Rescate Animal XXVI: Yuyu, la Cuyusa

El ser humano es igualmente capaz de hechos heroicos como de cobardías. Así fue algún hechor que dejó un animal silvestre indefenso, dado por muerto, en el bosque de la Reserva Natural Laguna de Apoyo.

El cuyuso, de nombre científico Potos flavus, es un animal que no ataca ni al ser humano, ni a animales pequeños. Es nocturno y se alimenta principalmente de frutas, sin tener que bajarse a la tierra de los árboles. Por sus hábitos, es poco visto y mucha gente que vive en el campo no reconoce que la existencia del animal en el bosque cercano.

Yuyu disfruta de un banano mientras sea admirada. Foto Jeffrey McCrary.

Yuyu es una cuyusa, una hembra adulta, que vivía en los bosques de la Reserva Natural Laguna de Apoyo. Una mañana, ella fue encontrada por trabajadores en un hotel en la zona, en estado de salud grave. Fue víctima de una garroteada. Porque no hubo testigos, no sabemos quién fue el culpable, y solo podemos suponer sus motivos. Solo sabemos que el pobre animal agonizaba, incapaz de caminar. Los guardaparques del MARENA nos encomendó el animal.

En su primer día después de ser encontrada herida, Yuyu es triste y en agonía. Foto Jeffrey McCrary.

La cuyusa llegó con varias heridas. La más serias fue de una pata desgarrada en la articulación de la rodilla. Los huesos de la pata se encontraron expuestos en una herida abierta, y la pata quedó inútil. Su ojo derecho se encontraba totalmente cerrado por el hinchazón alrededor. La mejilla debajo del ojo derecho sufrió una cortadura profunda y de más de dos centímetros de largo. El ojo derecho también se encontró golpeado.

Aunque se encuentra gravemente herida, Yuyu goza de un mango bien maduro. Se nota el ojo derecho en mal estado, la mejilla derecha con una laceración y el ojo izquierdo opacado. Foto Andras Dorgai.

Pensábamos que Yuyu iba a morir pronto. Se encontraba muy mal, muy triste. Pero cuando le ofrecimos comida, ella la devoraba con enormes ganas. Estuvo en agonía, con dolores fuertes, y sujeto a condiciones que nunca hubiera aceptado si pudiera escapar. Nosotros estábamos tristes por ella, y vimos que ella manifestaba grandes deseos de vivir.

En evidente agonía y con una pata desgarrada, la cuyusa demostraba sentirse dolores fuertes. Foto Andras Dorgai.

Convencimos a algunos veterinarios que valía la pena darle una oportunidad, aunque fuera evidente que ella iba a enfrentar a otro mundo, si bien pudiera curarse en salud después de las cirugías necesarias para salvarle la vida. Nosotros en GAIA asumimos el compromiso de cuidarla y asegurar una vida que valga la pena para ella, aunque todavía no sabíamos qué implicaba. Los veterinarios generosamente regalaron a Yuyu tres cirugías necesarias para salvarle la vida, quitándole un ojo, limpiando y cerrando la herida abierta de su mejía, y amputándole su pata desgarrada. Es mucho que hacer a cualquier animal, y más aún a un animal silvestre.

Después de tres cirugías regaladas por los ángeles de World Vets en Granada, Yuyu parecía otro animal. Qué felicidad! Foto Andras Dorgai.

Yuyu regresó de World Vets adormecida, y pronto estuvo despierta y hasta con hambre. Pronto se estuvo moviendo. Su comportamiento reflejaba una diferencia de inmediato, de mayor nivel de identificación con los seres humanos a quiénes ella tuvo que permitir estar cerca a ella. Y, más importante, ella manifestaba evidente gozo, alegría, y curiosidad. Se dormía de día, despertándose solo para comer cuando se le traía fruta, pero de noche, comenzaba conocer a toda su jaula espaciosa. Resultó, tristemente, que su solo ojo remanente tampoco funcionaba; el color opaco no se quitó, evidentemente por daños severos, dejándola totalmente ciega. Pero si, encontraba chispas de alegrí en su vida, tan lejos de la que dejó atrás unas semanas antes.

