Eagles, Owls, and Construction Plans: Work and New Arrivals at Bioparque Amaru

Captain's Log, Day 53: A wild week of rescues, falconry, and construction projects at Bioparque Amaru. New characters to the cast: a potential exotic vet for the zoo from Quito, a falconry expert, the keepers of the Pumapungo Aviary. Realization: I have less than three weeks left here, and we have a clinic and aviary to build. 

Lucky for me, Ernesto is a visionary, and we took the first steps towards construction yesterday. (If you want to help support our construction efforts, don't forget to check out our Razoo fundraiser--click here!) It's been a wild week. Allow me to walk you through a few of our recent adventures.

The Environmental Ministry brought us this highly endangered Ecuadorian Red Brocket deer (often called a pudu locally, but it's a different genus, Mazama rufina) juvenile last Thursday, when we were interviewing an exotics vet from Quito. We're waiting to hear back on her decision to work for Amaru in the future! 

We were visited by ´Nick´ and his associates---a national expert on eagles and falconry. He checked out our Variable Hawk and three Black-chested Buzzard Eagles. We proceeded to custom-fit gear for all of our birds for future education efforts and falconry training. 

Nick explained to us that the presence of both adult and ¨chicken feathers¨ (juvenile plumage) indicated that this Variable Hawk was between his first and second year.  

You can see the difference in the wing coverts, too. Reminded me of my lessons at Neighborhood Nestwatch this summer!

My tidbits of knowledge (in Spanish) about Red-tailed hawk morphs in the states were politely received (read:deciphered) by the experts.
(I really need to learn the subjunctive...) 

Edwin and the vet interviewee with some of our education birds in training!

The morning before the arrival of the experts, Ernesto constructed three shelters and roosts for the education birds. They have serious potential for a teaching stage---and what a backdrop for a show!

During a late dinner at Ernesto's house, we reviewed Aviary and AZA protocols for exotic care, zoonoses, emergency care and preventative health. Thanks again, Dr.Fish and Sarah Shannon for all your information! We're really going places with new protocols for Amaru. 

A pet clinic in town run by Dr.Mora was kind enough to answer our late call for assistance with the Ecuadorian Red Brocket. 

So young, and definitely in need of fluids, at the very least. 

I wish I could caption this more eloquently...but I don't think I really need words. This is a picture of Ernesto at the end of a day (circa 9:30pm) that started at dawn, involved a day-long interview with a vet candidate (the FIRST vet employed by the zoo, mind you), hours of falconry advice from three outside experts, a visit from the ministry to deliver this little deer...People with passion for what they do are so wonderful. Furthermore, people with a heart like Ernesto's are the ones who drive conservation efforts forward so relentlessly. Because they -must-. I am so lucky to be working with Amaru. 

We set an IV to deliver much-needed fluids, electrolytes, and vitamins. Our biggest challenge now is finding suitable formula to feed this little guy...

Ringer's and rest. To be continued...

We did another huge cleaning of quarantine to prepare to move our reptiles around. This guy is particularly striking. Suggestions on species, Pete?

Tortugitas arriving most weeks from illegal pet trading. 

This juvenile Cusumbos could really use a friend! We have two adults on exhibit, but this little guy needs to grow a bit more behind the scenes before we begin the process of introduction. Some playtime happens when we're cleaning. 

This is what we've come up with for the first floor plan (in anticipation of a future second floor if funds are sufficient) for the vet clinic. A surgery and equipment room, a consult and pharmacy room at the entrance near the access road, and a quarantine/ICU holding room in the building's rear. 

A thumbnail version of the two floors: the second floor, ideally, would have a classroom and laboratory, quarters for resident interns and visiting veterinarians, and another room to keep resident patients (old or special needs animals). 

Part of the master plan of the zoo overlapping my first sketches of the second floor. I'm telling you, Ernesto has some serious visions for the future. 

Which now include the lightly pencilled-in veterinary clinic and new quarantines for passerines, parrots, and reptiles! 

We also received an owl from the Aviary at Pumapungo this week. An Aviary in Cuenca was news to me. I'm going to go visit on my day off...and talk about helping them raise funds in the future for education about how bad illegal trafficking is in Ecuador. Many people around here, said the directors, don't see the difference between domestic animals and exotics, and education in primary schools could really help this. Cuenca has decreed that a program could be started if the Aviary supplied the funds for the classes. 

The owl had a pretty serious wound to the ¨shoulder¨--but it looks like it could heal, and it may even be possible to release the bird if it can fly well enough.  

More stories, to be continued. Apparently the aviary ALSO has a few hundred rescues...I'll be sure to post when I visit. The work to be done here can seem endless, but with people like the biologists at Pumapungo and the workers at Amaru, anything is possible.  

Less than three weeks left here! There's definitely a lot to be done.

I'll leave you all with that for now. The next two posts will be a brief departure from all the Amaru---I actually was lucky enough to go to Cajas National Park on a sunny day today, so pictures from that trip and my day bird list will be next, along with a post about Cuencan culture and my friends here.

Thanks as always for reading, and cheers!
-Nikki