Author: noe

This month was one of several visits. We received a small workshop from the Civil Defence department and learned about forest fires and more importantly; how to prevent them. The Ministry of Flora and Fauna visited us for the yearly inspection ensuring EV meets and exceeds its animal obligations. And last but not least we welcomed the help of two veterinarian students from Romania.

Animals

Our most cheeky resident Cumala (Female black spider monkey) gave birth to her third baby, now named Cumba. Mother and daughter are doing fine. In her first week Cumba already was very aware of her surrounding, looking at everything or everyone coming close to her.

Eros (chestnut eared aracari) was moved from the quarantine to the Elmo front cage where he directly got a visit by Amora (the chestnut eared aracari in the main cage) checking him out, seemingly eager to get his attention.

Chela (young female crab eating raccoon) was moved from the quarantine to an outside enclosure and with the visit of the Ministry we initiated the first stage of her release, a small walk in the outside world.

Alicucu, the adult tropical screech-owl, who came in some months ago, is now healthy, new feathers have grown, very human-shy, flies well and catches his own crickets. With the Ministry visiting it was time to let him go. We opened the door of his enclosure and well you can imagine, he flew quickly out and after some landings he flew out of sight.

Sencha, juvenile female coati, had an exciting walk on the wild side of her enclosure. We let her out for some time to get to know the surroundings. She loved it, and it seems she can´t wait to explore the jungle more.

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As Cumala enjoys showing herself and therefore often finds herself in our path, it was easy to determine the baby is a girl. With Cumba and Yayana (Yanays baby, only about two months younger) brings the count of the outside female spidermonkeys to a total of seven. Male youngsters, Alessi, Ashuke and Miyo, are joining this happy female group more and more.

Eros seems to be eager to join her, and we can hear them have seemingly happy conversations during the day. As Eros can´t fly yet because of his feathers, we are taking it slow, as it will be a big step for him to go to a huge enclosure, with as well all the blue and yellow macaws.

We can now start taking Chela on outside walks in the late afternoon so she can start exploring the forest. Showing her the small river stream, teaching her to catch some snails or fish so at some point she will be able to manage to take care of herself in the beauty of Selva Dormida, the surrounding forest of Esperanza Verde.

As Sencha is still young and would normally have the protection of her group, we will take it slow, guiding her through the different stages of release till she is fit to be on her own in the outside world. We are sure Sumo (the male adult coati) will help her out!

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SUST Animal Orphan Hospital

This month we had an exciting visit from two veterinary students from Romania; Mada and Catalin, who stayed with us several days and helped us out wherever needed, e.g. a medical check of several tortoises.

Omar, and Jack, both cobalt-winged parakeets, were returned to the outside enclosure Igor. The next morning, we found Omar, with some injuries on his head and leg, and a broken leg, while Jack seemed very happy being back with his old troop of birds. Luckily Omar´s spirit did not seem to be broken; he directly took well to the intensive care by Olivia, and all the extra attention coming with it.

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Mada, from Romania, has been already involved for years in animal rescue and is doing a lot of work for the SUSTOAH in Bucharest, Romania. Together with her fellow vet-student Catalin they helped us a lot in the clinic and especially with a medical checkup of eight tortoises.

The eight tortoises that have been spending the last weeks of their quarantine time in the Momo enclosure were all taken to the clinic for a medical check, they were measured, weighed, and given deparasitation. They were then moved to their more permanent and spacious enclosure, ´Pepito´.

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Construction

Next to the ongoing construction of the new margay enclosure for Grety and Diego (female and male margay), there is always enough to be done here at EV.

Dry season is proving to become a challenging one already, it has not rained for weeks, and buckets need to be washed at the river. Volunteers can go for a nice swim in the river or to the waterfall, but many of our animals are dependent on a continuous water supply. Douwe is already on it and is coming up with an eco-friendly solar powered pump.

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Every year when needed we have been pumping water from the small river with a gasoline pump. In the last years the dry seasons got longer and the need for water in EV bigger, and pumping water was done several times a week, with a lot of carrying around of the pump to the right spot in the river. We are now looking into a solution by building a well and having it operated by a solar powered water pump.

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Volunteer life

This month we were able send all volunteers on a well-deserved day out to the beautiful waterfall Regalia. Everyone had a fun and sunny day in the water.

As July turned the corner Kayla finally turned 18, although she already became independent some time ago 🙂 . All were invited to her party in the village to celebrate her birthday with food, drinks, and lots of dancing.

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Another action-packed month here at EV, with the year just flying by! With new animals and lots of new volunteers, we’re gearing up for a great dry season. There were some fantastic wildlife sightings; An adult two-toed sloth appeared near the houses one night, a good reason to wake everyone up to have a look! Another spotting was a beautiful rainbow boa as it crossed one of our paths.

This shortened newsletter comes to you with a novelty: a “read more” button to find out more, if you wish, in certain sections!

Animals

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Ashuke, Miyo and Alessi, the young male black spider monkeys are now going out to explore the (sometimes scary) outside world. They’ve gained more confidence and are travelling further from their enclosure, often for several hours a day, and starting to have more interaction with the other monkeys.

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Lots of volunteers will remember Takido (juvenile male crab eating racoon) from their stay here. Sadly, he passed away this month, after having disappeared on one of his evening walks. We will miss him and the nice walks we had while exploring the surroundings.

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Rasta, the mouse opossum, who was found abandoned in the attic of the volunteer house a few months ago, has been doing extremely well, now weighing almost 10 times his original weight (start was 6 grams), and is in continuous care in the volunteer house. He has a spacious enclosure and seems to be very pleased with all the attention and enrichment he is receiving.

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At long last, Gaia and Wayra, the two juvenile female ocelots moved into their new enclosure thanks to the Susy Utzinger Foundation in Switzerland, who financed this project as well as the upcoming new enclosure for the two margays. A big thank you to the Susy Utzinger Association for your help financing this project and to Douwe and the construction team for all your hard work!

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Alessi is doing very well, frequently playing with juvenile female spider monkey Ricuna amongst the foliage around his enclosure. Miyo is very different. He is very confident in his enclosure, yet he seems to become more timid outside when a big monkey is close. He then runs and cries. All and all not so strange; imagine being taken from your mum and then thrown roughly into the world of illegal traffic. They have now finally found a safe haven in Esperanza Verde, but it will take some time to regain their trust and adjust. Spider monkeys would normally spend at least 3 years in a close relationship with their mother, learning the essential skills to become independent.so you can imagine these three are a bit traumatized and need a lot of time to adjust and trust.

After arriving in July 2021 Takido received intensive care from Assistant Manager Alex until he was able to move into an outside enclosure. He grew steadily and learned to climb and eat fish and snails. To assist his release process, we took Takido on ‘night walks’ along the river, where he would occasionally spend the night outside before returning the following evening. Unfortunately, after one of these occasions, some local children discovered Takido near to the river with significant injuries, that he was unable to overcome.

More frequent than not animals that have been hand-reared from so young have a very low chance of survival if released. Rasta is one of those, as he has had no mother to teach him the ropes of living in the wild (although the mother already chose a human area being the volunteer house!). Mouse opossums in the wild live about a year, so we decided to give Rasta a permanent home at the volunteer house. He is much loved by all the volunteers and receives a lot of exciting enrichment, making his life as fulfilled as possible. And he has also proved himself to be an excellent insect hunter.

Bringing Gaia and Wayra together has been a long and slow process and thanks to all the hard work and patience of dedicated volunteers, research, and advice of cat behaviour specialists from different countries, it has paid off. At feeding time, they are still separated but for the rest they now spend day and night together in the new enclosure, together. Douwe, Geiler and the other helpers did a great job on the construction and as well on the interior, it really looks beautiful. Wayra and Gaia are showing their appreciation while they explore the new surroundings with the new smells, trunks, branches, sleeping boxes etc. It is beautiful to see how they, after their initial awareness of the new surrounding and smells, run and jump around on the branches. Gaia especially is loving the extra space and spends her whole day running, jumping and climbing amongst the branches and platforms!

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SUST Animal Orphan Hospital

All is relatively quiet in the SUSTOAH, with some birds in treatment, and Otis (male nightmonkey) still being under observation, allowing extra time for checkups.

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The new baby tamarin Sipra was moved directly to the clinic. She is very young and needs a more intensive 24 hour care. Quickly she has become the highlight of the SUSTOAH.

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Sipra seems to be really enjoying her enclosure, which is full of new and exciting things to play with. Her favourite spot is a tiny hammock, where she takes her post-lunch nap basking in the afternoon sun. On arrival, seemingly from the result of neglective care, the end of her tail showed signs of necrosis and she’s receiving ongoing treatment in the SUSTOAH to manage her condition.

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The eight tortoises that have been spending the last weeks of their quarantine time in the Momo enclosure were all taken to the clinic for a medical check, they were measured, weighed, and given deparasitation medication and after a follow up will be ready to move to a more permanent enclosure.

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Quarantine

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This month we had three new arrivals from the Ministry of Flora and Fauna, a chestnut-eared aracari, named Eros, a young female crab eating raccoon, named Chela, and a very young female tamarin monkey, now named Sipra. All were confiscated from the illegal trade in animals.

