We have some very exciting news!!! You have just started our next conservation project and we will be in South America this time. We have collaborated in a project with Merazonia to help with tracking of some primates and sloths after the have been released into their natural home of Amazon rain forest. Merazonia http://www.merazonia.org/index.html is a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center in Mera, Ecuador. Click on this link to learn more about this amazing place in the middle of the jungle and how you can volunteer and help these animals.
We have started the fundraising process to help purchase tracking antennas and collars for species like Red Howler Monkeys, Woolly Monkeys and Sloths.
These species are brought to Merazonia for a number of reasons. Many animals find their way to the center after being injured or confiscated in the illegal pet trade. Merazonia works hard to rehabilitate and release these and all the animals at the center back to their natural environment where they can live long and happy lives. This organization is only funded by volunteers and donors. No governmental funding is provided. This is why we want to help as much as we can. These animal deserve to be in the wild and we want to make that happen!!
This tracking project is important for many reasons but the most important is to ensure the safety and security of the animals once they are released. Sloths in particular are very good at camouflaging themselves in the trees of the Amazon rain forest and once they have been released are never seen again. By placing collars on these animals, the staff at Merazonia can ensure they are safe in the trees as well as learn much information about their biology. Very little is known about the Sloth species and their ecology and biology. With limited knowledge, it makes it more of a challenge to care for them in captivity. Learning as much as we can about these animals will help places like Merazonia been able to better care for them and protect them in the future and allow us to ensure the protection of their natural environment. In 2015 alone, Meroazonia had released 26 Sloths with a total of close to 60 in the last few years.
The woolly monkey and red howler monkey groups will have collars on them for similar reasons. These species are not expected to travel far from the release sight but again having the ability to monitor them will ensure their safety. Only one other group of woolly monkeys has been release from captivity in Ecuador before but this did not involve tracking. This will be the FIRST time captive red howler monkeys will be released in Ecuador. This project will be ground breaking for the Red Howler Species. Merazonia is the first to have a group of red howlers in captivity that will be released and a bonus will be having the tracking collars on these amazing animals.
(These are similar products that will be used in this project)
Why are these animals special you ask? Well, these two primate species are threatened species of the Amazon due to many factors. The natural environment they live in is being destroyed by human encroachment, logging and other methods. These primates are also hunted by natives for meat, skin and even to be sold in the exotic pet trade. We need to do everything we can to learn about these animals and how we can better care for them and protect them in the wild.
We are partnering with Merazonia to release these animal back into the wild where they belong. Wild animals do not belong as pets nor should they live in cages for the rest of their lives.
Please help us make this project a success and donate money to help us purchase these supplies. You can donate with Paypal on our donor link. Any and all donations will receive a tax letter from International Veterinary Care, Inc. and can be used as a tax deduction. Please help us give these animals the life the deserve in the Amazon....donate today