Amazon Manatee Rescue Center

The Amazonian manatee is a large freshwater herbivore, hunted for meat for centuries and now threatened, and calves are frequently orphaned when their mothers are killed - some end up in the pet trade in Iquitos. The rescue centre, run by the Peruvian Amazon research institute IIAP with the Dallas World Aquarium and other partners, takes in these calves, bottle-feeds them, raises them in tanks until they can feed themselves on aquatic plants, and releases them into protected areas with monitoring. Since it opened in 2007 it has released well over a hundred animals. The visit involves seeing the manatees in their pools, sometimes at feeding time, with an explanation of the rescue work and of the wider threats; other rescued animals including turtles and sloths are also kept. It is a short ride from Iquitos and takes an hour or two.

What you actually see

• The manatees - orphaned calves in rehabilitation pools, sometimes at feeding.
• The release programme - over a hundred animals returned to protected waters since 2007.
• The explanation - the hunting and pet-trade pressures that orphan the calves.
• The other rescues - turtles, sloths and other animals held on site.

When to go

Year-round. One to two hours. Feeding times are the best moment - ask when booking or on arrival.

Honest expectations

The manatees are in tanks, which is what rehabilitation requires - this is not a wild encounter. Touching is restricted and depends on the animal's stage. Hot and humid. The site is small and the visit is short.

Nearby

Iquitos is north; Allpahuayo Mishana is further along the Nauta road.