Foz do Iguaçu goes beyond the falls with animal refuges

When baby pampas deer Noela was born on December 24, 2021, the biologist responsible for the animal refuge at the Bourbon Cataratas resort, in Foz do Iguaçu (PR), did not imagine that she would become the pet’s “mother”. It’s just that two days later the animal’s mother – an endangered species – died of pneumonia.

“Pat [veterinária] took care of her for a month and then I took over. She was very young, fed every two hours, “says Anna Cecília Leite, 32.” Then I started putting vegetables around the house, doing environmental enrichment. When Noela grew up and we were able to bring her to the refuge, she ended up being adopted by another female that we have here.”

Stories like the orphan deer are not always the motto of Foz do Iguaçu, a destination famous for its stunning waterfalls. But they are scattered throughout the city, which, with its more than 255,000 inhabitants, is home to 185,000 hectares of Atlantic Forest in the Iguaçu National Park – and many animals rescued from trafficking, given its proximity to the borders of Argentina and Paraguay.

Those who travel to Foz with an eye towards animals can, therefore, be surprised and give new meaning to traditional tours.

Parque das Aves is an example. What to some may seem like a “bird zoo” is actually the largest park dedicated to the preservation of birds in Latin America – more than 1,300 animals, from around 130 species, have been rescued and live there.

There are rare birds among them, such as the harpy eagle, the largest eagle in the Americas, with a wingspan of almost two meters and almost extinct. And aviaries full of macaws, with their vivid shades of blue and red.

What you will hardly see, however, are the flamingos. If before the park had more than 170 specimens, today only four remain. The reason? A jaguar that entered the space to teach its cub how to hunt, at the end of last year, and made the attack.

Part of the flamingos may have become dinner, but the other died is from the stress of the situation. In the enclosure of the pink birds, today, only a memorial remains.

Another space that also has an animal refuge is the binational hydroelectric plant of Itaipu.

Next to the 20 generators (which transform the dammed water in eight kilometers of dam into energy) there are jaguars, ocelots, monkeys and alligators. The protection unit was created during the formation of the plant’s reservoir, to preserve the local fauna and flora, and can be visited.

A witness to the construction of the dam, where he worked for 14 years starting in the 1970s, Antonio Silveira da Silva, 73, is now a monitor in Itaipu. He prides himself on being able to clear the doubts of novice tourists who arrive there.

“What people ask me the most is what it was like to live with the [trabalhadores] Paraguayans at the time. And I tell you: on my days off, I lived more over there than over here”, he says, laughing.

And what about the trail towards the Iguaçu Falls? Animal life shows up long before you reach the waterfall. It’s just that coatis, graceful mammals, relatives of raccoons, love to accompany (and face) tourists.

Just don’t go easy on the bag – the furry ones are abused and, if there’s food, that’s where they’ll poke around.

In the near future, the Bourbon Cataratas resort will advance its animal refuge one step further. This is the Passarinhos do Bourbon project, which will shelter birds that have been mistreated or smuggled and that can still be returned to nature.

“In partnership with environmental agencies, we are going to receive these birds and carry out the rehabilitation work until they are released. It is a dream that makes us very proud”, says biologist Anna Cecília.

Also visit

After getting wet with the splashes of the falls —or in a real freshwater bath at the Macuco Safari, which takes visitors by twin-engine boat to the foot of the waterfall—, the tip is to change your clothes and head to Marco das Três Fronteiras.

The place, which is on the banks of the Iguaçu and Paraná rivers, is a viewpoint from where you can literally see the borders of Paraguay and Uruguay.

Managed by the group that manages the falls, the space now has restaurants and dance shows that highlight the Brazilian, Argentine and Paraguayan cultures, which take place every night after sunset.

Another good option is to book a morning to visit the Buddhist temple Chen Tien, with its seven-meter-tall Buddha, and the Omar Ibn Al-Khattab mosque –Foz is home to the second largest Arab community in the country, after São Paulo.

Finally, every self-respecting tourist adds two stops to their trip to Foz do Iguaçu: Ciudad del Este (Paraguay), for the famous shopping tour, and Puerto Iguazu (Argentina), for dinner or wine shopping.

After all, part of the fun of going to Foz is to leave Foz – and Brazil, going back and forth in a few minutes.



bird park

Av. of the Falls, 12,450. To have. to Sun: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Tickets R$ 70 (full time).

Itaipu Refuge

Av. Tancredo Neves, 6702. Wed. Mon.: 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. Tickets R$ 35 (full-time).

waterfalls of Iguaçu

Iguaçu National Park – BR 469, Km 18. Daily: 9 am to 4 pm. Tickets from R$ 63 (full-time).

Macuco Safari

Iguaçu National Park, BR 469, Km 25. Tue. to Sun.: 9 am to 4:40 pm. Tickets R$ 362 (full-time).

Three Borders Landmark

B.C. Três Fronteiras, s/nr. To have. to Sun.: 14:00 to 21:00. Tickets: R$ 48 (full price).

Bourbon Iguazu Falls

Av. of the Falls, 2,345. Rates from R$ 710 (with breakfast / subject to change).