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Eros (chestnut eared aracari) is very tame and his wings were cut extremely short; a method commonly used to prevent pet birds, who have been captured from the wild, from escaping. He was named after the Greek god of love, which we hope will play in his favor when we eventually introduce him to Amora (already resident chestnut eared aracari)

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Chela, the crab eating raccoon is estimated to be around 2 months old. She seems to have settled in nicely, enjoying all the enrichment in her enclosure, especially the small addition of a pond. Although very young and some contact is necessary we hope to keep it at a minimum, giving her the best chance to have a successful release back into the wild.

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Construction

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All focus is now on finalizing the new margay enclosure for Grety and Diego (female and male margay), the second part of the project financed through crowdfunding set up by the Susy Utzinger Foundation. While the construction team is tied up, we are very happy to have some handy volunteers who can take up maintenance jobs, like fixing mesh of enclosures, renewing steps, building up the interior of small enclosures etc.

Volunteer life

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We were lucky enough to welcome back our good friend and returning volunteer Theres, from Switzerland, and as always, she finds enough jobs that need to be taken cared off.

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There was lots of cause for celebration this month, celebrating the local tradition San Juan, having lunch at the waterfall. It is always fun to have so many different cultures together here, as it gives us the opportunity to learn other traditions as well. This time it was the celebration of Midsummer, a Swedish tradition, with a delicious dinner for all.

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Theres had met Douwe and Olivia during their time working in amaZOOnico, a rescue centre in the Amazon of Ecuador. She always is a tremendous help, assisting in the bodega, helping with the tours, a lot of cleaning jobs and doing her favourite job: raking paths (which is especially important during dry season as snakes can hide beneath leaf piles, unbeknownst to us). We send a big thank you to Theres for joining us once again and hope that she will visit again next year.

The local tradition ‘San Juan’ celebrates Saint John the Baptist, patron saint of the Amazon and of all its waterways. As part of the tradition lunch is packed in a leaf package, called Juanes. We had our lunch at the waterfall and took some nice relaxing moments in the water and sun before heading back to take of the animals!

And thanks to Assistant Manager Alex, we also celebrated ‘Midsummer’, with a delicious dinner of cheese pie, meatballs and finished off with apple crumble, all whilst wearing homemade ‘flower crowns’, to help us celebrate in style.

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May was another eventful month with both good moments along with some sad ones.

Olivia, Kayla and Marlon returned home this month after a well-deserved break in Holland. With the permanent team complete again and a steady group of volunteers, EV returned to a semblance of normality.

Animals

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Maida (female howler monkey) has been doing very well outside and often seen playing with the woolly monkeys. Most of the time she spends the night with Darwin in the enclosure, but on some nights, she ignores even her vitamins to spend a night in the wild with the woollies.

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Miyo, Ashuke and Alessi, the juvenile male spiders were released from their enclosure. At first, they seemed happy to explore the outside world, but they got very scared every time too many monkeys took interest in them. With the outside world seeming overwhelming to them, it was decided to bring them in again and start to bring some of the outside monkeys into the Lulu enclosure with them. Soon we will open their enclosure again and see if they have gained enough confidence….

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Anishka, our female neotropical river otter, has been in the process of her release now for a while. She seems to have taken a liking to being a permanent tour, in which a volunteer takes her on walks during the day. Even though the aim is for her to roam free, most of the time she prefers to come back and sleep in the safety of her enclosure (Tiliku). She enjoys walking in the jungle exploring the waters, playing and frequently catching crabs, fish, and even a catfish of about 50 cm! And who knows someday she might find herself a partner!

SUST Animal Orphan Hospital

Omar the new cobalt-winged parakeet was introduced to the other (non-releasable) parakeets in the Igor enclosure. It seemed to go well, but after a few weeks he was found with an injured wing and taken to the clinic. He was soon joined by Jack, another of our resident cobalt-winged parakeets, also suffering an injured wing. They are getting along well, and we hope they will recover with the extra attention and care received at the clinic.

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Cesar, our male juvenile black spider monkey, unfortunately passed away at the beginning of this month. Volunteers had noticed he wasn’t his goofy self anymore and it quickly took a turn for the worse. Within a few days, even though treatment was started, he passed away in the presence of the volunteers at our clinic. A thorough necropsy was undertaken but revealed very little as to a cause for his demise. We will always remember him as the weird monkey walking on his hind legs with one arm up in the air.

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Zeus, Ares and Athena (new blue-headed parrots) came from the quarantine to the clinic as two of them, Zeus and Ares sustained chest injuries from falling. Both came to EV with their feathers on both wings cut very short. Something that is done to avoid them from escaping. Unfortunately, they have been cut so badly that they can´t even break their fall while spreading out their wings, and basically fall flat on their breast. They have both been put in a smaller enclosures to prevent them from falling from dangerous heights. Athena, who has already started growing new feathers joined them later.

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Otis (adult male night monkey), who has now spent months coping with a deep knee injury, started again with a new herbal treatment, as any other treatment has not worked. One of the volunteers with experience in natural treatment has come up with a plan and let’s hope it will help him. Otis has been in the clinic for a long time so hopefully we will see some change soon.

Quarantine

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After spending some time in quarantine, Amora (chestnut-eared aracari) has now moved to Elmo enclosure. After some time in the smaller front part of the enclosure, Douwe guided her into the main enclosure while keeping a close eye on her. She quickly adjusted to the huge area, and is doing very well, standing her ground to all the big birds. Her big beak might help here as well!

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Sencha (juvenile female coati) has finished her quarantine-period and has been moved to the Lucia enclosure near the general kitchen, where she is enjoying herself, digging in the dirt, making use of her nose and paws to find some nice earthy critters. Not surprisingly, Sumo, our outside adult male coati has now shown up, after hardly ever being seen in the vicinity, to inspect this new young female.

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Yuno (juvenile male kinkajou) fully recuperated from his injuries sustained during his release last month, so we decided to give him another go at the wild world. So off he went and then already in his first week he apparently had another fierce encounter, this time coming back with an ugly bite in his nose and a small puncture in one of his legs. We know from our experiences with kinkajous in the past, it can take a long time, especially for a male, to make his own territory here, with already several wild Kinkajou living outside. But the successes in the past show us not to give up too quickly so after some time to heal again we will give Yuna another chance at finding his own territory and eventually a partner.

Construction and other

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With a good group of volunteers, there has been more time to work on enrichment for many of the animals, even fish were caught for Takido (juvenile male crab-eating racoon), the margays and ocelots.

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Darwins recent behaviour change and sudden interest in volunteers, which resulted in him needing to be confined. While in cleaning his enclosure, he bit one of the volunteers. Volunteer and animal safety are always primary concerns, so immediate measures were taken to modify Arana enclosure ensuring Darwin was able to be kept separate from volunteers when cleaning and feeding to prevent any further incidents.

Volunteer life

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Janick Jaussi, who officially said goodbye to his work as a volunteer about a month ago, was staying with his boat in Bello Horizonte to complete the finishing touches. He completed this and one afternoon sailed away for his big tour from here to Brazil ending his journey at the Atlantic Ocean. There was a little party on his boat before he left, and all volunteers sung him a song to wish him all the best and luck on his travels: sail away…sail away…sail away.

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A welcome reprieve from the daily occurrences at Esperanza Verde is a trip to Regalia. After a busy morning preparing animals breakfasts and cleaning, the volunteers were rewarded with, a nice boat ride and a slippery hike, finally arriving at the beautiful waterfall ´Regalia´. Despite the buckets of rain from the day before, it turned out to be a very good day for a swim and some took the leap from the top of the waterfall!

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April proved itself to be packed full of activity, with lots of highs and some lows. The start of dry season brought the sun out, volunteers are keeping in good spirits and enjoying the increase in temperature with way less mosquitoes! And as schools are functioning normally again, we even enjoyed the first visit this year from a group of local school children from Bello Horizonte. They enjoyed an educational tour from Douwe, while several volunteers and Geyler kept a watchful eye out to avoid any trouble from our more juvenile monkeys. A few days later we were gifted by several beautiful drawings of the animals at Esperanza Verde from the young visitors.

Animals

A sad month regarding our howler monkeys, regretfully we lost both Watson (juvenile male howler) and Armando (adult male howler) within a short space of time.

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Many old volunteers will remember Armando from their time with us, since his arrival in 2019 he has dealt with numerous health concerns. Volunteers noticed one evening that his breathing had become irregular, and he was suffering with a fever. He was taken to the clinic, but he quickly deteriorated and sadly passed away the next morning. During necropsy it was revealed that Armando only had one functional lung, a condition that he most likely dealt with since he was very young and the acute infection of this lung meant Armando didn’t have much of a chance for survival.

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Watson, who only recently joined us at Esperanza Verde, seemed to be doing well since moving to Lulu enclosure with Maida (juvenile female howler). Unfortunately, things went slowly downhill for him, he became very apathetic, stopped eating and was quickly losing weight. Every effort was put into getting Watson back on track and the volunteer team did a great job of pulling together and putting in the extra hours. Unfortunately, one morning we discovered he had passed away in his sleep.

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However, there was good news for Maida (juvenile female howler) this month. She was making good progress in Lulu enclosure and was seen engaging with the outside woolly monkey group, most notably Lupa and Chiquita (adult female woolly monkeys). Following the loss of Watson, we decided to start opening the door of Lulu during the day, giving her the opportunity to explore the outside world and engage with the other monkeys, returning to the enclosure overnight. She seems to be loving her newfound freedom and is seen happily eating leaves and scouting out the trees around the whole centre. Darwin (adult male howler) was also moved into Lulu with the intention of the two howlers keeping each other company.

