking tour immensely. My granddaughter was allowed to hold a baby armadillo that was rescued. A lot of beautiful birds on display as well.

When we arrived at this place it looked run down and closed. We pushed in the gate and there was no one around. We spotted a spider monkey in a relatively small cage for the size of the animal and went over for a look. The cage had no facilities and not much to entertain a bored looking animal. After two minutes some kids arrived from the big house on site to show us around. The kids were friendly but frankly the depressed animals with lack facilities and not much space upset me. There was one parrot, one sad owl in a small cage, two goats, a goose with no pond, and two snakes in a cardboard box in cage. I would not recommend this place. It does not seem like a legitimate refuge for animals and I left feeling disappointed, upset and concerned for the animals

We were there for June and July and the doors were chained shut. We asked around town and were told many different things, but everyone agreed that it was closed down at least for now.

This was my favorite place in my month-long stay in Panamá. The wildlife was abundant and the waterfalls were beautiful. I was even lucky enough to see a male Quetzal, the most iconic bird of Central America. I loved Boquetes, especially getting away from the city.

Seeing the + reviews I was interested in visiting. We were shown around by a young girl (daughter) who seemed bored. The 2 monkeys that were ex pets, seemed stressed. We were told they had been here 3 years. Other animals included 4 green parrots, a heard of goats, the girls pet rabbit & 3 boas. We didn't get any information re rehabilitation work .. it feels like a children's petting zoo. All in all, it feels like the owner prefers to focus on her restaurant/bar business. I hope the $10 pp entrance fee goes to the animals as I certainly wouldn't recommend it.

We were looking for a place to stay in overbooked Boquete and came across La Jungla on Lonely Planet's website. Trusting that as a good reference, we called and they said they had apartments for two for 30$. That was a good deal, so we took a bus that left us in the middle of nowhere, at this kind of poor zoo with few animals in cages and goats. The so called apartment was a cube with a single bed; in change they offered a casita for 100$ or a room in their house where obviously the dogs used to sleep...you could say from the smell.They also have dorms, about 20 beds in one room!Topping this all, the same monkey that you see on the web so cutely embracing a guy bite me to bleed ! No reasons to go there, unless you like sleeping in a zoo !

I learned about Jungla de Panama Wildlife Refuge from a friend who had lived in Panama for over 20 years who found this attraction through TripAdvisor. Although there are mixed reviews, I enjoyed spending my day at he refuge. The animals who are unable to be re-introduced to the wild, who have become permanent residents of this sanctuary, are well-loved and cared for.Dorothy, the owner, was gracious and took us on an educational tour and allowed us to mingle with the animals. Although I did not eat at the restaurant, the daily special smelled delicious! The Hostel was very clean, with all beds made. I m looking forward to my trip back to Boquete, Panama an two weeks. I will be staying in the Hostel and will report back on my stay experience again. Please know that this is not a zoo, rather an interactive experience with native animals. All proceeds go to the care and maintenance of the animals and their on-site habitats. The owner is always improving the property incorporating the efforts of dedicated and passionate volunteers. They also encourage therapy groups and private parties to take advantage of this unique place. To learn more, their website is: http://jungladepanama.org/

I read all the good reviews and was excited to come and see the animals. I got there about 11am and walked in the open gates, I couldn't find anyone anywhere so just walked around and looked at the animals which is what I came for I guess. They only have a few monkeys and birds. I hoped someone would be there to show me around and so I could learn more about the refuge and the animals. There wasn't much to see which was disappointing as I'd asked my taxi driver to come back in 3 hours thinking I'd have lunch at the cafe etc. Nothing was open. I'd suggest calling ahead before you get a taxi out there (15 mins out of Boquete). I think it would be a nice way to spend a hour if they were there to let you play with the animals. I was looking forward to leaving them a nice donation too but was worried about just leaving it in the box.

I happen to be searching for a place to live for 2 months and came across the Jungla via Dorothy. Didn't expect such a neat experience! You can rent a huge casita and live in very close proximity to the animals. And still have wifi.Friendly dogs milling about as you enter the property, curious monkeys in their huge cages, birds and reptiles of all sorts in various parts plus a whole group of goats and a horse that is just looking for company!It is a refuge and not a zoo so goers should expect that. I will certainly return and stay over when I have children. Have them volunteer as well when they are a bit older. A wonderful learning experience that contributes to a worthy place to visit while in Boquete.

there was a menu, but they had nothing on it. the food that was offered was not good and the whole wildlife refuge thing was pretty pathetic.

Really great place, got to hold and interact with the animals (monkeys/macaw/goats) in a way that I've never experienced before! They were clearly well cared for and our guide, a young American girl, was really good - friendly and knowledgeable about the animals. Definitely get the tour - easily worth the $10 and you know it is going straight to care for the animals. Can't recommend this place enough!