Santa Martha y Los Animalitos

---

Santa Martha Rescue Centre - Weeks 1 & 2

My volunteer project started at the Santa Martha Rescue Centre just south of Quito. I was to spend two weeks here before heading to the sister centre in the Amazon where I would spend a further two weeks. The rescue centre was easy enough to get to... a wee bus ride from Quito to a town called Tambillo and then a bone-shaking taxi ride up a hill. Once at the top there were great views of a handful of volcanoes in the area, including, on a clear day, Cotopaxi... at almost 6000m above sea level it's one of the highest active volcanoes in the world. I was told that many people have tried - and failed - to reach the summit.

The main role of the rescue centre was to look after animals rescued from either illegal or unhealthy situations. There were birds (including Sam the Toucan with an attitude problem) & monkeys that had been mistreated as pets, lions and other cats rescued from circuses that had neither the proper papers nor resources to look after them. There were also a few Galapagos Tortoises, including one that had dents in it's shell caused by it's previous owner taking potshots at it with a hand gun. In addition, there were a couple of Andean bears, Kinkajous, Cabezas de Mates and a couple of Coatis... one of the cutest animals I think I've ever seen!

Just before I arrived at this centre, work had begun on building a new cage for the Jaguar. This was an important job to do. The current jaguar cage was built a while ago and I was told on my first day that if it really wanted to, it could pull the cage down! So the plan was to build a new and stronger cage for the jaguar, and then the puma, who had only a small enclosure, could go where the jaguar used to be. Although the puma was strong and healthy, it was nothing compared the jaguar who had a full set of claws and teeth and was easily the most powerful and beautiful animal in the centre.

My work during these two weeks centered on building this cage. The mornings would be taken up feeding and cleaning some of the animals. We would then work on the cage for a good few hours before breaking for lunch... after which we would clean the other animals. When I started work on the enclosure the area was overgrown and it was quite difficult to see where a cage would go. Over time however, once the area had been cleared, it was obvious it would make a great site for the jaguar. There was a small running stream nearby and the whole area was quite secluded meaning the jaguar could happily go about its day without ever really seeing a human being.

The centre wasn't a zoo. As such contact with the animals was always encouraged to be kept to an absolute minimum. Although people would sometimes randomly turn up hoping for a tour of the animals, they would have to be turned away. Only during cleaning could we actually go inside the cage with some of the animals. The ultimate aim of the centre was to release as many animals as possible into the wild and so it was important for the animals to not get too used to the presence of human beings. In fact, we weren't supposed to interact with the animals at all, which was easier said than done, especially with the monkeys who just climbed all over you the second you entered the cage!

During the breaks, we were allowed to observe the animals however, and I enjoyed watching them interacting with each other from a much closer distance than I ever could in a zoo. The cats in particular were always good fun to watch, especially the lions and the jaguar. It was important to remember to not get too close! One of favourite tasks was cleaning the lion water... 2 people were needed: one to clean the water through the cage, and another to tell that person if the lions were getting too close!

We made great progress on the jaguar cage over a week and a half. Unfortunately, just as we had dug the trenches for the concrete we had to stop everything and begin work on a different, entirely new cage. I discovered that a while ago the centre had given two pumas to Quito zoo because at the time the centre just didn't have space for them. The zoo took the pumas under the premise that the centre would build a new cage for them... this was about a year ago by the way. Suddenly the zoo decided that they couldn't look after these cats any longer and told Santa Martha that unless a cage was built in 10 days, they would have to be put down! I worked on this cage for only three days before going to the Amazon, but the progress we made during these days was amazing. We shifted a huge amount of dirt from a hillside and at the time I left the centre the ground was almost flat and ready for the trenches. As everyone knew the circumstances, people were willing to work harder and for longer. I was disappointed to not see this project through to an end, but I knew I'd have the opportunity to return to the centre with one of my free days in Quito after I'd finished in the Amazon.

So the two weeks here passed by in a haze of cage building and lots and lots of bird poo. I would say that two weeks wasn't really long enough... it took me a whole week just to learn all the names of the animals! If I was to return, I would stay for longer to try and ensure that I could see a project through to an end. Still, I was there long enough to be interviewed by an Ecuadorian TV crew making a wee film about why we were all covered in shite. I also found out that despite popular belief lions really can climb cages... at least when there's a dead chicken stuck on top of it anyway. Galapagos Tortoises weigh an absolute tonne. And Tamarin monkeys are difficult to catch when they (somehow) escape from their enclosure!

Off to the Amazon I went... where the weather's warmer and los bichos (the bugs) are much, much bigger. Brrring it.