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Another happy release we welcomed this month was of the three young male spider monkeys Ashuke, Miyo and Alessi. Their door is opened now each morning, allowing them to come and go as they please, there´s slow progress so far but the trio are gaining more and more confidence. Outside adult female spider monkey Katinka is showing a special interest in all three monkeys. Both Ashuke and Miyo have experience of life outside the enclosure so the hope is that they will assist Alessi with the transition.

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Takido (juvenile male crab eating racoon) also took some exciting steps towards release this month. In the past months he has been taken on nightly walks along the river by volunteers using a lead, but towards the end of the month we were able to start walking him without the lead. Takido appears to be loving the extra freedom along the river route, occasionally disappearing into the bushes but very quickly returning. He also had a few encounters with Payco (free living, adult male crab eating racoon), engaging in a few small fights. Hopefully they will be able to establish a hierarchy between the two without serious injuries, to be able to coexist outside.

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We would also like to introduce all of the readers to the latest arrival here at EV, whose appearance surprised us all. Yanay (adult female spider monkey), to everyone’s astonishment, emerged from under the volunteer house with a newborn baby earlier this month! She kept her distance from us for a few days and was very protective but has since become more comfortable in her new role as a mother and both her and the baby girl, named Yayana, are doing well. Mashi (juvenile male woolly monkey) and Dilana (juvenile female white fronted capuchin) have taken a particular interest and are frequently seen cuddling with Yanay and the new baby.

Yuno, the earlier released adult male kinkajou, has taken up residence in Aguatena enclosure once again. He had been sleeping near to the port and was being checked for wounds every few days by volunteers. This time he was found with some serious injuries to his tail and snout. It seems he had some more misfortune on the outside and encountered another wild kinkajou. He will remain inside to receive medication and recuperate.

SUST Animal Orphan Hospital

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Thankfully this month we saw Biko´s release (adult large headed capuchin) from the SUSTOAH and his reintroduction to the outside capuchin group. His wounds had healed nicely, and he seemed eager to get back outside. He re-joined his band of troublesome friends Nando (adult male white fronted capuchin), Rayka (juvenile female large headed capuchin) and Cesar (adult male spider monkey) and has got back into his usual routine very quickly.

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Igor enclosure has welcomed back some old and a new members this month. Chipi, one of our ruddy ground doves was moved to the SUSTOAH after it was noticed Chipi was not using one of their legs. Fortunately, recovery was quick enough, and after only a short stay, he returned to his friends. Pichu (white-eyed parakeet) and Picor (white winged parakeet) who had a long stay at the clinic, were returned to the Igor enclosure, along with new addition Minya (white winged parakeet). All birds are doing well and enjoying the extra space the enclosure provides.

Quarantine

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We welcomed another new arrival this month, Sencha the juvenile female coati. She had been kept as a pet for the most of her young life and is estimated to be around 3 or 4 months old, meaning she is extremely tame and completely unafraid of humans. Her playful and lively personality, which is typical of tame coatis, is keeping the volunteers on their toes and our plan is that she will soon join Sumo (adult male coati) outside.

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The quarantine building started to get less crowded this month as we were able to move quite a few animals out into their new homes. Rio (green winged macaw), Koda (blue and yellow macaw) and Zuna (yellow crowned amazon parrot) joined the Elmo aviary and Denani (scarlet macaw) moved into Pichu. All the introductions went well, and all birds seemed to have settled in nicely.

All 8 yellow footed tortoises were able to move into Momo enclosure to finish up their quarantine period, once it’s over we hope to move them into newly completed Rincay enclosure, joining Bronco the juvenile male capybara.

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And as always when room is available at Esperanza Verde, it never lasts long before the space is needed again. We got to welcome another member in the family; Rufo, an abandoned green winged macaw with a broken wing. He has clearly been with humans for some time, as he loves to be petted on the head. He was found abandoned by his owners and brought to Esperanza Verde.

Construction

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The improvements to Rincay enclosure were completed this month, the huge task involved replacing all posts and installing a more reinforced fence that will withstand the mud slides rainy season can bring. Rincay was previously being used to house non-climbing animals such as tapir and deer, giving them a large area to roam around in, with lots of leaves to forage for. This meant it was perfect for Bronco’s (juvenile male capybara) next step! He is loving the freedom the bigger enclosure brings and while he is no Michael Phelps, Bronco is often seen practising his swimming technique and loves to cool down in the big pond.

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After Broncos move, the focus now is on finalizing the project of the bigger enclosures for the cats. Wayra and Gaia, our juvenile female ocelots, will be the first ones moving out of their temporary enclosure to finally being full-time together in a large enclosure enjoying sufficient space and privacy. Thank you, Susy Utzinger, for making this happen!

Volunteer life

Things here at Esperanza Verde have been awfully quiet during April. On an unrelated note: Olivia, Kayla and Marlon were able to take a holiday this month, leaving Douwe and assistant manager Alex here to oversee things at home. The family are grateful to have some time to rest and visit family in The Netherlands and Olivia’s ongoing support while she is away is hugely appreciated. The team of dedicated volunteers will continue the good work and upkeep high standards and we´re looking forward to welcoming them all home in May!

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In Olivia´s absence, Douwe has stepped up to the mark by hosting the infamous weekly meeting, his enthusiasm for these events comes across clearly and he seems to be enjoying his new role. He even took volunteers on a leaf-walk this month and shared his extensive knowledge of the flora growing around the centre. Volunteers perform leaf-walks twice daily to supplement the diet of the leaf eating animals (for example the howler monkeys), to replicate their diet in the wild as much as possible.

It was also Douwe´s birthday in April, and after a long day working at the Don Jorge plantation, he celebrated together with the volunteers around a bonfire and with a homemade birthday cake.

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After the worldwide upheaval of the previous two years we are grateful that we again have a steady group of ever-changing volunteers working hard to keep the “wheels in motion” with animals getting the care and attention they so deserve.

Animals

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Payco (adult male crab-eating racoon) was released again this month from the Pepe enclosure. The wound on his back was healing slowly so he has been a resident for a long time. Once it had fully healed, he was ready to take on the outside world once again! He seems to be doing well and is spotted eating on his familiar outside feeding table. He even accompanied volunteers on a night walk with Takido (juvenile male crab-eating raccoon).

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Katinka (juvenile female spider monkey) was very happy to be let back out of the new Araña enclosure to rejoin her friends outside. Following her surgery last month, her wound had healed well, and further treatment could be completed outside.

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Darwin and Armando (male howler monkeys) were moved to the Araña enclosure, to make room for Maida and Watson (the younger, female and male howler monkeys) as they transition from the family house. Darwin and Armando have settled into their new surroundings well and are enjoying the change of scenery. Darwin´s deafening howl can be heard across the site and is a welcome sound to everyone´s ears. Unfortunately, the transition was delayed as Watson landed himself in some trouble this month. While exploring in the trees, just outside of the family house with Maida, he was involved in an altercation with Samara, one of the adult female woolly monkeys. He sustained bites to the head and serious damage to his left ear, but thankfully Lisa, a visiting veterinarian and previous volunteer was on hand and able to stitch him up. His wounds are healing well, and after a week of intensive care he is now making, together with Maida daily visits to Lulu enclosure with the intention of moving there before being released to enjoy the freedom and security available to them at Esperanza Verde.

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We also took the next step in introducing Wayra and Gaia (juvenile female ocelots) to each other. The pair were originally in Parda enclosure (with two compartments), which allows us to keep them separated but this month the exciting moment came where we could open the hatch segregating the two and they got to meet face-to-face. Introductions are going well, with Wayra taking the more dominant role but appears to be quite tolerant of Gaia. The pair have had some small fights but are now starting to relax into each other’s company.

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There were some unexpected guests at the volunteer house this month. Volunteers were surprised to discover some mouse opossum babies in the attic of the house and after it became clear that their mother was not going to return, the decision was made to move the babies into a self-made incubator. Unfortunately so small not all made it but after a bit of a rough start Rasta (male) starting at a weight of 6.6g, is steadily gaining weight and greedily drinking milk via syringe under intensive care by our dedicated volunteers.

SUST Animal Orphan Hospital

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Panchin (juvenile male woolly monkey) had a short stay in the clinic during March. After sustaining a fracture to his leg last year, he seemed to have made a full recovery, until a volunteer spotted him limping outside. The cause of the limping is currently unclear but suspected to be unrelated to the original injury. He was moved to Lulu enclosure, together with Keska (juvenile female woolly monkey) where he made a full recovery.

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Keska (juvenile female woolly monkey) has made incredible progress over the last month after sustaining a head injury in February. She became more mobile and started to climb once again and was moved from the family house to the clinic, then shortly after into the Lulu enclosure, where she was joined by juvenile male woolly monkey Panchin. The two were released together shortly afterwards. It was amazing how quickly Keska recovered and we were all so happy to see her climbing in the trees again, only a month after her head injury! We are all impressed with the resilience and strength she’s shown us.