Yuyu es y seguirá siendo un animal silvestre. Por las cosas de la vida, es obligada a depender a los seres humanos, ya que es totalmente ciega. Foto Jeffrey McCrary.

La calamidad que cayó a Yuyu le quitó todo de lo que era su vida de antes. No puede caminar por los árboles nunca más. No puede buscar una pareja, ni procrear en la forma que su especie suele hacerlo. No puede vivir y morir en el bosque como era su derecho y deber, siendo un animal silvestre. Ese día en marzo del 2017, cuando fue atacada por una persona con malas intenciones, ella dejó su vida en el bosque. Ahora, tiene otra. Es embajadora para su especie y para el bosque, contra el maltrato y el tráfico en animales silvestres.

Yuyu la cuyusa disfruta de su encierre de madera, donado por un voluntario. Ella siempre está a la orden para visitas, especialmente si el visitante trae regalías de fruta. Todos están invitados a visitarle y traerle bananos, sandía, melón, u otra fruta.

Todos están invitados a visitar a la Estación Biológica Laguna de Apoyo, y conocer a Yuyu. Ella es enamorada de las frutas nativas del bosque-nancite, jobo, jocote, aceituna-y también come de frutas introducidas, como el melón, sandía, banano, y mango. Yuyu siempre quiere recibir visitantes, y también quiere el contacto de algunos voluntarios que ayuden a limpiar su jaula, velar por ella, y darle a comer. Quieres ser voluntario eco-guerrero?  Contáctanos para saber cómo puedes ayudar.

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Cruelty to Animals!

Each year, the city of Granada participates in the shameful, degrading practice of running of the bulls. Ostensibly, this event ritualizes the movement of bulls from one place to another, presumably from farm to beef processor. Regardless of its origin, it is now simply an opportunity to abuse animals with impunity.

On a main road in northern Granada, bulls were supposedly guided with multiple ropes pulled by mounted cowboys. One bull, of magnificent stature, was stalled in the middle of the street, surrounded by thousands of frenzied spectators. The bull was obviously exhausted and in an altered state from the abuse leading up to the moment. The animal received not just jeering, but lashes and punches from daring young men who felt the need to prove something about their bravery by goading the animal.

A bull, stalled in the middle of the street, is goaded as a horse with rider approach. Photo Jeffrey McCrary.

The bull, of course, has no opportunity to escape. The ropes prevent him from running far in any direction. Each rope, at least 20 meters in length, was pulled by a rider from different directions, all attached to his rack. The bull was hyperventilating, and incapable of going further. He was provoked from behind by dozens of men baiting him.

Then, a rider approached him to provoke him to advance, and the horse was guided directly to the side of the bull, leaving the flanks of the innocent horse exposed. The bull responded by planting a horn into the horse and lifting the horse, with rider still mounted, up until the hind feet were suspended in the air. He held the horse in this position, still, for at least fifteen seconds.

This abusive rider placed his horse in evident danger, causing the horse to be impaled by a bull. Photo Jeffrey McCrary.

The rider, dismounted, once the bull released them and was pulled further away, but it was too late for his horse. The abdomen suffered a complete tear through to the mesentery, about eight inches in diameter, and the intestines of the horse were exposed and falling out through the hole.

The wound suffered by this horse, gored by a bull while being ridden, was surely fatal. Photo Jeffrey McCrary.

This horse presumably lost his life due to the reckless and inhumane behavior of the rider. But his life was not lost in vain, if the delight of hundreds of drunken men is given any consideration. This event was an opportunity for all to participate and observe at close range the suffering of animals on a scale that is not so easy to find any more, in an urban setting.

The blood sport which makes up this event, in its entirety, has no cultural value, and only serves to degrade and bring suffering to animals, as well as to put people at risk unnecessarily. Shortly after this occurrence, an ambulance was required to ferry a wounded person to seek emergency medical care. As would be expected, a dense crowd pressed on the victim, where hundreds of men competed for the best view of the misery of the poor man who had been trampled.

