En la Frontera de la Conservación: The Superhuman Efforts of Bioparque Amaru

Captain's Log, Day 40: It is now my second week working for Bioparque Amaru here in Cuenca, Ecuador. I now know exactly what it takes for three zookeepers, a family of directors, a team of associated scientists and community veterinarians to maintain an organization that is home to over 400 rescued native (over 98% of the zoo's collection) and exotic species, numerous conservation education initiatives, and a handful of biological and ecological research projects besides. We are fortunate indeed to have the resources and manpower that we do in AZA zoos in the states. 

Have you ever worked a zoo, farm, field work, or construction job? If you have, take a moment to remember the demands of that job on your physicality and levels of committment. Then, if you will, try to imagine attempting to work -all- of those jobs at once, 12 (to 14) out of every 14 days for the last six years.

Welcome to the lives of Ernesto and Amada Arbeláez, their current three zookeepers, and the numerous in-and-out vets, family members, and biologists. They are collectively the happiest, most passionate, overworked conservation heroes I have yet had the pleasure to learn from.

That all being said, I would like to take all readers from the United States on another photo journey through the work of the zoo before I ask you for your help and support on a project I'd like to complete for the zoo through Razoo.

One of the Zoo's free-ranging Squirrel Monkeys.

Bioparque Amaru Zoo Backstory
Bioparque Amaru is owned and operated by the family of Ernesto Arbeláez. They have only been open to the public for two years, and are constantly expanding their facilities!

Visit their homepage (warning: it's in Spanish) here: http://zoologicodecuenca.com/

Bioparqe Amaru was a vision hatched in mid- 2007 during biological surveys of the Andean highland river basins around Cuenca, where there are now many mining projects. These studies were the first to bring together many Ecuadorian and foreign biologists, environmental activists, and other professionals associated with the local and national government.

This group, aware of the need for more public conservation education, centers for wildlife rescue, and biological stations for constant environemtnal monitoring, began the construction of Bioparque Amaru Zoo, whose mission is:

 "To promote and facilitate the knowledge, respect, appreciation, research, conservation and dissemination of knowledge of Ecuador's incredible and abundant native flora, fauna, natural and cultural resources. The conservation of tropical biodiversity, especially the native biodiversity of Ecuador, will be the main focus of the Zoo, which will always take into account the protection, rehabilitation and/or reintroduction of wildlife; as well as the ecological processes, evolution, equilibrium, interaction with and dependence upon the natural environment."

This is the Zoo's current quarantine area, where they keep any of the 10-40 rescued animals they receive from the police every single month.

Here is the place they would put the vet clinic if they had one! Right above the nutrition lab, less than 50m from a larger access road on the opposite side of the hill that faces Cuenca, where all the zoo's exhibits are located.

Over the last six years, they have amassed a motley array of cages and carrying crates...most of them old or repaired. With all the animals they're called out to rescue, they could certainly use some new and high-functioning equipment!

Every food item that comes through the zoo is procured by worker's family members and friends. Here's a typical arrival of one of the cows to feed our many carnivores.

Reliable water and drainage systems are a newer luxury for the zoo (within the last two months)--they are in the process of improving their basics, such as eco-friendly (not emptying into one of Cuenca's rivers) drainage, automatic pond refilling machinery, and misting systems for their amphibians in the herp laboratory.

The current nighthouse for Macaws and other on-exhibit parrots could sure use some help!

A rescued Galapagos Tortoise. Because the zoo can't find a part or full time exotics vet, we are not sure exactly how to treat this lovely lady's recent loss of appetite. Ernesto works around the clock to maintain the zoo and try to solicit advice from the herpetologists and the Quito Zoo.

There is an awesome plot of land next to the cafeteria and picnic area that Ernesto and I think would make an awesome place for our large flight aviary!

They are currently using it for material storage: classic Cuenca-style tiles for the cafeteria and picnuc area's new tiled floorspace.

