Carmen A.

Carmen's first experience with wildlife rehabilitation was when she volunteered for the wildlife rescue center at the North Carolina Zoo, near where she grew up. She quickly developed a passion for wildlife conservation that went hand in hand with her lifelong love of animals. Her university studies focused on biology, ecology and conservation, helping mold the desire to dedicate her life's work to conserving wildlife in valuable ecosystems. After spending time studying, researching, and volunteering in various parts of Latin America, Carmen decided to focus in on tropical ecosystem conservation. She moved to Costa Rica this year and began working as a full-time wildlife rehabber and site manager at Wild Sun Rescue Center on the Nicoya Peninsula. She spends all of her days working to rescue, rehabilitate, and release animals that deserve a second chance at life, and she couldn't be happier doing it. Being in the jungle, they don't have a wide selection of available resources, so they often have to be creative in finding solutions to care for wildlife. They're always building new feeding and enrichment mechanisms using bamboo and coconut husks. Carmen says that the good news is that there's no shortage of bugs to feed to their insectivorous animals. They are currently using a modified storage bin with a grate, a wet towel, and two heating pads as a makeshift incubator. A Baby Warm incubator will make a world of difference for the animals in her care. Although Baby Warm is not set up to ship outside the U.S., Carmen will be able to pick up the incubator and transport it to Costa Rica.