Santa Martha Flor de la Amazonía - Weeks 3 & 4

After a brief spell in my favourite chill-out town, Baños, it was off to Puyo along the same road that I cycled down not so long ago. From Puyo the centre was about 1 hour into the jungle. At this centre, the animals were in the final stages of rehabilitation, and with any luck, the animals here would be released into the jungle.

There were fewer animals here than at the rescue centre and most of them were capuchin monkeys. There were a few birds millings about the place including a macaw called "Bird" who thought it was dog. It also only liked guys and attacked girls, but as it's difficult to tell the sex of a macaw no one was sure whether it was gay or just didn't like women! In addition, there were a couple of kinkajous, a coati, a margay and a few wild pigs. Of the monkeys there was a bunch of squirrel monkeys who liked to play tag team wrestling on top of the parrots' cage. Amongst the capuchins there was one called Tina who loved biting people's fingers (as one volunteer discovered), Victor the pervert who seemed to have an eternal erection, Sam the friendliest capuchin who sadly won't ever be released and also one called Little Fucker, because, well, he was a little fucker (though I actually quite liked him)!

The quality of the cages here was noticeably different from the other centre. The cages were built using the remains of materials from the other centre, and as such they weren't as strong or durable. I was told that there are bigger cats waiting to arrive but unfortunately the centre can't take them as the cages just aren't strong or big enough for them.

Another noticeable difference here was how much wilder the animals were. At the rescue centre the animals were relatively placid, but here... due to the hotter weather, the animals behaved far more like they were supposed to. They also looked healthier, especially the parrots whose colours were so much more profound. It was interesting to see how the animals behaved differently with a change of scenery and a change of temperature, but then I guess that's the point of having a release centre... so that the animals can regain their instincts and be released!

The work here was similar in a way to what I was doing at the rescue centre. Cages had to be cleaned and animals had to be fed. However, the work differed in that we were also working closely with the indigenous community helping to construct a number of fish ponds in order to provide the people with a way of feeding themselves and making money without hunting animals native to the jungle. This was quite physically demanding work. With the heat and humidity it was hard to continue for more than half an hour without stopping for a breather. To cool down afterwards we were allowed to take a wee dip in one of the pools already dug or have a swim in the, erm, crystal clear swimming pool by the road side leading up to the centre. It did have a rope swing though, so it was good fun despite the slight health risk.

In addition to the fish ponds we would spend some time helping construct a new quarantine cage... important so any new animal that arrives can be kept apart from the others allowing the vet to examine it and ensure it has no weird contagious diseases. This first involved a bit of digging and later a lot of stone and sand carrying. It was nice to see it put to use later in the second week when the centre rescued a really cute fluffy white owl. Furthermore, my DIY skills were put to the test a little when I had to help build a few new shelves for some of the enclosures, and a new drinking box for Victor the perverted capuchin. He seemed to like it.

Generally speaking the work here was far more relaxed... both the volleyball court and hammocks were well used. The atmosphere was nice, and relaxing by the fire in the evening was good fun, if a little creepy. If I had to choose which place I preferred I would say this place. Although it didn't have the variety of animals that the other centre had, it was way way more chilled out and the scenery was unlike anything I've ever seen. I have total respect for Glen and Gloudina... the people running the release centre. The only slight annoyance about this place was the fact that I was being eaten alive by bugs and the fact that before using the toilet you had to check to make sure there weren't any spiders lurking... the last thing you wanna see when you're sitting on the bog is a tarantula crawling up between your legs!

Anyone looking for a volunteer project in Ecuador, I can strongly recommend either centre. It was a fantastic experience. Avoid the rip-off companies like "i-to-i" or "Real Gap" and go directly to the centre. If you really want to spend £1000 pay the centre what they ask for and give them a large donation. At least then you can be sure your money goes directly to the people that really need it and not to a bunch of back office staff making glossy magazines!

The only funding Santa Martha receives is through volunteers, so they need any help they can get...

Santa Martha's website: http://www.santamartharescue.org/index.html

Photos can be seen here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14643121@N05/

Suerte.

---

Photos

Santa Martha
Sam the Toucan.

Santa Martha
One of the African Lions.

Santa Martha
Bagheera the Jaguar for whom we were builing a new (and stronger) cage.

Santa Martha
Andean Spectacled Bear looking for raisins.

Santa Martha Flor de la Amazonia
A sea of trees... welcome to the Amazon.

Santa Martha Flor de la Amazonia
An unwelcome guest in the dorm.

Santa Martha Flor de la Amazonia
One of the Macaws.

Santa Martha Flor de la Amazonia
Mona Lisa... one of the many Capuchins at the Amazonia Centre.