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The juvenile male spider monkey (now called Alessi) that we received from The Ministry of Fauna and Flora a month ago has been doing really well in the SUSTOAH. Upon arrival he was very shy, curling up in a ball and hiding under the t-shirts in his cage, but has since become very playful. He was introduced to the young male spider monkeys Miyo and Ashuke in the Lucia enclosure. The three seemed to be getting on well during the day, they had been seen sleeping together and eating from the same plate. Alessi seemed to have gained confidence under the influence of Miyo and Ashuke and we decided to make the move permanent. All three young spider monkeys are often seen cuddling together in their box and Alessi looks like he is enjoying spending time with his new friends.

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At the end of the month, Biko (adult male large headed capuchin) made a trip to the SUSTOAH after sustaining some wounds outside. Volunteers heard some capuchins fighting high up in the trees and shortly after discovered that Biko was injured. The wounds were cleaned and had to be stitched up. He will now remain in the clinic to receive further care and will return to the outside soon, where we are confident, he will resume his usual mischievous behavior.

Quarantine

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All the new arrivals in quarantine have settled in nicely and are doing well. Amora, the adult chestnut-eared aracari, is a firm favourite already, her inquisitive and playful personality is perfect for enrichment. Volunteers are getting creative to make her stay in the quarantine building more enjoyable, before she can move into one of the outdoor aviaries. Enrichment is very important for all the animals, especially those in the SUSTOAH and quarantine building, as it stimulates them to engage in natural behavior, play and search for their food.

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Yuno (adult male kinkajou) was released this month from Aguatena enclosure, his taste of freedom was short lived, as he returned a few days later with some wounds that required treatment. Kinkajous are territorial animals and fighting between males is common in the wild. As kinkajous are known to us to be tough animals, we were not surprised Yuno made a speedy recovery so we could open the hatch again for him to give it another try outside. We hope with the experience learned he will act more carefully in the future.

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Construction

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The work on Rincay enclosure has continued and is making progress, although with all the rain fall it has not always been possible to work outdoors. We do hope that soon the enclosure will be fit for Bronco (male young adult capybara) who now resides in Momo enclosure, and a start can be made on the Ocelot and Margay enclosures. The extra rain means Douwe can work in the village welding doors and other prefabricated parts for the cat enclosures.

Volunteer life

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This month we were lucky to receive a visit from Lisa, of Germany who has been with us as a veterinarian volunteer a few years ago. She is a very busy bee, she spent every day of her 2 week stay completing the huge task of checking the fecal samples of all animals in enclosures and many of those outside, here at Esperanza Verde. Her interest in parasites is extremely helpful to us, especially all her research at home in Germany on the parasite Prosthenorchis Elegans, from which many of the outside monkeys suffer. Her findings also made for some interesting dinner conversation with the volunteers, and a good reminder on the importance of hygiene when working with animals.

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The mosquito crisis has continued this month and seems to be worse than previous years, with each new day bringing increasing numbers of our blood sucking friends. Volunteers showed great strength, battling through the day and maintaining the same high standards as always. With the end of rainy season approaching, we´re hopeful that we will get some relief soon. One very important lesson this month has taught us: DON´T SCRATCH!

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There are quite a few changes happening in the volunteer group, with lots of goodbyes and some new faces popping up. Everyone is very thankful for all the hard work done by the volunteer team, and we wish you the best for your travels home.

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Another great month at Esperanza Verde. Rainy season started with a bang at the beginning of February, with water almost reaching the volunteer house… and the mosquitoes are loving it!

Animals

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It was time for Ashuke and Miyo, our two new juvenile male spider monkeys to meet the other monkeys. Ashuke already had some experience from a previous release but he wasn’t very outgoing so we felt that being with Miyofor a bit could boost both of their confidence levels. So, when we opened the door for both, the first monkey to show interest in the 2 new releases was Yanay (adult female spider monkey). Of course, Biko, one of the outside large headed young adult male capuchins was directly inside for a leftover snack, while Ricuna and Chula (two juvenile female spider monkeys) came to play a bit with the two newcomers. Both Ashuke and Miyo will take their time to adapt, so late afternoon they return safely to their enclosure for the night. In time they will both be able to sleep and live outside.

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Payco, the adult crab-eating racoon was once again brought back to the Pepe enclosure. He was doing really well outside it seemed, but the wound on his back reopened and to avoid any further infections we decided to give him some more time for healing. It is going well, and the fur is now starting to cover the bald spot, so we are aiming for another release again next month!

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Maida (young female howler monkey) who had been struggling last month is definitely on the right path now, getting treated well at the family house, she now seems to never stop eating! She has been going outside quite a lot and has made friends with the woolly monkeys, especially with Lupa, one of our adult females.

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An adult pygmy ant eater was found by one of the locals in their garden. We relocated it to a safer area within the land surrounding EV, while explaining to the volunteers about this animal’s behavior and life in the jungle. This proves the importance of having a good relationship with the local community and the importance of education about local wildlife. It is great to notice the concern locals have and the effort they take sometimes to get an animal to safety.

SUST Animal Orphan Hospital

This month we were very pleased to welcome Philipp, Florian and Lukas from Esperanza Verde International. Philipp has been involved with EV since many years, as a good friend, veterinarian, and as president of the International Esperanza Verde Association (EVI). Philipp first met Douwe and Olivia in Ecuador while volunteering as a vet-student for the rescue centre AmaZOOnico. Florian is a veterinarian as well and highly involved in the Association (e.g., organization of the members and contacts). Lukas took charge many years ago of the website for EVI, without ever having visited. So for him this was the first real-life EV experience, finally enjoying the beauty for real instead of digitally! The purpose of their trip (they thought…) was to take a holiday and relax but of course we are grateful for the extra help and have taken every advantage of having two veterinarians and a IT-expert here as much as possible!

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Cesar (male adult spider monkey) who had his hand almost cut off, has made a remarkable recovery and got the all clear to go outside with the others again. All the outside monkeys welcomed him with open arms, Biko (adult male large headed capuchin) and Nando (adult male spix white capuchin) were very happy to have their playmate back.

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Two yellow-footed tortoises Momo and Diablito, that were previously released, were found near the center of Esperanza Verde. After a quick checkup in the clinic, we discovered they had parasites, so we kept them in for further treatment. Momo was soon up and about, and out, but Diablito developed some eye problems, so he will be a guest for a bit longer.

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Doquino (male adult agouti), from the Pepito enclosure, where he lives with three others, was brought to the SUST-hospital for the treatment of a swollen foot. He only needed a short treatment, loving the attention that he received from the volunteers, before he was returned.

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Katinka (female adult spider monkey) was one of several animals that profited from the visit from our Swiss friends. She needed some stitches as a wound was not closing on its own so together with Douwe, the veterinarians Philipp and Florian, she underwent a small operation and is now recovering in the recently reconstructed ´Araña´ enclosure.

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Several opossums (black-eared opossums) of the quarantine group, were able to be released, first going into an outside enclosure where they could go in and out, with food still provided. Unfortunately, some of the others were found to have some health concerns and were kept in the quarantine for treatment. The last of the group of opossums was Tila, who was treated for a bitten tail. She was moved to the outside enclosure and as with the others we expect here to find her way in the jungle soon again.

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Keska, one of our newerjuvenile female woolly monkey, suffered a head injury. The woollies were making a lot of noise which caught Geylers attention. His first thought was a snake moving in the bushes, but upon further inspection it appeared to be Keska laying in a puddle of water. She was still alive but very cold and non-responsive. Philipp, Florian and Alexandra, reacted quickly and got her warmed up and gave first aid. She then was moved to the family house, for further intensive care and observation. We were all afraid for her survival, but she made it through first night. Philipp reached out to a well-respected neurologist friend and further treatment was set up. Every day she seems to improve. Although we are still unsure what the future will hold for her, we stay hopeful. Her body functions, but her brain is not fully aware of what it can do. She is fighting, and we will do all in our power to help her regain her independence again.

Quarantine

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The ministry of Fauna and Flora reached out to us for help with several animals that they confiscated. With a steady group of volunteers willing to give a bit of extra help we were able to accept the newcomers. Our visitor veterinarians helped with the general health checks and treatments.

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Watson (juvenile male howler monkey) arrived with a fractured elbow. He was not doing well, not eating, so we made the exception of shortening his quarantine period and bringing him, together with Maida to the family house. It seemed to have been the best decision for both. Maida is stimulating him to eat leaves and other healthy veggies, while Watson is giving her some warm company. They really started to behave like siblings, with a lot of playing and squabbling and at the end of the day sleeping happily together.

Minya, a white winged parakeet who had had her feathers cut, is staying in the clinic at the moment while going through her quarantine period. Once finished she can be introduced into Igor cage where the other parakeets reside.

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Alicucu, an adult tropical screech-owl, is healthy, except for his feathers being partially cut. We hope we can keep him wild enough for an eventual release back into the wild. Volunteers are catching crickets or grasshoppers on a daily basis for him so he keeps up with his natural diet. As soon as he can fly fully again, a release will be possible.

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A young male spider monkey. We estimate him to be about 4 to 5 months old. He seems a bit skinny and we had to remove a bullet from his inner leg. Young monkeys who have been kept as pets can often have bullet fragments in their bodies, from when they were captured.

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Eight yellow-footed tortoises, all saved from being eaten! They were confiscated while being on their way to the food market. In this part of Peru, tortoises are unfortunately still a common dish for many locals.

