Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Association – ARCAS

To rescue, rehabilitate and release confiscated animals in Guatemala

ARCAS was formed in 1989 by a group of Guatemalan citizens who became concerned as they saw their precious natural heritage, especially their wildlife, rapidly disappearing before their eyes. ARCAS was originally created for a very specific purpose: to build a rescue center to care for and rehabilite wild animals that were being confiscating on the black market by the Guatemalan government. Since the establishment of the rescue center, ARCAS has branched out into other very necessary activities including environmenetal education, information-dissemination, ecotourism development, marine turtle conservation, reforestation and habitat preservation.

ARCAS is committed to preserving wild life and its habitat. Its objectives are:

• To strive for the conservation, preservation, protection and research of wildlife.
• To rescue, rehabilitate and reintroduce into their natural habitats wild animals seized from illegal traffickers.
• To promote and assist in the creation and management of protected areas for wild animals.
• To support tropical wild animals veterinary medicine and research.
• To reproduce and re-introduce endangered wildlife.
• To raise awareness among Guatemalans about the need to conserve natural resources  through a program of education and information dissemination.
• To develop and promote economic alternatives in rural communities to the unsustainable consumption of natural resources.

ARCAS carries out projects in three basic areas of Guatemala: the  Guatemala City area; the Hawaii area of the southern Pacific coast; and the remote, northern department of Peten.

WAZA Conservation Project 08004 is supported by the Columbus Zoo, Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund, Cincinatti Zoo, Oregon Zoo, and Oakland Zoo. Other partners supporting the project: Netherland Commitee of the IUCN, IUCN Mesoamerican Regional Office, Japanese Embassy, USAID, Guatemalan government.