September 2020 Newsletter

With so few volunteers and officially no new animal arrivals one could think that there wouldn’t be a lot of information to portray. That is not the case as, in spite of any obstacles thrown in our direction, we continue the daily trials and tribulations to fulfil animal requirements.

Animals

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After just six months of living within and outside the family house, Kassai (tamandua anteater) made the move to a larger enclosure this month. Kassai still requires intensive one on one care as he has sustained an injury to his tongue, but appears to be adapting well to having a lot more space. He is a welcome sight to see in the evenings interacting with Puck (long term “stranded” volunteer) and exploring the outside of his enclosure as well.

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By having so many different species within one area, we are occasionally treated to witnessing special relationships. Sumo (South American coati) is a wild card within Esperanza Verde. Always showing up unexpectedly and keeping staff, volunteers and other animals on their toes. While known to be a hindrance while trying to complete any task that Sumo takes an interest in, it is still intriguing and humbling to see him playing with Tara (the family dog), and the sometimes limitless enthusiasm and energy they possess.

Naka and Talisha (humboldts woolly monkeys) re-joined the outside monkeys after their time in Lulu. They are both gaining weight as expected and are highly receptive to the addition of a milk supplement to their daily intake.

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SUST Animal Orphan Hospital

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Kiara (orange winged amazon) is spending time in the clinic currently after being found in the Pichu aviary with a damaged leg. As blood flow within the leg is still prevalent, the wound is being cleaned twice a day with the hope that she regains some use.

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Anybody lucky enough to have spent time at Esperanza Verde in the previous two years will have got to know Ramon (red howler monkey). Being that howler monkeys require more one on one care than any of the species currently at EV meant that they find a special place in all our hearts. Ramon was certainly no different. Unfortunately this month we had to wish farewell to this little man as he went in search of food within the peccary enclosure. Peccaries are particularly territorial and often attack anything within their immediate area.
Ramon was operated on and made comfortable, but the following day succumbed to his extensive injuries. Read on to learn about the special measures currently being undertaken to prevent any more of these occurrences.

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Although September had its high points, it also provided more than its fair share of low points. Late in the month Rafiki (blue and yellow macaw) was found lying prone on the bottom of his enclosure having sustained another fall. Rafiki was one of the first birds to come to Esperanza Verde and had certainly had an eventful time. As Rafiki was unable to fly and movement was very limited due to previous injuries, he had lived in numerous enclosures. He’d lived with the family, lived with the volunteers and spent more than a couple of tenures within the SUSTOAH clinic. All with the aim of giving him the best possible care both physically and mentally. Regrettably with each fall Rafiki sustained more injuries and this final fall became one he would not recover from. Emotions ran high as the collective decision was made to make Rafiki as comfortable as possible and assist him on his way.
This macaw was a character that often danced and actively reacted to volunteers and staff alike. His presence will be sorely missed.

New arrivals

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While Esperanza Verde is not officially taking any rescued animals in the immediate future, we still have occurrences where animals arrive unexpectedly. One such case was Bajus a young yellow footed tree tortoise who was found in a local chakra with a fungus on his shell. He is responding well to daily treatment and due to his small size is expected to be released in the coming months.

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Traya (young female large headed capuchin) was brought to us from a previous volunteer living in nearby Pucallpa. Although not in a position to easily accept new animals, this volunteer was able to sweeten the deal by making himself available to assist in the coming months.

Construction and other

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With Bello Horizonte (our local village) being a busy agricultural area, workers are often difficult to find and even more difficult to retain. Both long serving staff Geyler and Machico are doing a fantastic job in their respective fields. This month we welcomed back Hugo who had worked at Esperanza Verde last year. Hugo’s return is a welcome addition to the team.

Although constructions have become of a lower priority due to a lesser income caused by the impact of the pandemic, a new peccary enclosure needed to be planned to be able to safeguard the outside living animals. We were able to start ordering material, of which most has arrived this month. Seeing the rapid progress being made is a true credit to the small team involved. The new peccary enclosure is further away from all thoroughfares and not in direct contact with any other enclosures. This is envisaged to reduce interest and hopefully stop any further incidents as was the case with Ramon this month.

August saw work continue on the new volunteer toilet with internal walls being added and resurfaced.

Volunteers

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Douwe and Geyler could be freed from the weekly feeding schedule, as a good friend and ex volunteer Enrique joined us to help out. His help in the day to day running is greatly appreciated, and now Geyler and Douwe can go on with all the other necessary projects and maintenance. We have seen this month how a small team can manage even in situations of heavy distress (e.g. in case of Ramon and Rafiki). Although it is not an easy task on a day to day basis, the animals are keeping us together, as they depend on it, and we all do it with a big heart towards them all.