Jungle Life

Here is a quick likes and dislikes of jungle life so far. I had to bus out for 45 min to the nearest city to use the slowest internet I´ve come across yet, so this will be short and more detailed later. I still have much to catch up on in regards to Samaipata and the Bolivian elections.

Dislikes:
1) Always wondering if my puma is going to jump me. She dragged me (face and body down in the ground) into the jungle the first day since I was carabined into her with rope and wasn´t prepared for her to run while I was attached.

2) Being around mossies who are smarter than me and eat me alive at any chance they get. They also can eat through clothes and so I have to wear multiple layers.

3) Feeding toucans who try to eat my feet daily and I hate going into their cage. I officially quit today and will look to have someone else feed them.

4) Sweating every second from the heat that takes a toll. I have to trade off the incredible heat and humidity in order to keep the mossies from sucking me dry. The first day, I felt like I might pass out from heat exhaustion and therefore take cold showers twice a day.

5) Serving as the scratching post for the chanchas or wild pigs with their hard spiky hair. They also have fleas and so I try to keep my distance.

Likes:
1) Working with the 3 pumas I look after, even if they want to jump me and have tried. They are beautiful cats who just don´t know their own strength sometimes.

2) Trying to outhowl Faustino, the alcoholic (but on AA treatment) howler monkey gives me great pleasure. I yell his name for as long as loud as I can as he howls with me in the mornings and the evenings. He always wins.

3) Feeling good about working with animals who need so much love and care, many of whom were saved from the Bolivian black market, ill treated at the zoo, or abused as pets. They have such a great life in the jungle with this organization and I can´t look at another cat in the zoo again.

4)Feeding Herbie, the Tapir, and Bambi and Rudolfo the two deers who can not go back to their natural environments because of various reasons. They are adorable and I love watching Herbie´s nose twitch at the food I bring him.

5) Feeling as though I´m going to be a stronger person after this experience that brings so much joy and so much demand both physically and mentally with my days completely full of very strenous work starting at 6:45am everyday. At least I hope it does.