Welcome! - Comunidad Inti Wara Yassi (CIWY)

OUR MISSION

Comunidad Inti Wara Yassi (CIWY) rescues, rehabilitates and cares for wild animals seized from illegal trafficking, and fights to end the animal trade through educational programs, research projects and public actions.

OUR WORK

Environmental Education

CIWY implements educational activities throughout Bolivia to teach children the negative impacts of wildlife trafficking and habitat destruction, and to promote appreciation and respect for wildlife and the environment.

Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation and Care

Our main objective is to rescue, rehabilitate and care for wildlife that has fallen victim to illegal trafficking and possession. Most of the animals we rescue can no longer survive in the wild, so we give them the best possible quality of life in a natural environment.

Scientific Research

Scientific research plays an important role in the conservation and future of species. Our wildlife researchers study the rescued animals we care for, as well as the wild animals that live independently on protected CIWY land.

Volunteer at CIWY

Our incredible volunteers contribute daily to the welfare of the animals at our sanctuaries. Are you committed to wildlife conservation? Read more about volunteering at CIWY in our volunteer section.

Sponsor an Animal

Make a difference in the life of a rescued animal by sponsoring one today. See more of the animals in need of support on our Sponsor an Animal page.

Río

Margay (Leopardus wiedii)

Rio was rescued when he was only a few weeks old by the park rangers of Madidi National Park. A family of hunters had killed his mother and kept the margay kitten.

Rio arrived with many health problems due to the lack of breast milk...

Sponsor Rio

Balú

Spectacled Bear (Tremarctos ornatus)

When Balú was still a young cub, hunters killed his mother and captured him, with the intention of earning money for both. The poachers were attempting to sell Balú to a circus when law enforcement authorities confiscated him....

Sponsor Balú

Peanut Antonio

Crab-eating Fox (Cerdocyon thous)

Peanut was taken from the wild as a cub by a local farmer who gave him to his children as a pet. He was approximately 1 month old. After 2 weeks, the family surrendered him to Ambue Ari Sanctuary. Sadly, because Peanut was a baby he could not be released back into the wild. In the wild he would have still been receiving his mother’s milk...

Sponsor Peanut

Baby Howlers

Red Howler Monkey (Alouatta sara)

Poachers often target howler monkeys for their meat and their young. They shoot an adult in the treetops, and when the mother falls to the ground they pull off her baby, which is still clinging to its mother’s body. The adult will be sold for its meat and the baby as a pet or an attraction....

Sponsor Baby Howlers

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Preferred Language:*

When the last tree is cut, the last fish is caught, and the last river is polluted; when to breathe the air is sickening, you will realise, too late, that wealth is not in bank accounts and that you can’t eat money.
–Native American Saying

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

Preferred Language:*

When the last tree is cut, the last fish is caught, and the last river is polluted; when to breathe the air is sickening, you will realise, too late, that wealth is not in bank accounts and that you can’t eat money.
–Native American Saying

Latest News

Visit our news section to see all of our latest activities, and follow us on Instagram and Facebook to receive frequent updates!

In 2018, Lush Charity Pot awarded CIWY with a grant to lead a training programme to equip newly-qualified veterinarians with the skills required to diagnose and treat wildlife rescued from illegal trafficking.
Veterinarian Training Programme

In 2018, Lush Charity Pot awarded CIWY with a grant to lead a training programme to equip newly-qualified veterinarians with the skills required to diagnose and treat wildlife rescued from illegal trafficking.

Would you like to know how the construction of the enclosure for our jaguar Kusiy is going? We’re excited to provide you with an update on the project, which began at the end of last year.
The New Enclosure for Kusiy the Jaguar

Would you like to know how the construction of the enclosure for our jaguar Kusiy is going? We’re excited to provide you with an update on the project, which began at the end of last year.

Tuesday the 23rd of October, 2019, was like many other nights in Ambue Ari. It was 7pm and everyone was ready for a night visiting the village of Santa Maria, where volunteers and staff spend the evening sharing stories of their out-of-the-ordinary days in the jungle. Except this wasn't an ordinary Tuesday. Staff and volunteers had been trying, without luck, to find a hitch to take them to town.
The Arrival of a Baby Puma

Tuesday the 23rd of October, 2019, was like many other nights in Ambue Ari. It was 7pm and everyone was ready for a night visiting the village of Santa Maria, where volunteers and staff spend the evening sharing stories of their out-of-the-ordinary days in the jungle. Except this wasn’t an ordinary Tuesday. Staff and volunteers had been trying, without luck, to find a hitch to take them to town.

Purchase a Gift Card Today

You can purchase a CIWY Gift Card today to cover the expense of a volunteer package in the future. Gift cards can be bought for US$310 to cover a 15-day package and for US$510 to cover a 30-day package. Purchases will improve the lives of animals today and that special person when they are able to join us. (Read terms and conditions.)

Send us an email and we’ll help you with your purchase today. Let’s create a brighter future together!

Gift Card for 15 Days    Gift Card for 30 Days