A Sanctuary in the Jungle

Our weekend in Iguazú was packed with excursions ranging from long treks through the waterfalls and local animal sightings. On Monday, before heading back to CIEE campus, we took a tour of an animal sanctuary in the heart of town. Each of the animals there were victims of human harm, and those caring for them take immense precautions to make sure they are being rehabilitated based on individual needs. 

Among the animals were parrots, pumas, otters, monkeys, turtles, and even two vultures. Our guide shared with us just how important vultures can be in maintaining ecosystems and cleaning up animal debris - a part of our lifecycle that we do not always appreciate or acknowledge. 

After our nature walk, everyone was able to explore the local artisans and sample "choripan" - a Brazilian cheese bread indicative of how close we were to the Brazilian (and Paraguayan) boarders. Before heading back to the airport, we all stopped to see the "three frontiers," a geographical point in which all three countries meet along the river point. Perhaps most incredible of all, however, was flying out of Iguazú to see the waterfalls from above as we made our way back south to our city by the sea.