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Amora, an adult chestnut-eared aracari, was confiscated, together with Koda, a yellow and blue macaw, Denani a scarlet macaw, Rio, a red and green macaw, Tilo, a Tui parakeet, Omar, a cobalt winged parakeet, Zuna, a yellow crowned Amazon parrot, and three blue headed parrots; Athena, Ares and Zeus. They all seemed well fed, although several have cut feathers. They were pets for some time, so after the quarantine they will join the other in the different aviaries.

Construction and other

February proved another very busy month in construction.

Thanks to some extra material still available we were able to complete the rebuilding of the Araña enclosure, one of the old structures with wooden posts. It is now a solid enclosure, with metal tubes and able to resist the climate of the jungle.

As mentioned in last update, thanks to the SUSY Utzinger Association in Switzerland we are now able to finance the construction of the new cats’ enclosures. All mesh has arrived and the area has been cleared, some more sand and cement and we are good to go!

As Bronco, the capibara, is starting to outgrow the Momo enclosure (the garden surrounding the cabin which Alexandra is occupying) he is becoming restless. The renewing of the Xena and Rincay enclosures became more urgent. Xena and Rincay are two of our open enclosures built in the earlier years for animals that are unable to climb (think capibara, peccaries, deer or tapirs). The replacement of the wooden posts was planned in 2020 but were delayed. After a short inspection, Douwe soon found out that one of the enclosures needed a bit more than only the replacement of the posts, basically totally new fencing around the enclosure of about 30 m².

Douwe, Geyler and the construction team took advantage of the recent rain deluge and were able to take a huge part of the sand and new mesh required for these constructions as well as for the new cat enclosures to site by the flooding stream that runs through Esperanza Verde. A welcome reprieve limiting the need to carry 90kg rolls of mesh the full distance from the main river to site.

Volunteers life

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We were happy to welcome back Emma and Kim, two former volunteers who stayed with us during the first lockdown period of covid.

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Sadly it is also the end for our Swiss volunteer Janick who stayed with us for a total of 10 months. He will now go over to working full time on his boat so that he soon can start his new journey across the Amazon river. Janick has written earlier about his boat-project and fundraising for Esperanza Verde, and soon he will start his dream. Thank you Janick and we wish you the absolute best on your way to the Atlantic ocean!

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We thank Philipp, Florian and Lukas for their visit, their ongoing help, and always being there for us helping us with all your expertise. We are happy you are all part of the big family of EV and we hope you enjoyed your stay, and could see and experience now firsthand what your help has and is achieving here at EV. A special thanks to Philipp from all the volunteers, as has become our own personal night walk guide which was super interesting and highly appreciated by all!

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This January was rather calm down here at Esperanza Verde. We are really happy to see new volunteers arriving, which allows us to have a normal schedule again. They seem to enjoy all of the advantages of being a bit secluded in this part of the rainforest, a nice jungle bubble.

Animals

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Last month Ashuke (male juvenile spider monkey) was released. He spent most of his time on top of the enclosure and seemed afraid of the outside monkeys. We decided to give him the opportunity to ease into more social contact by letting him join Miyo, the younger spider monkey in the clinic. At first, he was still a bit afraid, but as Miyo is a lot more confident, he was easily won over and they soon were sharing a box together at night to cuddle up. They were then moved to the outside enclosure Lucia, and we hope to let both of them out soon so they can join the others. At least Ashuke has become a lot more confident in playing with Miyo and soon hopefully other monkeys as well.

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Maida (female juvenile howler monkey) was introduced last month in Lucia cage to our two other howler monkey males Darwin and Armando. It went well and they all got used to each other, but something was wrong, she started eating less and less and dropped a lot of weight. She then was taken in by Olivia for more intensive care. It took some time, included some force feeding, and searching for the right leaves and mixes she would eat, she slowly improved and even showed her happy face quite a few times. She looks a bit like Darwin making a funny headshake with an open mouth while putting her hand in, gently biting on it. She goes out sometimes and seems to enjoy the company of the woollies outside. Lupa, one of our older female woolly monkeys, has taken a particular liking to her and has adopted a protective attitude towards her.

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Last month we introduced Gaia and Wayra (juvenile female ocelots) to each other for a short period of time during the day, in two separate adjacent cages with mesh between them. It seemed to go rather well, without any real aggressive behavior towards each other, even when they both had food on their own sides. We took it a step further by leaving them for several hours instead of 20-30 minutes, with regular checkups. There is still a long way to go before we can put them together in the same cage. We are indeed aware of the risks involved in this process, so we are taking it very slow, baby steps!

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Samara (female adult woolly monkey) has been struggling with the parasite Prosthenorchis Elegans for a long time. Even though she was never as bad as Moyo or Martin (two male woollies who not so long ago were under treatment in the clinic for the same parasite), she was losing fur, until she was almost bald, leaving very few fur patches on her body. However new fur has been growing for a few weeks now and she looks like a newborn baby with a new shiny and soft coat of fur.

SUST Animal Orphan Hospital

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Cesar (black spider monkey) is still recovering from his wound from a lawnmower. Even though he ripped out his stitches twice, it is now healing up very nicely. We do not know yet if he will regain

feeling or movement in his hand but we are very hopeful for him! Now a big job for the person working in the clinic is to make Cesar enrichment to keep him entertained until he can be released.

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Picor (white-winged parakeet) who went back to the Igor enclosure last month, was brought back to the clinic. His foot was fine, but his beak was injured, he had a previous (healed) break in his lower beak but now his upper beak has been split, for unknown reasons. Thanks to some Wonderglue we were able to fix it, he will stay in the clinic until we are sure that it has healed.

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Delta (orange winged amazon) finally got to join the other birds in Igor enclosure again. She will continue to get regular checkups to make sure she is doing well. Berto, another orange winged amazon, seemed to be very happy seeing her again, he kept on making funny noises while approaching and grooming her.

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Otis (adult male Ma’s night monkey) was moved from the outside enclosure Lucia to the clinic in order to give him more intensive care, an extra examination and cleaning of his knee injury, as it is still not getting better.

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Ricuna (juvenile female spider monkey) was found one afternoon limping on her left leg. No fracture or wound was found but after keeping a close eye on her for a day, we decided to take her in as she seemed to stay still, lying around on the floor and not eating anything. We noticed she was way worse than we thought, she had a fever, no coordination and no strength. We acted quickly and started treatment. We gave her liquids by syringe on the first day, then she started drinking by herself and got stronger day by day. After a while she started eating solid foods again and got control over her body. Now she is back to her normal self again, and we are so relieved and happy that all went well, however we are still clueless as to the cause. She was extraordinarily happy to be out again, immediately being picked up by Yanay (our ´Big mama´ adult spider monkey), and Chula (the daughter of Cumala, adult female spider monkey) was happy to see her teenage friend back again to play.

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All the yellow footed tortoises have been weighed and moved from their temporary enclosure Xena to the newly renovated Reptile’s enclosure. Before moving them, they all received a medical check at the clinic. The new enclosure will sustain them for a long time, finally having replaced the wooden posts with galvanized tubes and new mesh.

Quarantine

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The opossums in the quarantine are anxious to get out. In the wild at this stage, they would start fending for themselves. While we are awaiting the arrival of representatives of the Ministry of Flora and Fauna for their official release, we decided to separate them into smaller groups to avoid any aggression and hope it will soon be possible to let them all run free.

Ido (biggest male opossum) took time for his final release. His release started last year, and he has sometimes been staying in the outside enclosure Aguatena with the hatch to the big outside world being open 24 hours. He then finally decided not to return to the enclosure, so we hope he has found his way in the wild again. We are sure there will be enough food for him to be found in this area!

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Yuno, the male juvenile kinkajou, was then moved to the Aguatena enclosure outside and will hopefully start his soft-release period soon.

Construction and other

Great news for our crowdfunding campaign with the Susy Utzinger foundation in Switerland: enough money has been raised together to start getting the materials we need. Thank you to everyone who has already donated to help Diego, Grety, Wayra and Gaia towards a bigger enclosure!

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Meanwhile the old Araña enclosure has been taken apart and a new one has almost arisen. Only a few details are left and then we will have a cage that is fit for bigger birds, monkeys and other mammals. First it will give some more space to Cesar for his further recovery!

Volunteers and other

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Even with few volunteers at the start of the year there are still some nice projects going on! One of the volunteers, Jay, fixed up the firepit so we are all waiting for the end of the rainy season for some great bonfire nights.

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We had a presentation about CPR and the basic gestures we should all know in case of an emergency, human or animal related. Then we talked about the natural disasters that can occur in this region, what could happen, and what to do in an emergency.

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We had a visit by a big group of people brought by a local shaman. They received a tour given by Douwe and Olivia, about the problems of the illegal animal market in Peru, how it affects the future of animals and the work we are trying to do to give all of them a second chance here at Esperanza Verde.

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Good news came with the arrival of volunteer Sjoerd from The Netherlands, who took the initiative to ask the company AVH Dairy, which produces goatmilk powder, for a donation. They donated goatmilk powder, as much as Sjoerd could carry. We got in contact to thank them, and they said they would be happy to donate more in the future. This is great news for all the howlers, sloths and other special animal species to whom the normal human baby milk powder (based on cow’s milk) is often upsetting to their stomach. Thank you to AVH Dairy from the Netherlands for your generosity!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and enjoyed a nice evening before saying hello to the new year! Although many are having to deal with new outbreaks and Covid restrictions, let’s hope for the best and get it started well…. We sure will try here at Esperanza Verde!

