Sonny, a giant anteater, arrived at RAREC in late May 2023 after being confiscated by authorities from the illegal wildlife trade. Unfortunately, she came to us without a known backstory, but it was clear she had been through a rough time. She had a cut on her head and had not eaten in days. After a physical check-up, she was found to be healthy but severely hungry and dehydrated.
At just around seven months old, Sonny needed specialized care to recover. In the wild, giant anteaters consume up to 30,000 ants and termites daily, so finding the right diet was crucial for her rehabilitation. After testing various foods, we found the perfect nutritional mix, and she has since thrived under our care.
As part of her rehabilitation, Sonny was moved into a large pre-release enclosure in early 2024. There, she learned essential survival skills and demonstrating excellent natural behaviors, making her a strong candidate for release. We were incredibly impressed with her progress, and with each passing day, Sonny grews stronger and more independent.
Ensuring her successful return to the wild, RAREC partnered with the Institute for Wildlife Conservation (ICAS) to fit a GPS and VHF tracking collar. Achieving ground breaking conservation as the first Giant Anteater that has ever been collared and monitored in the Amazon Rainforest! The data collected from Sonny will aid in understanding how rescued Anteater’s adapt to being rewild as well as improving conservation strategies for this vulnerable species. In September of 2025 Sonny was released back into the Peruvian Amazon! This historic milestone was accomplished through the collaboration and dedication of our wonderful conservation partners and RAREC caretakers and veterinary team!
As a nonprofit organization, 100% of your donation goes directly toward our mission, helping provide essential care for our rescued animals. Your support enables us to enhance their enrichment, improve their diet and enclosures, and provide necessary medications. Each month, we spend $16,000 on the upkeep of our center to ensure the well-being of the animals and the success of our programs.
If you choose to sponsor one of our residents, you‘ll be the first to know about their progress, updates, and special milestones. In appreciation, you‘ll receive a digital certificate, a quarterly newsletter, photos of the sponsored animal, a hand-made keychain, and a fact sheet about your sponsored animal.
For more information about the animals available for sponsorship and their backstories, please visit the Current Residents page on our website.
This center wouldn’t be what it is without the generous contributions of each and every one of you. Here are a few ways you can support our mission:
Recieve a quarterly update of our projects and animal updates including recent rescues as well as job openings.
