Volunteering

In May 2011, a woman contacted CIWY saying she had bought two puma cubs (Capitán Haw Haw and Flashman) and wanted advice on how to start a park. It was explained to her how difficult it is to run a park and that it would be better to hand them over to an organisation that already has knowledge about wild cats. She eventually agreed to surrender the pumas to CIWY.

The woman told CIWY that the pumas, who she kept on her balcony in La Paz, were very young, affectionate and loved people. Capitán and Flashman were moved to Jacj Cuisi in June 2012 where there was a larger enclosure available. Flashman unfortunately died after being emaciated and ill, in 2015.

Capitán is a puma that needs a lot of love and patience; he loves his time with volunteers and needs a lot of enrichment to keep him busy and healthy.

Image Gallery

Leoncio was a family pet. When he grew into a puma and started jumping on people like a puma, the father beat Leo so badly he broke his back legs. The neighbors heard him crying in pain and notified the authorities. He was confiscated and brought to Machia sanctuary. He was 10 months old when he arrived. Initially, he stayed in a small cage so that he could not re-break his back legs again.

He recovered and became a very playful cat who jumped a lot. He was moved to Ambue Ari in 2008 for his well being when he was 5 years old. The land is a lot flatter there so it is much easier for Leo (he still has problems with his bones). He unfortunately also has a tumor in his stomach, and now he is receiving supplements and medicines to treat the condition. Leo is a warrior and he taught all of us to keep walking, no matter what.

Image Gallery

Niko arrived at Ambue Ari in October 2007 when she was just 2 months old. She came from Jaguaru, a small village close to Guarayos. She was brought voluntarily by a family who had her as a house pet. They realised that she was living in poor conditions and brought her to the sanctuary.

Initially Niko lived in quarantine where Herbie the tapir was also living, and for a while Niko thought that Herbie was her mother. After a while, Herbie moved to his new enclosure and Niko became depressed. When Niko was young, she climbed a tree and fell, breaking a bone in her leg. She needed to have a number of surgeries, and the trauma that she suffered during this time causes Niko to still be a nervous cat today. Nevertheless, when Niko gets to know her volunteers, she is a sweet and playful puma.

Image Gallery

As cattle ranches encroach further and further into jaguar habitat, problems between wild animals and humans are increasing. Jaguars, especially the old or injured and mothers providing for their young, often prey upon livestock. Large herds of cattle are seen as an easy target by the opportunistic cats. Cattle ranchers are not happy about it, and often hire people to hunt and kill jaguars in the areas surrounding their land.

Ranchers killed Katie’s mother when she was spotted stalking a herd of cattle. Upon reaching the body, they saw her belly was moving – she had been heavily pregnant. They cut her open and took out a baby jaguar.

Miraculously, the baby survived and the hunter’s family kept her as a pet until she became unmanageable, and they could no longer afford to buy enough meat to feed her. They had heard about the work of Inti Wara Yassi and contacted them for assistance. Katie was transported to Ambue Ari from La Paz in 2007. Today Katie is one of the four jaguars we care for at Ambue Ari. She is an excellent climber and loves getting her enrichment from the top of the trees in her enclosure.

Image Gallery

Jaguars are prized by hunters not only for their beautiful furs but also to sell them as pets on the black market. They are seen as status symbols, especially for people involved in illegal activities. The animals are often chained up to impress and intimidate others.

Amira, which means princess in Arabic, was owned by drug dealers. She was kept in the front yard of a house in the north of Bolivia. Upon hearing of her existence, people, especially children, came to the house to harass and annoy her – it was entertaining for them to get a reaction out of her. People would tease her with objects such as keys and backpacks, poke her with sticks and throw things at her.

Amira arrived in Ambue Ari in 2008, and she is one of the smartest cats we have. She always pays attention to her surroundings, she has a goofy personality and loves greeting her volunteers every day at the fence, running around and rolling on the floor in anticipation of food.

Image Gallery

Peanut was taken from the wild as a cub by a local farmer who gave him to his children to keep as a pet. He was approximately 1 month old. We do not know if he was stolen directly from his den, or scared out of his den by the noise of the farmer working and then found and brought home, but either way he was taken when he was extremely young and would have still been living with his mother, father and siblings.