As always, the zoo keeps their conservation message strong: because recycling programs are limited to nonexistent in most of Ecuador, the zoo has many examples of how you can tastefully repurpose plastic, glass, and metal, as you can see above in these cool bottle planters.

Beyond the wolf den, the patio expansion, the puma nighthouse, and temporary flight cage for quarantine, Ernesto and friends are just completing this additional heated bear den for the pregnant Andean (Spectacled) bear!

I can't possibly convey to you the ENERGY of this incredible man. If you've ever met someone who is living their life's passion, you know the kind of spark I'm talking about.

Many of the birds on exhibit here have old health problems that could probably use some attention. If they could find a vet or veterinary volunteers, maybe someone could help with this little guy's foot problems...

In the absence of exotics vets, though, they do what they can...as we recently did in the case of "Cathy"--a puma who was tied up in a local family's yard as a "pet." It is a common practice for richer families to buy feline cuba whose mothers have been killed by poachers looking to make a decent buck. This is what happened to Cathy.

Because the family she was with lost control of her, the rope that held her couldn't be removed, and is posing an ever-greater threat to her health as she grows.

Which is where Amaru stepped in---keep reading for the rest of her story.

This white-tailed deer was rescued from where it had been roped up at a roadside. You can still see the rope-marks on her neck, where the fur won't grow back. She's happy to be where she is now, though!

One of the zookeepers on his final afternoon fruit run. Most days, there's not enough TIME to do more than the basics; make sure all the animals have clean food and water in the mornings and evenings. Real cleaning of exhibits and supplies can only happen once a week, or less, depending. They currenty can't afford to pay more help, and it's hard to find people who have animal experience or are qualified for the job.

We helped him out with the Spider monkeys, a bit. It's incredible how many animals the zoo has to feed every single day.

Here's a quick snapshot of some of the incredible HERPETOLOGY programs they have here, on top of everything else. Amaru partners with Lewis and Clark University for a study abroad biological program from January through March, where students come and are taught Conservation Biology by Ernesto and Amanda. The herp lab also has a number of visiting investigators and supporters from the Philidelphia Zoo---on top of their ongoing partnership with the environmental ministry of Ecuador for biodiversity surveys in new construction sites. Every week three biologists answer calls for Amphibian rescue in soon-to-be-construction-sites; the rescues are all living here. They focus on saving four endangered and endemic species at the moment, but as with all the other programs at the zoo, they wish they could do more.

There's some really elegant zoo design that goes on in a lot of the exhibits here! What you're seeing is part of the tunnel that goes under the moat surrounding the Spider Monkey exhibit. For those of you unfamilar, the monkeys will not swim across the moat, so if the trees are trimmed appropriately, the monkeys stay on their island.

The new exhibit for these "Andean Wolves" is almost finished! It should be up within the month. The square footage of these exhibits when compared to most US zoos is impressive. Amaru definitely makes up for what it has in manpower in what it possesses in land. Lucky wolves!

Pile of sleepy morning lions. The zoo is home to EIGHT African Lions, who are more or less a family headed by Simba, who is a rescue from a Quito Circus, and three older lionesses, also circus rescues.

There is a wall of local news concerning the zoo's efforts near the Cafeteria, too--and announcements of the births of the aforepictured lions.

A lot of the parrots and monkeys are free-roaming on the zoo's property during the day, with night houses that are locked up by staff in the evening. It may be a tad safer to have these guys in a large flight aviary...one of the many drivers for my project!

The Zoo has an incredible specimen repository--a Zoo museum would be an awesome future project, once the zoo's basic needs are met and the life of the keepers and directors calms down a little bit...

Prepping a fruit salad for the monkeys, birds, and some of the omnivorous species.

Part of one of the many cows we buy and butcher from the surrounding farmlands (every morning!) and harvested grains from the family farm of one of the zookeepers.

