Ecuador Expedition Phase 4 - Project
This week we have been at The Yanacocha Rescue Centre where we have been working with a range of animals. Well, the students have but after one day on general duties, I was given the task of spending as much time as possible with "Stitch", a Band-Bellied Owl who needs to fly again after a wing injury. Basically spending all day sitting on my wrist getting used to me, the glove and taking food (dead chicks) as I walked around the centre. By the end of the week I could get him to fly from my wrist back to a perch but although he would climb on to my wrist if presented to him, the few times he flew at me, he missed and landed on the floor. At the start we had a visit to Tamandua the part where they release the animals and enjoyed a "Blow Pipe" competition and a night jungle walk. The centre survives due to volunteers as there are only a couple of full time staff with around 54 different species and over 200 animals in total. ...