He lived with the family for approximately two weeks before CIWY heard about his situation. We spoke to the family and thankfully they understood why it was wrong to have a wild animal as a pet and they gave him up to Ambue Ari to be cared for.

Sadly, because Peanut was a baby he could not be released back into the wild.  In the wild he would have still been receiving his mother’s milk, as he was not yet at the age of weaning (approx. 90 days old). He now needed to live with us permanently because if he was released into the wild, he would not have survived all by himself.

Today Peanut has a large enclosure and the attention and care from his volunteers. He loves to run around and to search for the enrichment we prepare for him every day.

Image Gallery

Negra lived as a pet from a very young age with a family in Ascensión de Guarayos. She remained tied to a tree by a chain, surrounded by a group of pigs. The staff of Parque Ambue Ari used to see Negra every week when they went to buy fruits and vegetables for the animals at the sanctuary. They tried to explain to Negra’s captors that it is illegal to keep monkeys as pets and that they should release her to CIWY’s care. The family refused, until one day Negra freed herself, entered the neighbor’s house and caused great damage. After this, the family allowed CIWY to take Negra.

Negra initially came to Ambue Ari, but was transferred to Machía so that she could integrate into the group of spider monkeys there. Spider monkeys are very social animals and fortunately Negra was immediately accepted by the group.

Despite being over 20 years old, Negra is a very active monkey. Everything arouses her curiosity and she enjoys exploring the area for new stimuli. Her intelligence never ceases to amaze us, like when she learned to open bottles and carabiners with her opposable thumbs. Negra has a very strong character, a stubborn personality, and always gets what she wants. We loved seeing her blossom as part of the social group, after years of being tied to a tree.

A few years ago, Negra’s health declined. She lost interest in her surroundings and could barely move. The veterinary team discovered that Negra was suffering from congestive heart failure. She began a long but steady road to recovery, and thanks to the care of her volunteers and veterinarians, Negra is back to being her usual cheeky self. She takes daily medications to control her heart problem — she does not like the medication, so veterinarians have to engineer a thousand ways to hide the pills.

Negra is the oldest monkey in the sanctuary and continues to explore the jungle with the spider monkey group.

Please help cover the cost of Negra’s food and medications by sponsoring her today!

Image Gallery

When Balú was still a young cub, hunters killed his mother and captured him, with the intention of earning money for both. The poachers were attempting to sell Balú to a circus when law enforcement authorities confiscated him. The authorities brought Balú to Parque Machía, where we provided the necessary veterinary care and a large space to live a healthy life.

Balú has grown to weigh more than 120 kg, remains very patient and enjoys spending time with his volunteers. In fact, he has become one of the sanctuary’s most beloved residents.

Balú is a very calm bear that enjoys exploring his enclosure, climbing trees on rainy days and swinging from the treetops. Despite his large size, Balu is incredibly delicate when he peels bananas, eats grapes, and cracks open peanuts or coconuts. Like every good bear, he loves fish and honey.

Balú requires a special diet, which does not come cheap. Parque Machía spends more than US$130 each month on his food alone. A contribution towards the cost of his diet would be a great help for the future of Balú.

Image Gallery

Video

Carolina was confiscated from her captors at the Urkupiña Festival in Quillacollo. She arrived at Parque Machía with many health problems, including a fractured and mutilated wing.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for birds to arrive in similar conditions. Birds that are illegally trafficked are stripped from their natural habitats and smuggled in deplorable conditions. Traffickers often break their bones to prevent them from flying away. Over half of these birds die before being sold.

Due to her injuries, Carolina will never be able to fly again, and she often loses her balance and falls from branches. It is a great shame that freedom and flight were taken from her, but volunteers and staff at Parque Machía work very hard to give Carolina the quality of life she deserves. Carolina sleeps in her cage at night and spends the day outside exploring the area and interacting with other parrots.

Having lived with people most of her life, Carolina has copied many human behaviors – she screams, cries and sings. She often confuses her volunteers, who think they hear a person calling to them.