If you are a zoo official, exotics vet, or person with animal husbandry experience, we DESPERATELY need advice on devising better diets out of the local raw foods we have access to, enrichment out of the discarded and/or cheap materials we can procure, and nutritional requirements of the animals we have!

A rough list of our species is as follows:

Gray-winged trumpeter
Scarlet Macaw
Blue and Yellow Macaw
Mealy Amazon
Pacific and BlueWinged Parrotlets
Red-lored Amazon
Cobalt-winged Parakeet
Red-crowned Amazon
Ostriches
Short-eared Owl
Andean Toucan
Pale-billed Aracari
Snowy Egret
Muscovy Duck
Southern Pochard
Fulvous Whistling Duck
Helmeted Guineas
Roadside Hawk
Andean Condor
Black-chested Buzzard Eagle
Norhtern Crested Caracara
Peccary (white-lipped and collared)
Porcupines
African Lions
Dusky Titi Monkey
Black and White Capuchin Monkeys
Black Agouti
Amazonian Tapir
Andean Squirrel
Spider Monkey
Squirrel Monkey
Capibara
Ocelot
Margay
Puma
Andean Bear (spectacled bear)

Quarantine is where I have been focusing most of my efforts in the recent days. The need for preventative medicine protocols, improved facility layout, and just more SPACE to address the needs of animals as they arrive is near-dire.

Four chestnut mandibled toucans, awaiting a proper exhibit.

Marco is one of the three keepers here, and is a large animal vet hoping to somehow specialize in exotics. It is incredibly hard to find such an education in Ecuador, currently, and harder still to get papers in order to study in the states if you're from South America.

We have two monkeys who are extremely aggressive and desperately need some attention and quality care---currently, with the time the zoo workers have, they are getting spotty enrichment and basic cleaning and feeding.

They need more.

Some of the cages holding the seventy-plus parrots currently in Quarantine. There is a room for aquatic birds, one room for the toucans, one and some hallway space for the parrots, another for rodents and carnivores, reptiles crammed in where they can fit...and then, of course, the lions.

The other male rescue that the zoo has is currently housed in Quarantine with his lady...and their two-week-old baby.

This bundle of joy. They take up about a quarter of the space in Quarantine, currently.

These Amazons can only be housed across from them, covered by a sheet. Unfortunately, one of the six parrots in this larger cage was eaten by what could have been rats or oppossums a few days after this picture was taken. More buildng material and funds to get these cages off the ground would really help decrease the current risks to these birds' lives.

A young Margay rescue in the carnivore room.

Some of the luckier herps housed in quarantine. We have over 30 turtles in various tubs awaiting better houses, not to mention the iguanas, boas, and anacondas.

Or the young cusumbos.

What is incredible to me, day in and day out in Quarantine, is how docile so many of these animals who have been captured and abused are when given decent food and a little enrichment. Cleaning cages for eight hours in quarantine for the first time this past Monday was simultaneously one of the saddest and most rewarding experiences I have ever had with animal husbandry. If you've worked a wildlife rehab job in the states, you may be familiar with this feeling...but there is just an INCREDIBLE number of animals here in this zoo, and we need SO much more help.

It's an incredible vision that Amaru has. They won't stop working towards improved conditions for the animals they rescue which aren't fit for re-introduction...or the relentless drive of better education of the public to try to stop illegal trafficking from happening in the first place.

Some of the daily meat requirements of zoo animals, for a better idea of what it takes to feed a zoo like Amaru.

One of three rescued Tapirs in one of the many magnificently spacious and natural exhibits Amaru has created.

It's an eyrie, Amaru. A gorgeous, Andean eyrie. I can even see the results of the programs Ernesto has in place to cull invasive plant species and re-grow native Andean Forest plants on the property: I have spotted four of the Andean highland native hummingbird species buzzing around in my first week here, not to mention handfuls of other native passerines.