Esperanza Verde could not do it without all your support, if it is financial, in materials, in knowledge, in labour or morally…. The combination of it all is what brings future to so many of these animals and their environment that are in need of saving.

!THANKS TO YOU ALL!

Animals

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It was finally time for Ashuke (young male black spider monkey) and Rasu (young male, large headed capuchin) to get a taste of the outside world. For Rasu it went rather quickly, he was out and within a few days he was already hanging with the other juvenile capuchins of the outside group.
Ashuke doesn’t have quite the same social skills… He was quickly out of the enclosure, but has remained close to it every day. He goes back inside in the afternoon to eat and sleep. Some monkeys are just slower than others to adapt to change, like in humans……, so we remain patient. We are sure he will find his way and, as always, Yanay the biggest female spider monkey does her best to help him.

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After some time in the clinic Panchin (juvenile male Humboldt’s woolly monkey), had recovered from a broken leg, and joined Ashuke, Rasu and Darwin (male howler monkey) in the Lulu enclosure. His leg has healed remarkably well. After spending a bit of time in the enclosure to strengthen his muscles, he was ready for the outside again, where he quickly joined the daily ritual of young monkeys running and playing.

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Darwin, our 4-year-old male howler monkey who was residing in Lulu enclosure has had a busy month! We always try our best to look for the best living conditions for both humans as animals, and Darwin had always been doing so well, we felt he deserved another chance to be outside again. He started of running around and happily howling in the trees. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long till he decided to try and dominate a recently arrived volunteer, by biting him on the leg. Our assistant manager Alex quickly intervened and to avoid any further risks we had to decide, yet again, to return him to an enclosure. A very sad thing for all of us too as he was such a beautiful sight howling outside in the trees.

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For now, Darwin will be residing again in the Lulu-enclosure, being joined now and then by other monkeys. This month, he was also joined by a few new comers from out of the quarantine: Keska and Tasha (juvenile female Humboldt’s woolly monkeys) and Maida (juvenile female howler monkey). Keska and Tasha stayed a few weeks in Lulu to get acquainted with the outside monkeys before being released. Keska was the first to go, and then Tasha followed, both directly going high up in the trees to get some fresh leaves. The outside monkeys have been great in including them into their group. Maida is still very young and will stay with Darwin a while longer.

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The very sad news this month was the unexpected death of our alpha woolly monkey male Monano. We noticed he had gone missing and, although we searched for him, it wasn´t until a few days later when we noticed a bad smell that we found him. He had already begun decomposing so we could not determine what happened to him. We suspect, as he has been struggling with the parasite P. Elegans, his death might have been the result of a perforation of the intestines. He will be missed dearly, as he had the whole group of monkeys under control with a calmness that was beautiful to see, and with a mutual respect between him and us.

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Otis (adult male Ma’s night monkey) has been under surveillance for some time as he has not really been keeping the weight he should. After further examination we discovered that an old wound on his knee never properly healed which may have caused further problems in his joint as well as muscles of his leg. He is now in the Lucia enclosure where he is receiving our full attention on a daily basis, being treated with a warm compress and some physiotherapy for his leg.

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Igor, the enclosure for non-releasable birds, has been fully renovated, with new branches, leaves and sand. All the birds were temporarily moved to the Tupak enclosure giving Douwe and the team free reign in Igor, without the fear of unnecessary stress or unwanted releases. All birds went via the SUSTOAH undergoing a thorough check up. Most birds got a thumbs up but Pichu (white-eyed parakeet) was placed together with Delta (orange winged amazon) for observation as she was found a bit too skinny.

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Gaia and Wayra (juvenile female ocelots) have taken their next step towards becoming “roommates”. So far, they have lived in separate enclosures. And to be able to introduce them in the near future we need to get them familiar with each other first. It can be a bit complicated work, we have to switch them every day in between the enclosures so they get used to each other’s scents. For the future new and bigger enclosures are already in the plans and we are so happy and grateful to the Susy Utzinger Stiftung in Switzerland as they started a crowd funding campaign for this project. Thank you again for all your help Susy!

SUST Animal Orphan Hospital

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Picor (white winged parakeet) was found this month with a wounded foot. He was brought to the clinic where he got examined and treated. He got to reside in the clinic for another week but was then brought back to the other birds in the freshly renovated Igor enclosure.

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Delta (orange winged amazon) is now in the SUSTOAH again. She has been having trouble with her eyes and suspecting it being sinusitis she was treated with a nasal flush. She seems to be getting a bit better and is again gaining weight.

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She then was joined by Pichu, one of the white-eyed parakeets, and as soon as both have gained weight, they can join the others in the Igor enclosure again.

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Asuki, the young dusky headed parakeet, received a name change to Kentaro. The name was just a bit too much like the name of the young spidermonkey Ashuke. Kentaro was ready to fly, and before the birds got back into the Igor enclosure, we gave him the opportunity to explore the cage for 24 hours.

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He then got joined by all the rest (8 parakeets, 4 ground doves, two Amazon parrots, 1 macaw and Inuk, another dusky headed parakeet). Full house all of a sudden for small Kentaro, but he seems to have taken a liking to Dani (mealy Amazon parrot) as he decided to sleep next to her on the first night!

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Cesar (juvenile male spider monkey) found himself in the clinic this month after he suffered a severe cut to his wrist. Cesar is always very inquisitive to anyone or anything different happening around Esperanza Verde and choosing to surprise a brushcutter/ lawnmower when in full operation was not one of his better ideas. This altercation left Cesar´s hand barely attached. Cesar´s hand was reattached and has now had a second operation after the wound reopened. So far, Cesar seems more concerned about being enclosed in the clinic than any evidence of pain, so that we take as a good sign and monitor his recovery to see how much mobility he regains in the coming weeks/months.

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Naka (female Humboldt’s woolly monkey) came into the SUSTOAH with a broken arm. For a few weeks we were able to keep a bandage on and around the arm to set it in the right position. When she finally succeeded in ripping it off, we were happy to see the arm stayed in the right position, so we could leave it. Her further recovery went remarkably well, getting strength back in her arm every day a bit more and more. She joined Martin, the male woolly monkey still in the clinic for treatment for the P. Elegans parasite, as both were getting really impatient, and a bit of company is very important for a social animal like woollies are.

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It is wonderful to see how Martin is again eager for the food and especially likes to chew on some leaves freshly picked by the volunteers. As he has been gaining weight, we decided it was time to give it a shot again to let him out where he can forage better himself for leaves and get into the social life of the monkey group outside again. So, we opened the door to the outside for both Naka and Martin and it didn’t take them long to run out and climb the trees to join the rest of the monkey troop. For the next hour a lot of happy woolly monkey chirping could be heard.

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Our youngest guest in the clinic is the male spider monkey Miyo. He is gaining more and more courage as he grows. He still gets his daily vitamins from a volunteer and every now and then he even gets to join on a walk outside! Soon he will be introduced to the other monkeys. He is already getting regular visits of our eldest female spider monkey Yanay. We hope she will look after him on the outside, as she has done with so many other babies before.

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Lupa (female Humboldt’s woolly monkey) is once again outside. Earlier this year she suffered from a stillbirth and seems to have been a bit depressed since. Now it looks like she has become the mentor of Maloha (juvenile female woolly monkey) and is often seen with her trailing along. We hope that this cheers Lupa up and that she can enjoy the outside. She is still under close observation and receiving her vitamins on a daily basis.

Quarantine

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In the quarantine the group of young opossums are growing steadily. We had to separate them in smaller groups as two opossums got the tip of their tails bitten, and another one an injured eye. The wounded are already recovering well and the separation effort seems to have allow the oppossoms peace within the smaller groups. Soon they will be ready for the first step towards their release, moving to an outdoor enclosure.

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Yuno, the male juvenile kinkajou, is doing well and soon will move out of the quarantine to an outside enclosure for release afterwards. Thankfully he is not at all interested in people and we hope this will contribute to him having a fruitful life outside.

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As Payco, the adult male crab eating raccoon is still recovering from a wound on his back, in the Pepe enclosure, Takido, the younger male, has been taken to reside for now in one of the quarantine enclosures. For Takido it does not seem to be a problem, as he has been going on evening walks more and more. Two volunteers take him down to the local creek where he can forage for crabs and snails. He has plenty of energy so it is a good enrichment as well as preparation for his release when he gets older.

Construction and other

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The outside extension of the Almacen has this month been completed. Now we can work on bigger projects outside without having the monkeys bothering us.

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At the plantation Finca Don Jorge, all is going very well, and more and more variation in food items are brought to Esperanza Verde. As rainy season is on its way it is a good time for planting new fruit trees to ensure a steady source of food for the future.

Volunteers

We started December with a high number of volunteers but have said goodbye to several of them and hope to welcome new volunteers again in January.

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Luckily, we had a visitor, of ex-volunteer and good friend of the family and EV, Manuel from Germany, giving us a hand where needed.

We had some great parties, as always in December here at EV. It started with the typical Dutch celebration of San Nicolaas, everybody being very inventive again with their gifts. We celebrated Christmas at the family house, with a great dinner prepared by Craig and Olivia, and a party after that went till well in the morning…. And still the animals were all fed and well cared for the next day!

