A wildlife rescue center in Rio de Janeiro is giving animals a second chance after they’ve been torn from the Atlantic Forest by poachers, a Mongabay short documentary showed. At the Vida Livre (Free Life) Institute, the team of volunteer veterinarians and biologists rehabilitate thousands of wild animals — from parrots with broken beaks to newborn armadillos and drugged monkeys — helping them recover so they can be returned to their natural habitat. In September 2024, two capuchin monkeys were brought in after staff at the Rio Botanical Garden noticed unusual behavior in the primates. Blood tests confirmed they’d been given sedatives, which poachers often sneak into treats like bananas to subdue their victims. In March 2025, another two arrived in the same condition. “When they arrived, they were very uncoordinated,” Roshed Seba, the president of the Vida Livre Institute, told Mongabay in a video interview. “They were evaluated by the vet and had their blood taken.” They were also given food and water to help them recover. The institute, which turns 10 this year, has treated more than 13,000 animals. Most are native to Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, including sloths, owls, anteaters, boas, toucans and even pumas. One toucan lost half of its upper beak during an attempted capture by traffickers. After its rescue, the team used a 3D printer to make a prosthetic beak, allowing it to eat and resume its normal functions. In another case, a sloth was drugged the same way as the monkeys. “Imagine drugging a…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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