Some of our incoming fresh produce. So much each day! All organic, as a rule for most small farms around here.

And finally, the continued story of Cathy.

We had ro remove that rope of hers. On my third day at the Zoo, Ernesto asked for my help in outlining a number of procedures we could possibly accomplish to optimize our time during Cathy's necessary sedation. Blood sampling, dental examination, vital measurements (temp, heartrate), weight, size measurements, lung function...I had never worked in a veterinary setting with a non-avian species before, but that's what I came up with!

Ernesto had some experience with using a blow-gun and common sedative, and he called in Dr.Mora and associates, some local pet vets, to get their opinion on the Puma's weight and appropriate dosages. The vets and I agreed on the procedure list, and when we were all ready--

We took a group photo. None of us had ever worked on a puma before! Down here, you learn as you go, and get advice when you can from who you can reach. Thank you, those of you at the Pittsburgh Zoo and past Co-workers from the Oakland Zoo, for your input!

We got the rope off and found only minimal bare patches and sores where it had rubbed under her arms. All in all, she looked pretty good! )To us, that is.) Doc Mora estimated her age at about eight months, given what he knew about using teeth maturity to gauge dog ages.

Here he is bravely offering to help weigh Cathy, as the scale we have would not fit her, and we have no other equipment. Everything went smoothly, luckily for us and Cathy.

I snapped a shot of Fernando's Environmental Ministry jacket while we were waiting for Cathy to calm down on her sedatives. The group there that day: me from the states, a pet-med vet intern from Ecuador, Doctor Mora and his assistant (also named Fernando) from downtown Cuenca, and Conservation Biologists Amanda and Ernesto---Bioparque Amaru is the place where all of these people with ideas are coming together and fighting to create conservation initiatives where money, manpower, and education for such things are severely lacking. They're beyond incredible, and could do SO MUCH MORE with just a little help! 

Just a little help can go such a long way. That's where I can step in. I am going to launch a Razoo in the coming days to try to garner more support for Amaru; help build a few sorely needed facilities before I go. I don't have much more time on the internet here, so please read some of what I've taken from my up-and-coming project page below, and stay tuned for the link to the project!

I NEED YOUR SUPPORT: Construction for Conservation Medicine Razoo! 

My project, titled "Design a Vet Clinic and Aviary for Ecuador's Bioparque Amaru" will be launching on Razoo in a few days. I am currently in the process of designing the floor plans for a large flight aviary (to accomodate the large influx of native parrots rescued from illegal trafficking) and vet clinic...I will only have TWENTY DAYS to raise the money to buy the appropriate materials, hire the help to begin construction, and write up all the basic veterinary medical protocols (courtesy of the Oakland Zoo and National Aviary) we'll need to have the clinic and aviary helping our new arrivals!

Here is an excerpt taken from my soon-to-launch project page:

Why I Need Your Support 
 I am currently employed as the Field Affiliate of the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I have learned a lot about building veterinary clinics in developing countries from the experiences of Dr. Pilar Fish. I came with a dropbox full of floor plans that lend themselves well to the preventative medicine measures needed to keep a wide array of species healthy and comfortable during necessary checkups and hospital stays. Bioparque Amaru recieves anywhere from 20 to 60 new illegally-kept wild animals seized by the Ecuadorian government every month! They are getting very cramped with all their new arrivals, and are looking to build a veterinary clinic on their property, with an additional large flight aviary, as most of the animals they recieve are wild parrots, native to Ecuador and the Amazon Rainforest, that have been seized from illegal trafficking activity. During my two months here, I would love to help them develop the layout for these two construction projects, and purchase the materials before I leave for my next country and next adventure (doing much the same thing with wildlife centers in Peru and Guatemala)!

Until further updates, cheers and warm thanks!
Nikki Becich at Bioparque Amaru

P.S.- If you're really interested in the project and my work, you can also friend me on Facebook for more info and updates on the project! My site name is Nikki Becich.