Pilpintuwasi

Pilpintuwasi is a non-profit organisation based in Padre Cocha, Peru working on nature & wildlife conservation, animal welfare.

Pilpintuwasi is a non-profit wildlife rescue and rehabilitation sanctuary on 16 hectares near Padre Cocha on the Nanay River, in the Peruvian Amazon, about 20 minutes by boat from Bellavista Nanay port in Iquitos. It began in 1995 as a butterfly house and evolved into a rescue centre as local residents brought in confiscated, injured and abandoned animals. The sanctuary works to protect animals affected by illegal wildlife trafficking, aiming to rehabilitate them and release them to their natural habitat where possible. It cares for more than 20 species, including jaguars, anteaters, ocelots, tapirs, parrots, macaws, toucans, several monkey species and butterflies, some of them threatened with extinction. It is certified as a rescue centre, is an authorized conservation centre for red-faced monkeys and holds official permission for butterfly breeding. The organisation receives no government funding and relies on visitors, volunteers and private support. It employs local residents from Padre Cocha, offers guided tours and environmental education, and runs a volunteer programme.