The society of Nicaragua needs to rethink why this event occurs at all. Its only apparent objectives appear to be to allow large hordes of men, many of whom were drunk, to abuse animals or to watch and enjoy the abuse performed by others. This event provides no function for the beef industry, and the suffering of the bull and the horse both were in blatant violation of the Law 747 which protects the welfare of all animals.

There can not be any justification for this event on behalf of the beef industry, either, because the bulls that are subjected to this torture surely lose weight and suffer injuries, which reduce their value as slaughtered animals. This is nothing more than blood sport, in which people are encouraged to harm animals and to consider the torture of animals as entertainment.

The activities surrounding the running of the bulls is not only shameful because the animals are subjected to unnecessary suffering. The event encourages risky behavior among men and boys that invariably leads to serious injuries for a few unlucky, daring abusers. But a greater impact is the message, in the form of a call, to which thousands respond in each running of the bulls. That message is that making animals suffer needlessly is appropriate, and even to be enjoyed by humans. There is no argument that can be given to justify the suffering imposed on the bulls, other than as entertainment. 

Rescate Animal XXV: La Ardilla Centroamericana

Durante varios años, hemos estado ayudando a rescatar animales silvestres cuando sea necesario. Nuestra contribución de GAIA a la vida silvestre en Nicaragua, a través del rescate, rehabilitación, y liberación de animales, siempre ha sido pequeña, sin embargo, ha crecido notablemente recientemente. La diferencia mas notable que ha marcado los últimos años es que la conciencia de las personas que tienen animales silvestres como mascotas se ha ido levantando. Cada día hay mas gente en Nicaragua que reconoce que un animal silvestre debe vivir y morir en su hábitat natural, no en una jaula.

El hecho de que lleguen animales, o de que llamen o escriban personas preocupadas que quieren reportar a un animal, o que quieren entregar un animal, que quieren apuntarse como voluntarios en el trabajo de cuidar a los animales o donar para que hayan condiciones y alimento para ellos, es en si, una manifestación de la conscientización que se esta dando entre la gente por encontrarse con la posibilidad de que los animales silvestres tengan su segunda oportunidad de vivir libres, una vez capturados.

A esta ardilla le encanta el banano! Foto Jeffrey McCrary.

Recientemente, una joven nos escribió, porque había comprado una ardilla centroamericana (Sciurus variegatoides), la cuidó como suya, la trató muy bien, hasta dormía con ella. Pero con el tiempo, la joven reconoció que la ardilla no es un animal domesticado. Una ardilla debe vivir y morir entre los árboles, haciendo lo que hacen las ardillas y no obligada a vivir como el ser humano dicta.

La ardilla centroamericana (Sciurus variegatoides) es común en la región del Pacífico en Nicaragua. Foto Jeffrey McCrary.

Igual como en otras ocasiones, la ardilla presentaba una gran aficion al ser humano. Se dejaba tocar, llevar, y hasta dormia encima de las personas. Cuando la trajimos a la Estacion Biologica Laguna de Apoyo, ella fue cargada por dos adolescentes voluntarios. Comia traquilamente cuando estaba en casa, pero al ver a los arboles y el gran verdor del bosque, se ponia inquieta.

La ardillita come mientras es observada. Foto Jeffrey McCrary.

Ya sabia la ardilla que los arboles se encuentran en su ADN. No se satisfacía con la atención de las personas. Se quiso ir, y pronto, se fue! 

La ardilla socializaba fácilmente con los jóvenes voluntarios en la Estación Biológica Laguna de Apoyo. Foto Jeffrey McCrary.

Esta ardilla, igual como muchas otras, se fue. Tres dias despues, fue vista, jugando con una ardilla grande, señalando que ya esta bien, fue aceptada entre las muchas ardillas que viven arriba de la Estación Biológica. Esperamos que tenga larga vida, y lo mas importante, que viva segun su naturaleza, que sea corta o larga. Hasta siempre, amiga.

