| Stuart Timson, Director of our incredible Peruvian | | | | amazing experiences they provided for the |
| Conservation Project gives us the news from the | | | | volunteers but also as indicators of a healthy |
| Amazon Rainforest: | | | | ecosystem and reflecting our good work in the |
| The heavy rains promised by the storms earlier in | | | | reserve. Anaconda Colpa had not been visited for a |
| January never materialized and so this wet season | | | | while and the first few groups to use it this year had |
| has been relatively dry thus enabling us to work | | | | some great sightings including a red-brocket deer, a |
| without delays over the last couple of months. With | | | | tayra and two grisons. The last two species belong |
| the lodge filling up to near capacity and the willingness | | | | to the weasel family, Mustelidae, and the grison is an |
| of the volunteers to get stuck in I have been able to | | | | animal that we have only ever seen once before |
| advance much quicker than planned. A lot has been | | | | around the reserve. Last week a group of visiting |
| accomplished in little time and I will try and do justice | | | | tourists got a wonderful surprise when they reached |
| to all the hard work and the latest advances at | | | | the top canopy platform to see a margay standing in |
| Taricaya. | | | | the kapok tree. This small arboreal cat is rarely seen |
| Let's start with the ongoing improvements in the | | | | as it is generally nocturnal but I am confident that |
| animal release program and needless to say there are | | | | this individual was the one that we released in 2004 |
| new residents in the project whilst old friends have | | | | about 600m from the canopy. Whether it is the |
| been released back into the wild. Our nursery is | | | | same or not it is a wonderful sighting, one of the |
| starting to fill up and there were three new arrivals | | | | best at the canopy so far. |
| over the last few weeks. A first at Taricaya was an | | | | The farm project continues to flourish and in March |
| infant common squirrel monkey, whose continual | | | | we concentrated on our Heliconia project. We are |
| chattering is now a familiar sound around the centre. | | | | already producing large quantities of flowers from our |
| Later the same week we also received another | | | | original plants but this month we were given a |
| young paca and a dusky-headed parakeet chick. The | | | | collection of many different species to grow and |
| nursery seems much more vibrant with the new | | | | hopefully make nurseries should the flowers find a |
| additions and the place has also been brightened up | | | | market. This meant that volunteers were clearing and |
| by the artistic talents of some of our volunteers who | | | | planting a lot of the time and we now have several |
| painted numerous animals on the walls creating a | | | | plots with neat rows of the different species. We |
| much more colorful environment. Plans for April | | | | now have to wait for the plants to react after the |
| include new cages for the growing macaw | | | | transfer from Puerto Maldonado and hope that the |
| populations as just two weeks ago we received two | | | | new species produce flowers with a good market |
| more chestnut-fronted macaws and a scarlet macaw. | | | | value. Elsewhere at the farm the donkeys are |
| Just as we received new guests last month we also | | | | recovering well from a stomach parasite and the |
| released some old ones. Bianca the young paca was | | | | volunteers are training them by riding them around |
| growing at a phenomenal rate and was quickly | | | | some of the trails. One female is pregnant so she |
| outgrowing her cage in the nursery. Pacas are | | | | just follows along behind without a rider. The idea is |
| naturally very independent animals so we decided to | | | | to increase their stamina to enable them to work |
| release her just in front of the lodge. Being nocturnal | | | | when fully recuperated. |
| by nature she is now happily running around at night | | | | As you can see a lot has been accomplished already |
| often startling volunteers on their way back from the | | | | this year and with a lodge full of industrious |
| dining room. She is continuing to grow and appears to | | | | volunteers I expect to keep the work rate up over |
| be thriving with her new freedom. | | | | the coming months. It is an exciting time to be |
| Moving on I feel that several sightings around the | | | | involved and there is plenty of work for everyone!! |
| reserve are worthy of a mention not only for the | | | | |