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New year we celebrated at the volunteer kitchen, starting with a great lasagna, prepared by Arthur, Alex and Manu, and some typical Dutch oliebollen from Douwe and Olivia and Kayla. At 12:00 we all went to the port, to get some fireworks going (so animals were not spooked at all). We returned for a great campfire, with the symbolic burning of a puppet, representing the past year (in this case the puppet took the shape of COVID, not surprisingly), giving way for a fresh start in the new year.

The pandemic has created many problems worldwide, but here at Esperanza Verde there was calm. November was determined to shatter that calm and reintroduce the daily triumphs and trials that new animals and new volunteers bring.

The SUSTOAH once again proving invaluable with more animals passing through its doors than has become the ‘normal’. Keep reading to hear about the frequent highs and occasional lows that made November special at Esperanza Verde.

Animals

November was a month for releasing animals. As every year the local Ministry of Flora and Fauna visit us for an inspection, giving us a great opportunity to release some animals that had received the necessary care and were determined fit for freedom again. Several yellow footed tortoises and a yellow spotted river turtle were ready. Releasing animals is always a volunteer favourite so all volunteers were on hand when these wonderful animals were released into and around the area of the small (sometimes not so small thanks to rainy season) stream that runs through Esperanza Verde.

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The time had come for Moyo (adult male Humboldt’s woolly monkey) to make the shift from Lulu to the more spacious La Sapa enclosure joining Kamayo, the adult male woolly monkey, and two large headed capuchin monkeys, Yanamayo and Selda.

Moyo is now a different monkey, looking far more beautiful than he ever has been and more active than we have seen him in a very long time. Unfortunately, Moyo’s new splendour came at a price as it appears; he forgot he was not as large and strong as Kamayo, receiving a bite to his forearm that required a few stitches. La Sapa enclosures front cage does not allow enough distance to safely capture a monkey but a combination of Olivia’s patience and Douwe’s skill with a blow dart gun meant that Moyo was able to be separated, tranquilised and then moved with as little stress and danger to both monkey and humans as possible. Moyo spent just two weeks recovering in the SUSTOAH before being returned to La Sapa enclosure, where he found his place again in the hierarchy within the enclosure.

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Ashuke, the juvenile spider monkey and Rasu, a young large headed capuchin male, moved from the SUSTOAH into the outside Lulu enclosure with Darwin the howler monkey. The beauty of this enclosure is that it gives the opportunity for maximum exposure to the outside monkeys with the safety and security of wire mesh to confine them. Both monkeys will be released to join the outside troop in the next few weeks.

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Gaia, the young female ocelot, made the big move from the family house to the newly completed Wayra enclosure (named after our first ocelot). Gaia is still young and in the wild would still be highly dependent on her mother. Unfortunately, being taken away too young and being raised by humans she will never learn sufficient hunting skills to be able to survive in the wild. So, for now we will compensate the loss of her mother by not applying the no-touch policy, and volunteers are able to interact with her directly. Of course, quickly she has become a volunteer favourite. As Gaia gets bigger and more unpredictable our “no touch” policy will come into force again, safeguarding both volunteers and Gaia from unnecessary stress and possible injury. Plans are already in progress for a new larger purpose-built feline enclosure encompassing residence for the two margay Grety and Diego as well as the two ocelots Gaia and Wayra.

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Since his release, Punsho, the juvenile male South American coati was a real character to be aware of. Always keen to steal compost buckets or prove that the food you were carrying was really for him. Unfortunately, one morning Geyler found Punsho laying on top of one of the enclosure fences and not interacting, which is highly out of character. After being taken to the clinic Punsho’s demise was rapid and he passed away within the first ten minutes. A thorough necropsy revealed a few abnormalities but neither Douwe our team of consulting veterinarians were able to conclude a definitive reason for his death.

SUST Animal Orphan Hospital

SUSTOAH was where the majority of the action was this month, and the stitches in the arm of Moyo was just the beginning of what was to be an eventful month.

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Payco the crab eating raccoon was again in need of treatment. Thankfully this time it was only a minor bite needing cleaning and antibiotics. Payco is making a great recovery in his old outside cage Pepe and we envision re-releasing Payco in the coming weeks.

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Maru the Ma’s night monkey who is normally in residence outside the family house was caught and brought in for observation and tests as he was looking worse for wear and in need of some extra care. Although Maru was given the best diet possible and treated for parasites his condition continued to deteriorate. After nearly 3 weeks in the clinic Maru succumbed to Prosthenorchis Elegans as a worm perforated his intestinal wall. Maru was as comfortable as we could make him, yet he was not to be one of the success stories where we managed to win the ongoing battle against this parasite. Like all who have gone before him, Maru will be another character that is missed from the daily goings on.

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Another monkey in the struggle against Prosthenorchis Elegans is Martin, a young adult male Humboldts woolly monkey. Martin continues his stay in SUSTOAH and although his condition is no longer deteriorating, it is a slow progress to seeing improvements. Our recent successes with Moyo and Yanamayo, the large headed capuchin, and the vitality they showed after treatment certainly boosts the belief that Martin is on the road to recovery and hopefully after regaining some condition can be released to join the other semi captive monkeys at Esperanza Verde.

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Woolly monkeys certainly dominated the ranks of animals within the SUSTOAH this month. Naka (adolescent female) and the recently released Panchin (juvenile male) entered both the clinic, having fallen high from a tree after ‘playing’ with one of the spider monkey males. Naka is suffering from a broken arm which is currently strapped to her body to ensure it heals in the correct position, and Panchin has a broken leg which we hope will heal sufficiently giving him the calm surrounding of the clinic. Panchin is already using his leg more each day, and is very eager to leave, as he shows us by complaining a lot. Naka has always been one of our more relaxed monkeys and currently spends most days just relaxing on a branch in her cage showing eagerness and liveliness when it is time for vitamins or feeding.

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Lupa, an adult female Humboldts woolly monkey, who suffered from a miscarriage, was released after her appetite had returned and she appeared to be progressing well. Then after only a week she was reintroduced to the SUSTOAH because of her lethargy and changes in habits/personality. Now we are able to monitor her condition more closely and ascertain if she has indeed something physically wrong with her or if there is some other factor contributing.

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The young male woolly monkey Yauri, who was encountered with a fever made a full recovery and was released to enjoy the company of the other monkeys and the freedom available to him.

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Miyo the baby black spider monkey male continues to live in the SUSTOAH and being so young is a highlight for many as he requires a lot of attention and nurturing that would normally be left to other monkeys. After a few false starts, Miyo is now able to drink his milk unassisted from a dish, and is making progress daily in other independent activities. We envisage Miyo spending some time in an enclosure with other monkeys very soon, giving him an outlet for his limitless energy as well as a chance to socialise with other monkeys.

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With the visit of the Ministry Asuki a young fledgling dusky headed parakeetarrived. His life started as a pet in a local family, but soon they noticed that even a small bird like this is not always easy to take care of. He is a bit skinny and will be staying in the clinic, receiving some extra vitamins and sufficient attention.

New Animals

Everybody ‘loves’ surprises, but some are easier to accept than others. While we already had a representative here, we received an unexpected visit from the same Ministry of Fauna and Flora, all of course occurring on an already busy day (both Naka and Payco were receiving their initial treatment). Thankfully Douwe and Olivia along with the new team of volunteers handled the extra pressure well, ensuring all necessary tasks continued as normal as well as checking and placing the new animals into their enclosures. With the SUSTOAH already full we were highly appreciative of the fact that the quarantine, generously funded by the foundation Jaap van de Graaf from The Netherlands, was completed.

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Some animals made a very brief stay and were able to be released after a health assessment by the veterinarian of the Ministry, as well as by our professional team here at EV. Others will remain in quarantine until being placed into outside enclosures or enjoying the freedom of semi captivity within Esperanza Verde. Seeing one of the new monkeys (a young female howler) expel about fifteen 10-15 cm long worms, shows us the significance again of having a good quarantine protocol in place. This drastically reduces the risk of any of these parasites to find their way to our resident animals. It is not uncommon for animals coming from the illegal trade or form a life as a pet, to have parasites or other medical problems.

All new animals were either seized prior to being on sold into illegal trade, already pets, or displaced due to land redevelopment. In the first few days the following animals were given another chance at freedom and released into different locations of Esperanza Verde.

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• A Striped owl
• A Two toed sloth
• An adult Pygmy anteater
• A mother Opossum with 2 babies.

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The animals remaining in quarantine are:

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• A juvenile female Red Juala Howler monkey, named Maida.
• Two young female Humboldts woolly monkeys, named Tasha and Keska.

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• A young male Kinkajou, named Yuno.

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• 7 very young opossums and 1 juvenile opossum.

Construction and other

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Geyler spent the majority of this month working on his own land which normally leaves the burden of his work on Douwe. Fortunately, the two new workers handled the month in their stride completing the lion’s share of the renewal of the posts of the reptile enclosure and work also could begin on improving the entrance to our storage of food and tools, the Almacen.

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As the rainy season approaches, the river will get higher, and beaches will be scarcer. Therefore, a lot of labour in these lasts months has been focused on getting sand for concrete for any foundations that could become necessary for any constructions in the coming months. It means hard manual labour; going by boat to a nearby beach, collecting sand by shovelling it in bags of roughly 25kg in weight, carrying and transporting by boat, and then carrying them all to the centre of Esperanza Verde.