Durante el 2017, muchas ardillas han sido traídas a la Estación Biológica, para su rehabilitación y regreso al bosque para que viva y muera libre. En el vídeo abajo, hay algunas mas ardillas que vinieron para ser liberadas.

Si deseas ayudar a cuidar a la naturaleza, escríbenos y dinos como puedes participar. Estamos siempre a la orden para cualquier comentario. Échanos una mano y trabajemos juntos para cuidar la vida silvestre en Nicaragua. 

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Donations to Gaia

We at GAIA feel honored when people want to donate their time, money or materials to help us in our objectives to protect the wild natural resources of Nicaragua. Some people help with our activities as Eco-Warrior Environmental Volunteers, conducting lots of tasks that are important to nature such as reforestation, maintenance, and assistance with wild animal rescue. We love to share our time and efforts with people who share our opinions about the importance of protecting wild nature.

Not everyone can give a block of time to a project such as reforestation. Some people prefer to help by making a small financial donation, or provide some of the materials that are required for our operations, such as foods for animals and containers for planting trees. We want to express our gratitude to the many people who have given small, or sometimes, not so small, material or financial donations to help us do what we do. A few such donations received during the most recent days are mentioned below.

Seeds were donated by the owners of Apoyo Lodge-thank you!

The great folks at Apoyo Lodge dropped by to share with us and they shared their wealth by donating sunflower seeds. It is worth noting that Apoyo Lodge has changed hands, and the new proprietors are particularly kind and conscientious, as is evidenced by their donation of sunflower seeds for the benefit important nutrients.  Our rescue macaw has a flexible diet but, like all parrots, requires certain components, among them, seeds which carry certain small-scale nutrients that this bird may not obtain from the other foods in its daily diet in captivity.

The kinds veterinarians at WorldVets donated a surgery for Juju the kinkajou, and some juicy fruits which were readily devoured. 

Steve and the team from WorldVets donated a costly treatment of surgeries to Juju, a wild kinkajou that was found badly beaten in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. The animal was given a chance to live by these operations, which included the removal of a foot and an eye, and closure of an open wound on one cheek. The team dropped in a couple of times to see Juju, and they brought the animal some fruit. From all appearances, watermelon ranks highly in the list of preferred foods for a kinkajou. We often receive severely injured wildlife, and sometimes the success of seeing them heal is worth it all!

Juju the kinkajou likes watermelon. Photo Andras Dorgai. 

There are lots of options for a visit to Laguna de Apoyo these days. The people who visit us often want to be involved in some way in doing something good for the environment. Part of keeping the environment safe for wild nature is patrolling to reduce vandalism, hunting, other bad things that harm the public good. We at Gaia support the local institutions in the ways we can. We had noticed the local patrol motorcycle for the police department was using a completely treadless tire, worn dangerously bald from overuse. Mark Connell, a student of Apoyo Spanish School, took note of our concern and provided a cash donation which covered most of the cost of the tire.

We compared prices and models and acquired the best fit for the job, and made an official delivery to the police representative. Now he can participate in hot pursuit safely!

Our local police representative in Laguna de Apoyo desperately needed a new front tire for his patrol motorcycle, which was donated by Mark Connell and funds from Gaia. Here, Juan Carlos presents the new tire along with Pablo and Mileidy from Gaia. Photo Jeffrey McCrary.

The next time we saw him pass by on the motorcycle, we stopped to ask about the tire, and sure enough, he had already had it mounted on the bike.

Our local police motorcycle now sports a fully new front tire! Photo Jeffrey McCrary.

We don't have any large bank accounts to fund projects without some sort of financing, which is a cruel reality for most not-for-profits that are really doing things of benefit to our society. We depend on contributions from our allies and friends. Sometimes, the contributions are small, but really, no contribution is ever to small. Every penny can be put to use in the protection of wild nature in Nicaragua. Missie and Stephen Lavergne recently gave us two (yes, two!) animal transporters-not exactly a small contribution. The transporters are in nearly-new condition and capable of handling animals of different sizes. Who said Christmas doesn't come in April? It will now be more feasible to transport animals-both wildlife and pets such as Lassie.

