Esperanza Verde is an emerging conservation project in the Peruvian jungle dedicated to actively combating the illegal wildlife trade and promoting local nature and animal protection. In 2010, two Dutch animal managers launched this promising project by purchasing 58 hectares of rainforest – the "Selva Dormida" – which is now used to reintroduce wild animals into a pristine and protected environment. Unfortunately, reintroduction is not always possible, necessitating a larger infrastructure for the animals' care. In spring 2016, the jungle clinic at Esperanza Verde, funded by the Susy Utzinger Foundation for Animal Welfare, opened. Here, Esperanza Verde's experts care for and provide veterinary treatment to orphaned young animals of poached wildlife, as well as animals confiscated by authorities (due to animal trafficking) or injured through other means.
This jungle clinic became the SUST Orphan Animal Hospital on December 1, 2016. During the animals' hospitalization, the Susy Utzinger Foundation for Animal Welfare covers veterinary costs, finances medications, surgeries, therapies, food, and care. After the animals leave the clinic healthy, years of experience and carefully monitored observations determine whether, when, and how they can be released back into the wild. This is often a complex process, as the animals have 'forgotten' how to behave in the wild due to their long absence. Close contact with humans and deliberately seeking them out can also be problematic. The sanctuary, which has now grown to 180 hectares, plays a crucial role in this process. Here, the animals gradually adapt to their new surroundings and have also found a new home.