Volunteers

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New volunteers continue to arrive, giving the long-term volunteers and assistants the opportunity for a well-earned holiday. We were fortunate enough to welcome Mark to the fold in November who is a Veterinarian from Egypt who is planning on spending the next year at Esperanza Verde.

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November also saw Olivia and Alex attending a workshop in nearby Pucallpa. The workshop was to train people form the Ministry of Fauna and Flora, who are involved in the confiscation of wildlife, to improve their skills in recognition of species, as well as to train and teach about animal handling during the confiscation and care taking after. A very good initiative taken by the World Conservation Society.

It was a month of new animals, new beginnings for recently released animals, new energy from fresh new volunteers and even a change of season which saw the almost drought like conditions finally break. The often-frantic pace of Esperanza Verde continued throughout the month, read on to see how we kept ourselves occupied in October.

Animals

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Moyo (adult male Humboldt’s woolly monkey) had the month enjoying a lot of interest from the outside group of monkeys, but also got new company within Lulu enclosure. Panchin the young male woolly monkey who arrived last month, moved from the SUSTOAH (clinic) to enjoy Moyo’s company. Initially neither monkey seemed happy with the introduction, Moyo was uninterested and Panchin screaming and getting as far away from Moyo as possible, yet after just a few days both monkeys could be seen sleeping together or sheltering from the rain. After a few weeks Panchin was released to the outside world where a great deal of curiosity was shown by Cesar the juvenile male spider monkey who took Panchin under his arm and showed him the ‘ropes’. It is a gorgeous sight to see two young monkeys bonding so easily, and if Panchin is not directly enjoying the company of Cesar he is actively mixing with the other young woolly monkeys. Panchin initially spent the days outside playing and returned to the safety and familiarity of Lulu enclosure in the evenings, but is now a permanent semi released monkey.

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Another monkey joining Moyo and Panchin within Lulu enclosure was Darwin, our young adult male Jurua red howler monkey. Darwin, along with all the other animals are needing to adapt to the excitement of having unfamiliar and new people around after the better part of a year with very few new faces. Darwin hasn’t handled the transition so well and in conjunction with a seemingly coming of age showed too much exuberance to one of our new volunteers resulting to a bite to her ankle. Douwe (alpha male primate second only to Olivia 😉) was on hand to intervene but Darwin’s normal playful demeanour had a more determined nature. Darwin is currently residing with Moyo while Olivia investigates further and corresponds with other animal rescue centres on the best way to deal with an amorous adult male howler monkey.

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Back in May, along with many other animals received from the ministry that month was a young spectacled caiman. After his transitory stay in Aguatena and having put on sufficient size the time had come to release him back into nature. All the volunteers were present for the release which is always an exciting moment seeing yet another beautiful creature being released into a natural habitat.

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After his brief stay in Pepe enclosure enjoying the best fare available. Otis, the Ma’s night monkey was released and was quick to resume his daily ritual of hanging about the volunteer house. Otis’ weight will be monitored over the coming weeks to ensure his weight and health is consistent.

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Takido our newest crab eating raccoon is progressing in leaps and bounds (quite literally) with his weight and independence improving constantly. Takido moved into the more spacious Pepe enclosure and is making the progression to solid foods. Fresh fish certainly appears to be a new favourite. Takido will now stay in Pepe enclosure until he is of a size sufficient to be released. In the interim he is being taken for regular evening walks by volunteers to familiarise himself with his new home.

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Bronco, the male capybara has settled well into the Momo enclosure and is lavishing in the attention on offer from anyone with five minutes to spare. The fact that he has spent most of his life as a pet and is unable to be released means that our strict “No Touch” policy will not apply in this case. It is difficult to see who enjoys the “petting” more, but the noises Bronco makes suggests he is definitely enjoying it.

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October was also the month where we received a visit of the governmental organisation, OSINFOR. This agency is responsible for overviewing and checking that all animal centres (including zoos) animal are following the law to the book, often involving a lot of bureaucracy, but a necessity as the illegal trade in animal is unfortunately one of the biggest markets in the world.

The visit went smoothly, some suggestions were made, but yet again we think Esperanza Verde passed with flying colours.

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Babies are always exciting, and more so when they are from animals that have a history within Esperanza Verde. Telling individual capuchin monkeys apart is a skill that does not come easily for all, yet nearly any volunteer over the previous five years could name Nera from her behaviour and demeanour. All eyes were on her over the last few weeks as it became blatantly obvious that Nera was pregnant, and as the month came to a close, we celebrated the successful arrival of another healthy baby capuchin.

SUST Animal Orphan Hospital

After a few months of the SUSTOAH being added to other feeding tours, this month saw us needing and having the opportunity to yet again have a dedicated volunteer on hand at all times. A full house with new arrivals and ongoing treatment meant that there was never a dull moment.

Dakiri, one of our resident female agoutis, spent a few days in the clinic after she was seen with a massive lump on her side. Being one of the less tame agoutis meant that both Olivia and Douwe had to be on their “A” game and after a few near misses Dakiri was in a bag and transported to the SUSTOAH for closer inspection.

The lump was found to be a large boil and after rather dramatically removing the fluid and thoroughly cleaning the wound Dakiri was kept in the clinic for observation for a few days before being released into Pepito enclosure. The major concern with this procedure is the shear stress of the situation can be enough to kill an animal of this type meaning feeding and cleaning regimes were changed to ensure the most comfortable stay possible. Dakiri quickly recovered and was brought back to her outside enclosure to settle once again into her standard routine, often the last to be seen feeding ensuring to be free from harassment from any of the other agoutis.

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Martin, a juvenile male Humboldts woolly monkey is spending some time residing in the SUSTOAH after it became apparent that he was losing weight and his normal condition was deteriorating. After stool sampling it was discovered Martin had both Prosthenorchis Elegans and giardia. Necessary treatment was administered and Martin will remain until he has the all clear.

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Martin was joined by Lupa, an adult female Humboldts woolly monkeyafter just a few days. Lupa unfortunately experienced a still birth and both her behaviour and mobility was not as good as it previously was. Lupa is receiving treatment as well as extra vitamins and like Martin is sure to benefit from the extra attention.

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And as there were not already sufficient woollies with health issues, we found Yauri, a young male who was released to semi-captivity some months ago, outside laying on the floor with a high fever. We decided quickly to take him in, and started treatment in the clinic.

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After her previous stay in the SUSTOAH Delta the orange winged amazon parrot’s weight was being monitored weekly. Although there are no apparent health issues Delta continues to lose weight while in the Igor enclosure. She now returns to the clinic joining Berta one of last month’s new arrivals for some personal time and a controlled diet ensuring she is getting the best care possible. If the new vocalisations are anything to go by one could suggest Delta appreciates the attention.

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We had a visit towards the end of the month from the ministry, but from a different location to our normal avenue of new arrivals. With them came two new young male spider monkeys of 3 months, named Miyo, and Ashuke of 12 months respectively and Rasu, a young large headed capuchin male of 5 months. Both older monkeys are enjoying each other’s company, whereas the smaller spider monkey is in a small cage and where possible is being ‘mothered’ by whoever is fortunate enough to be working in the SUSTOAH on any given day. All monkeys were formally being kept as pets or in the case of the capuchin seized prior to being sold.

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Two new yellow footed tortoises were left to us from the nearby village of Bello Horizonte. Often it is due to concern for their well-being that people hand over tortoises as they are still a welcome addition to local dinner tables. After a brief stay to ensure there are no ongoing health issues, both tortoises will be released into the relative safety of the small creek that runs through the centre of Esperanza Verde.

Construction

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While making a start with a new temporary enclosure for Wayra and Gaia, the two young ocelots, the focus is also on several necessary maintenance job. Geyler is now beginning to take over from Douwe, taking charge of the construction, as well as general maintenance. Together with two new workers, the reptile enclosure will be upgraded from wooden posts to metal and fencing where needed will be renewed.

We also got to see a lot more of Machico this month who normally spends most of his days at Finca Don Jorge. Machico spent the majority of the month cleaning the boundaries, around the new plantings and the plantations at Esperanza Verde. This is a task he undertakes at least four times a year and is invaluable piece of ongoing maintenance.

Volunteers and other

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This month we were happy to welcome 4 new volunteers with some staying for 3 months. Not only is their presence appreciated to assist with the daily running of Esperanza Verde, it is a welcome change to have fresh ideas and fresh eyes seeing enrichment and enclosures in a different light.

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October is also a big month for birthdays at Esperanza Verde. Marlon turned the big 12 and celebrated in true style with a party at home including friends, family and volunteers. Needless to say, plenty of sugar was consumed and everyone had a great night.

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Olivia our matriarch also celebrated her birthday turning the absolute milestone of 50!

As a surprise, her oldest brother and two of her best friends flew from Holland to surprise Olivia, arriving a few days prior to the big day. And although it is often hard to keep something from her, Douwe, Kayla and all here at EV, did a great job at keeping her in the dark. She literally could not believe her eyes at the moment they arrived. It was a happy gathering and needless to say, it was a great opportunity for catching up and making up for times lost to the world being in lock down. Inevitably they were happy to join us all and help us in the daily choirs at Esperanza Verde, a never ending operation.

The birthday celebrations started with lunch at Finca Don Jorge, then a change of venue and pace to the family house, to include the volunteers joining in the revelry, dancing and celebrating in true Esperanza style. Party time!