Lassie tries our our new large-animal transporter, donated by Missy and Stephen Lavergne. Photo Jeffrey McCrary.

The smaller animal transporter donated generously by Stephen and Missy Lavergne is just right for small and medium-sized animals. Thank you! Photo Andras Dorgai.

Lassie, our newest pet addition, was rescued from the street in Managua. For the next long trip, she now has some very comfortable conditions for traveling. Photo Andras Dorgai.

Andras Dorgai has been learning Spanish and helping as an Eco-Warrior Environmental Volunteer. Not only has he provided lots of great help, he also donated a bag of walnuts to the animals. Anyone who has been in Nicaragua knows that they can be very expensive and the cost can seem even more prohibitive when contrasting to the incomes found in Nicaragua. It is not easy for us to keep the animals fed with high-quality foods that meet their special, nutritional needs without donations. Midorna, our rescue Scarlet Macaw, needs nuts as part of her diet, so she is getting a small quantity daily.

Dorgai is passing a walnut to Midorna, part of their daily ritual. Photo Jeffrey McCrary.

Lots of others have donated items and cash recently, particularly in support of our studies of the wild natural resources in the area. The examples mentioned here are presented to demonstrate the diversity of ways to help available. We want to thank everyone who has made a donation. If you would like to donate to Gaia, please click on the "escudo" below or just come by Estacion Biologica Laguna de Apoyo any time!

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Animal Rescue XXI: Jamaican Fruit Bat

Bats give most people a creepy feeling when they intrude into a certain safe-space that people have just for animals that could cause irreparable harm. Seeing bats up in the sky is generally acceptable, because most people have come to terms with bats being "up there" and doing the things bats do, for as long as anyone can remember. But bats in the house, for instance, provoke a concern that comes from the subconscious, that is not easily controlled. Not even great admiration for Batman can dissolve the uneasiness they provoke.

Seeing a bat up close in a safe, controlled situation, however, usually works to endear people to them. Bats, after all, have faces, and they are small, and most of them, we know consciously, don't drink the blood of unfortunate humans. Most bats fall into one or another of three categories of diet: fruit, insects, and nectar. All of those bats provide tremendous environmental services that make our natural world work better. They keep down pesky insects, disperse seeds, and fertilize flowers.

We were recently blessed with a project - a juvenile Jamaican Fruit Bat (Artibeus jamaicensis), not fully grown, that was found on the ground and would not fly. It would, however, drink and chew fruits. We at Gaia decided we would take on the project to rescue and try to bring the bat back to a healthy animal, if there was something we could do.

This little guy did not want to fly, but readily drank milk. Photo Jeffrey McCrary

The bat was still not nearly fully grown. As a mammal, it thoroughly enjoyed drinking milk, and it would suck on watermelon and other juicy fruits. We gave it plenty of food, at intervals of less than two hours over a ten-day period.

Eco-Warrior Volunteers diligently cared for the baby bat, feeding and cleaning the animal at frequent intervals. Photo Jeffrey McCrary. 

Our Eco-Warrior Enviromental Volunteers were enthusiastic about the animal. The baby bat had all the expected basic, biological functions, but did not grow or get stronger, and eventually succumbed. Meanwhile, we learned a few things.

The bat readily sucked milk out of a cloth, but paper was more easily extracted from his mouth after a feeding. Photo Jeffrey McCrary.

The first thing we learned, is that a bat is capable of responding positively to human attention and comfort. This little animal evidently enjoyed the attention and drank surprisingly large quantities at times. This all made us feel that the effort was not in vain. The bat did not live long, but it was not suffering and it even seemed to enjoy its life at moments.

Another feeding session with the baby bat. Photo Jeffrey McCrary.