We would be very grateful if you would consider helping to cover Carolina’s food, daily environmental enrichment and medications by sponsoring her today!

Image Gallery

Video

Iván was born in a zoo, where he lived for almost a year. He was brought to CIWY together with his father in 2008, due to lack of space and health problems. Iván suffers from motor incoordination and osteoarthritis, which causes him to move in a very particular way.

Despite his mobility challenges, he loves to explore his enclosure. Ramps and caves have been built in his living space to accommodate his condition. He especially enjoys enrichment with meat and eggs.

To remain active and walk without pain, Iván takes daily medications, such as chondroprotectors (which help regenerate cartilage), anti-inflammatories and other supplements.

We would be delighted if someone wanted to help maintain Iván’s quality of life by sponsoring him today!

Image Gallery

Ángela was a victim of the illegal wildlife trade and arrived in Ambue Ari as an adult in 2011, after being sold as a pet on the black market. She wins the heart of every volunteer that spends time with her. She enjoys the company of volunteers, as well as daily walks through the jungle in search of termite nests and fallen trees filled with bugs. She is also provided with environmental enrichment to stimulate her senses and help her develop natural behaviours

Ángela is now an older coati who needs more veterinary attention. Your sponsorship will help us cover her food, veterinary expenses and the maintenance of her enclosure. Currently her costs total US$40 per month.

Image Gallery

Bitón came to Ambue Ari in 2010 in a tragically common predicament. Poachers had killed his mother, and he was sold as a pet while he was still an infant. He grew up without his mother’s milk, without a group of howler monkeys to interact with, and as a result he did not develop appropriately.

Because Bitón did not know how to behave like a wild howler monkey, our efforts to include him into a troop that could be released were futile. He will need to stay in the sanctuary for life, and this makes the time he spends with staff and volunteers all the more important, to ensure he has a desirable quality of life. Every day he leaves his enclosure at 7:30 am accompanied by his volunteer, with whom he climbs to the platforms installed at some of the trees, and he howls to communicate with other howler monkeys. This type of handling allows him to develop natural behaviours, such as foraging for fresh leaves, and climbing through the branches, and reinforces important social behaviours like grooming and self-grooming. Some volunteers have been lucky enough to see him interact with howler females at only a couple of meters away.

If you sponsor Bitón you will be helping cover his veterinary, food and enclosure maintenance expenses.

Image Gallery

Jaguars are a Near-Threatened species. Their pelt, teeth, and skulls are used as trophies and sold on the black market. Kusiy is one of the many victims of illegal wildlife trafficking. Poachers decided to keep Kusiy as a pet – they held him in a small yard alongside dogs and cats in terrible conditions. Neighbours notified the authorities, who rescued him and brought him to CIWY in 2015.

Our veterinarians diagnosed many medical problems due to lack of maternal care and poor living conditions. He suffered from skin infections caused by a flea infestation, and excessive scratching had removed all the skin from his tail. He also had intestinal parasites, and at some point, he received trauma to his right eye which almost led to blindness in that eye.

Kusiy recovered his health at Machía, and once he was strong enough, he was transported to Ambue Ari, where he could enjoy a much bigger enclosure in the middle of the jungle. Now he can run, play and develop his strong jaguar character in a more natural environment. Our little Kusiy has transitioned into a strong imposing jaguar that steals your heart with just one look.

His volunteers spend time with him daily to ensure he receives exercise and mental stimulus. Your sponsorship will help us provide food for Kuisy. He eats 2kg of meat every day and receives environmental enrichment. This alone costs US$130 per month.

Image Gallery

Luna and her sister were confiscated by the local authorities of Sucre when traffickers tried to sell them in the local market. They arrived at Parque Machía with serious health problems, and unfortunately, only Luna survived.

Years later we relocated to Luna to Parque Jacj Cuisi, where she enjoys much more territory. She lives in a large enclosure and goes out on daily walks through the jungle. Luna is a very energetic and affectionate cat. She loves her jungle walks, which give her the opportunity to run, climb, stalk unsuspecting wildlife and rest quietly in a nearby stream.

The cost of Luna’s food is US$80 per month. Please consider sponsoring her today!

