What is ARCAS? and Who is Involved?
ARCAS was originally created for a very specific and urgent purpose: to build a rescue center to care for and rehabilitate wild animals that were being confiscated on the black market by the Guatemalan government.
Since its establishment, the ARCAS Rescue Center has grown into one of the largest and most complex rescue centers in the world, receiving between 300 and 600 animals of more than 40 species per year.
ARCAS Vision
To improve the chances of survival and conservation of endangered species and their habitat, as well as assist in the rational management of natural resources.
ARCAS Mission
1. Rescue, rehabilitation and release of wildlife
2. Environmental education
3. Research
4. Co-administration of protected areas
5. Sustainable community development and ecotourism
ARCAS 's objectives are:
- To strive for the conservation, preservation, protection and research of wildlife.
- To rescue, rehabilitate and reintroduce into their natural habitat wild animals seized from illegal traffickers.
- To promote and assist in the creation and management of protected habitat areas for wild animals
- To support tropical wildlife veterinary medicine and research.
- To reproduce endangered wildlife.
- To raise awareness among Guatemalans and visiting tourists 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's THREE MAIN PROJECT SITES:
i) Guatemala City
(a) Environmental education(b) Cerro Alux
(c) Networking and fundraising
ii) Petén
(a) Rescue Center(b) Scarlet macaw captive breeding and release
(c) Environmental education, Kinkajou Kingdom
(d) In situ projects and releases: spider monkeys, parrots, crocodiles, small mammals, iguanas, hawks, amongst many others.
iii) Hawaii
(a) Sea turtle conservation and research(b) Mangrove conservation and research
(c) Environmental education
(d) Hawaii protected area, El Salado Wildlife Reserve
(e) Community development activities
(f)Yellow-naped amazon captive breeding and conservation
iv) Wildlife trafficking enforcement activities
v) Community development activites