We also learned that we can try to do things that may not always succeed. Success is to often defined by the absence of failure. Even though we did not see the bat grow to an independent creature and fly away to live in the wild, we learned and gave, and this one bat also gained a benefit, by living comfortably a few more days. So, we are happy.

The attempted rescue of this little animal also gave us the opportunity to share with others the story of bats as beneficial creatures. Not all animals we rescue survive to return to the wild, but we try to give them all a chance to live and, if it happens, to die with dignity, especially those animals affected by humans. Some, but not all the stories of wild animal rescue are positive, and some are downright tragic. All of us know, sadly, that the antagonistic relationship that humans sustain with wildlife requires new ways to engage people. We hope that this story reaches people who have not considered what happens to wildlife in the vicinity of humans. This little bat has gone on, but here, the story of this animal continues to reach people who may begin to consider that much of the harsh treatment toward wildlife is unnecessary and even counterproductive. Our staff, visitors, local neighbors and volunteers, and now, our readers can consider that even animals such as this little bat deserve both life and death with dignity.

A bat adorns the wall in Laguna de Apoyo. Photo Pablo Somarriba.

We are engaged in different types of activities at Gaia, not only wild animal rescue. Please read through our blog and visit us, to discuss with us the ways we can protect wild natural resources in Nicaragua. We hope you are engaged, too. If you would like to help us with cages, food, time, or money, to provide care for wild animals in distress, we would be grateful. Please contact us or drop by at Estación Biológica in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, any time.

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Una nueva mascota en Laguna de Apoyo

La Estación Biológica Laguna de Apoyo ya es dotada de un animal más. Esta vez, no es un animal silvestre, sino una perra. Lassie, una pitbull viejita que pertenecía a un músico de reggae y calypso de renombre en Managua, fue botada a la calle, por ser vieja, por ya no tener el encanto de ser cachorra, por estar enferma, por depender de una familia sin recursos para pagar el costo de curar sus heridas. Pero la verdad es que Lassie no fue botada a la calle por ninguna de esas razones. Fue botada a la calle por la falta de afecto, de conciencia, por tener el corazón encogido los miembros de la familia que decidió olvidarse de ella.

Lassie al momento de su rescate en Managua. Foto Lorena. 

Cuando nos dimos cuenta de Lassie, nos hizo pensar que podríamos asumir la responsabilidad de darle cariño, comida y casa el resto de su vida. Estamos acostumbrados a los animales silvestres, pero esta vez adoptamos una perra!

Lassie en su hogar temporal en Managua, después de ser rescatada por los ángeles de la Fundación ADAN. Foto Lorena.

Los voluntarios de la Fundación ADAN se llevó a la perrita Lassie hasta la Laguna de Apoyo, donde nuestro equipo la adoptó. La pobre perra, viejita y enferma, ya en un lugar nuevo, tuvo que ir adaptándose a nuevas personas, y lugar nuevo, y hasta una perrita con quien estaría compartiendo espacio. Poco a poco, iba reconociendo a las personas nuevas en su vida, hasta decidir adueñarse de un pequeño solar con techo, en el patio de la propiedad de la Estación Biológica.

Lassie comiendo en su solar. Foto Julie Comeau.

Rápidamente, Lassie desarrollaba confianza con nosotros. También, ella aprendía del terreno físico, dónde es de ella y dónde no. Ahora, después de pocos días, ella se siente en casa. Su rescate ha sido exitoso!

Lassie quiere mucho a las personas que manifiestan amor con ella. Foto Julie Comeau.

Esperamos dar mucho a Lassie, amor, comida, salud. Ya sabemos que a nosotros, nos va a dar mucho más que nosotros a ella. Ella fue olvidada por una familia, pero ahora es parte de otra familia que promete a cuidarla y compartir amor con ella. Nuestros voluntarios se dedican a darle cuido y afecto.

Si quieres ayudarnos con alimento o con tu tiempo para nuestros animales silvestres (y domésticos) rescatados, contáctanos! Puedes ayudarnos con el rescate animal!

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