Image Gallery

Marley is another victim of the illegal wildlife trade. Hunters killed her mother and sold her to a family at a market in Cochabamba. Soon after they brought her home, she showed serious health problems, such as seizures and diarrhea. The family brought her to a veterinarian, who explained that Marley’s condition was very delicate and that they should bring her to CIWY for proper care and veterinary treatment.

Marley arrived at Parque Machía when she was just two months old. Here she received a proper diet, and her health improved rapidly.

After four years at Parque Machía, Marley began to show signs of severe stress, particularly around loud noises, such as those made by passing trucks, tourists and neighboring dogs. Her handling became complicated and she sometimes refused to leave her enclosure for her daily walk.

For Marley’s wellbeing, CIWY decided to transfer her to Parque Ambue Ari, where there are no tourists nearby and less noise. Marley has improved immensely in her new home. She is calm and playful, and shows no signs of stress. Her new enclosure is much larger and she goes out daily with her volunteers to explore the jungle.

Marley is one of the most intelligent pumas that have passed through CIWY, she is very agile and seems to be aware of how beautiful she is. She loves to walk her new trails and she enjoys all the enrichment that volunteers prepare for her daily.

The cost of food and enrichment for Marley is US$80 per month. Please consider sponsoring this beautiful and intelligent puma.

Image Gallery

Video

A family bought Monchito for his beauty and kept him as a pet, even though macaws are wild animals and should live freely in the jungle. They quickly tired of his cries and of having to clean his cage, so they brought him to Parque Machía in 2010.

The veterinarians discovered that Monchito’s right wing had been fractured and dislocated – a sadly common and cruel practice of captors to prevent birds from escaping. These injuries are irreversible and Monchito can never fly again.

Despite efforts to socialize Monchito with other birds of the same species, he does not know how to behave like a macaw and prefers to interact with volunteers, especially females. Monchito seeks constant attention and enjoys following volunteers around the area and saying “hello”.

If you want to help Monchito, please consider contributing to his costs as his sponsor.

Image Gallery

Pepa was the pet of a family in Cochabamba, until she became too difficult to handle and the family brought her to CIWY. This is a familiar story, especially among Capuchin monkeys, which seem cute but become aggressive or destructive at an early age.

The family later returned to Parque Machía to ask for Pepa back, as they missed her and did not want to buy another monkey. We explained to them why they should not keep wild animals as pets: not only is it illegal, but it also harms the animal and poses a risk to family members, especially children.

Pepa continues to live in Parque Machía in one of the areas dedicated to Capuchin monkeys. She is very friendly and often regarded as a favorite among volunteers. She always surprises us with her intelligence and ability to solve problems. She is very protective of the other Capuchin monkeys in her group and exhibits strong loyalty to them.

CIWY spends over $US 40 per month on Pepa’s food and enrichment. Please consider sponsoring the friendly and playful Pepa.

Image Gallery

Rio was rescued when he was only a few weeks old by the park rangers of Madidi National Park. A family of hunters had killed his mother and kept the margay kitten.

Rio arrived with many health problems due to the lack of breast milk, the poor conditions in which they kept their captors and having ingested pieces of synthetic leather and plastic. He was vomiting and defecating pieces of synthetic leather for several days, which caused serious lesions in his stomach and intestine. He began to recover, but within a few days his condition worsened. All the lesions that his intestines had suffered resulted in a serious infection. He also presented with severe anemia, and a blood transfusion was needed.

He was kept in intensive care for many days, until he started to show signs of recovery. But the struggle didn’t end there. Due to the fact that he didn’t receive his mother’s milk during his first months of life, his calcium levels, along with other essential elements, were low. As a result, his bones were very fragile and, as a 4.5 month old infant, he broke a leg just from walking. He had to be operated upon immediately in order to walk again, but he will limp forever.

Río is now recovering from all of his injuries, but he will need supplements and medication for the rest of his life. You can help brighten his future by sponsoring him and contributing towards his veterinary expenses and food. Additionally, you would be helping us provide an appropriate enclosure for the needs of this lively margay.

