August brought a stubborn dry spell, making leaf walks tougher and prompting monkeys to chew on hoses to clench their thirst. After several fruitless rain dances, we all decided to cool off with a refreshing swim in the crystal-clear river at the port—what a welcome escape!
Animals
This was the month of releases, as our Fauna and Flora Ministry attaché conducted her annual inspection of Esperanza Verde. She makes sure that all animals receive proper care, verifies our paperwork, and oversees and validates the release process.
- Freya, the striped owl, initially stood still in her enclosure, hesitant to leave. However, as the crowd dispersed, she seized the opportunity and fled unnoticed. We’re hopeful she’ll thrive in the wild.
- Wicume and Inuk, two dusky-headed parakeets, were moved to an outdoor enclosure with Issa, the newer parakeet of the same species, in preparation for their release. They quickly ventured out and chose not to return for a snack, showing their eagerness to return to the wilderness.
- Tocay, a white-throated toucan also began his journey to freedom by getting extra training to build up his flying muscles. Hopefully, he’ll be flapping about in no time.
- Kelso, the two-toed sloth, has grown into quite the big boy. He was growing tired of the daily visits to the plantation and wanting independence. We gave him a hatch in his enclosure and added branches leading to nearby trees. He explored his surroundings the first night and has consistently returned for breakfast, enjoying the best of both worlds.
- Who’s familiar with Daikiri and Mojita? (You might recall that we love naming this species after cocktails) They’re agoutis and the ultimate introverts, always keeping their distance. So, we thought it best to give them a taste of freedom. Their buddies—Doquino, Kampari, and Jope— are far too friendly to leave their enclosure, but they’ll also be getting more space to roam around now. Cheers to Daikiri and Mojita, as they join the wild agoutis dancing around us!
Susy Utzinger Orphan Animal Hospital
We’re closely monitoring our female woolly monkeys due to recent health concerns. Almira, an adult female, has been struggling, showing symptoms reminiscent of other woolly monkeys with complicated illnesses in the last few years. Almira’s belly and face are swollen, and her appetite has significantly decreased. Our veterinarians and veterinary students are all vigilant in providing care and medication.
Murat, the yellow-footed tortoise, was released but taken to the clinic as we noticed he was not using one of his legs. He completely stopped eating, prompting us to stimulate his appetite with daily baths and tasty treats like elephant ear leaves. Thankfully, he eventually passed stool and has since been voraciously eating and appears much improved. Ready for release again!
Otis, an adult male night monkey released years ago, and still hanging out around the family house, received a one-way ticket to SUSTOAH, as he was not using his left leg and had a wound on his back. This leg is the same one he injured years ago, and the muscles have atrophied since. Our volunteers are eager to assist in his recovery, who wouldn´t want some night monkey cuddles…
During the cleaning of the Pichu enclosure, we discovered that Lina, an orange-winged Amazon, wasn’t flying. Further inspection revealed that her wing feathers were ripped, likely due to bullying from another bird. She was taken to SUSTOAH for treatment before being moved to a small cage in the outside enclosure for the non-flyers (Igor), where she’ll gradually be reintroduced to the other feathered friends.
Quarantine
The quarantine has noticeably quieter work hours, as we could release all the turtles; four six-tubercled river turtles, 42 yellow-spotted river turtles and a giant South American freshwater turtle, and 9 yellow footed tortoises, it was a real shell-ebration…
Amaya, the young female large-headed capuchin, was moved to an outdoor enclosure where she can scope out her future kingdom at Esperanza Verde! In the evenings, she’s joined by the adventurous trio of squirrel monkeys – Dina, Mina, and Syenna who are still finding their grounding in the wild. The outside capuchins quickly caught on to Amaya’s arrival and have taken it upon themselves to be her guardians (especially Daytona), shooing away any pesky spider monkeys or mischievous other critters that dare to lounge on the roof. Talk about a warm welcome!
Volunteers & other
We were sad to say farewell to Samira, who spent six fulfilling months as a vet alongside Carlotta. She made a significant impact on the animals and was a cherished colleague. We wish her the best and hope she returns to visit or work!
Carlotta enjoyed some quality family time when her mother, brother, and sister came to the centre, pitching in at the Bodega and cutting green bananas – enough to stock up for a lifetime! They shared some truly wonderful moments.
Our volunteers had an adventurous outing to the Regalia waterfall, where they spotted amazing birds and returned with smiles and great memories.
In excellent news, Arthur has chosen to extend his stay with us, once again becoming our go-to hero in times of need! Arthur, we can’t thank you enough for being there through thick and thin. We’re excited for another San Nicolas, Christmas, and New Year’s with you.
To top it all off, Olivia’s dear friend Sigrid has just arrived at the centre for her fourth visit. As expected, Olivia has already whipped up an extensive to-do list for her, so we wish Sigrid the best of luck juggling relaxation with the many tasks that lie ahead.
Interested in experiencing the beauty of Esperanza Verde yourself? Join us!
¡Hasta Proxima!