Image Gallery

Salvador was kept as a pet and was housed with pigs. For this reason, he was confiscated from his owners, and handed over to CIWY to be taken care of. Sadly, Salvador arrived at Parque Machía with several infected wounds across his back, a fungal infection on his limbs and was missing a nail from his left-front paw. Due to his poor health, he remained in Machía’s clinic for several months.

Despite all the wounds afflicting him, Salvador made a full recovery and joined the rest of the coatis that live in the Small Animals Area at Parque Machía. Salvador is a very calm and affectionate coati, but it takes some time for him to get used to volunteers who work with him.

In 2017 Salvador was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and must take medication daily. Salvador is now old, but thanks to the medication provided to him, he continues to enjoy the jungle and the bugs that he finds there.

If you want to contribute to Salvador’s food and daily treatment, please sponsor him today for US$40 per month!

Image Gallery

Sonko spent the first six months of his life as a pet in a family’s home, until he became too difficult to manage. Fortunately, the family brought him to CIWY, and he spent nine happy years at Parque Machía before being transferred in 2013 to Parque Jacj Cuisi, where he enjoys even more space and tranquility.

Sonko is one of the calmest and friendliest felines and can be very expressive. He loves exploring his jungle trails in the company of his volunteers. He is now an old puma, so he needs daily supplements to help improve his mobility and quality of life.

Parque Jacj Cuisi spends over US$108 each month on Sonko’s food and supplements. Please consider sponsoring Sonko to help to cover this expense.

Image Gallery

In 2017, Titus escaped from a hotel in Villa Tunari, where he had been kept on display as a tourist attraction. Shortly after, he was found wandering the streets of the village. Bolivian authorities and CIWY staff members rescued him and brought him to Parque Machía.

Titus was later transferred to Ambue Ari, where he currently lives in a large enclosure filled with jungle and a lagoon he loves to swim in. He possesses a beautiful, gentle nature, and he’s very intelligent (he has even learned to open the doors of his enclosure with his nose).

Volunteers provide him with food and environmental enrichment daily. His specialised diet was designed by our veterinarians to ensure his nutritional needs are met. Because he was deprived of his mother’s care as an infant, he didn’t receive the essential nutrients and calcium needed to grow into a strong, healthy adult. As a result, his hind legs did not develop properly.

He needs regular veterinary checkups and nutritional supplements in the amount of US$70 per month. You can help him by sponsoring him today!

Image Gallery

The puma sisters Inti, Wara and Yassi were barely a week old when poachers killed their mother and sold them on the black market of Potosí. All three cubs were in a terrible state of health when they arrived at Parque Machía, where they received veterinary attention and epilepsy treatment.

They were later transferred to Ambue Ari Park, to a very large enclosure in the middle of the jungle. Unfortunately, Inti passed away a few years ago from natural causes.

Currently Wara and Yassi live together and enjoy swimming in the river and walking through the jungle with their volunteers. The sisters love to play and chase each other. They are very dependent on one another, and it is a unique experience to watch them interact.

Their food and the care needed for their condition costs US$140 per month. Please help these two sisters stay together, healthy and happy!

Image Gallery

Simona arrived as an infant in 2019, after being kept as a pet by a family and put for sale in the market of Ivirgazama, Cochabamba.

After a period of quarantine and medical evaluation, Simona was introduced to the semi-free spider monkey group at Parque Machia. She was very curious and not afraid to interact with the rest of the monkeys through a mesh. In just one month, Simona was released to fully join the spider monkey group!

Now Simona plays freely with the other monkeys and behaves like a wild spider monkey: climbing trees and looking for food. In addition, she is already starting to forget her previous behaviors of screaming and tearing her hair. We are very pleased with her speedy rehabilitation!

Image Gallery

Poachers often target howler monkeys for their meat and their young. They shoot an adult in the treetops, and when the mother falls to the ground they pull off her baby, which is still clinging to its mother’s body. The adult will be sold for its meat and the baby as a pet or an attraction.

Ambue Ari specialises in the care of young howler monkeys and runs a successful re-release programme. For those that arrive very young, the first few months at the sanctuary are critical. Deprived of their mother’s milk and care, baby monkeys need round the clock care to recuperate.

Image Gallery