JUNGLE GUTS

THE DIFFERENT AREAS OF PARQUE MACHIA, THE ANIMAL REFUGE WHERE I CURRENTLY VOLUNTEER

MONKEY QUARANTINE

DREAM TEAM- JULIA,  KEITH, PENELOPE, SARAH MERKLE

MONKEY QUARANTINE IS WHERE I CURRENTLY WORK. IT´S THE FIRST STOP FOR CAPUCHINS BEFORE THEY MOVE ON TO EVENTUALLY BE SET FREE IN THE MONKEY MIRADOR OR THE MONKEY PARK. SADLY, MANY OLDER CAPUCHINS MAY LIVE OUT THERE DAYS IN THIS AREA. THE MONKEYS HERE ARE PARTICULARLY CUDDLY, AND IT´S A GOOD SPOT IF YOU DON´T LIKE TREKKING THROUGH THE JUNGLE ALL DAY. THE BABY MONKEY ENCLOSURE IS LOCATED HERE, AND THEY ARE ADORABLE. IF YOUR A BOY, BE READY FOR THE FEMALE MONKEYS TO FIEND FOR YOU WHEN THEY GO INTO HEAT. ALSO, BE PREPARED TO CLEAN UP SHIT A LOT.

MILLIE THE OCELOT

DREAM TEAM- LAUREN AND ALYSSA

MILLIE IS AN OCELOT WHO IS KNOWN FOR BEING A BIT LAZY AND SO SHE NEEDS TWO VOLUNTEERS TO ENCOURAGE HER ON HER WALKS. I SAW HER ONCE WHILE WALKING SONKO AND SHE IS ADORABLE.SHE LOVES TO SUCK ON THE THUMBS OF HER VOLUNTEERS.

ROY ¨THE ANGEL OF DEATH¨ THE PUMA

DREAM TEAM- ANTHONY AND JOHN BARLOG

ROY´S NICKNAME WAS ONCE THE ANGEL OF DEATH, AND ALTHOUGH HE DOESN´T ACTUALLY LIVE UP TO THE MONIKER, HE´S DEFINITELY THE FASTEST MOVING PUMA IN THE PARK. ANYONE WHOSE WORKING WITH HIM BETTER BE PRETTY CONFIDENT AND PRETTY GOOD AT CLIMBING AND RUNNING.

SPIDER MONKEY PARK

DREAM TEAM-   PATRICK WOODY,  WILLIAM, KATELYN, BEN FISH,

SPIDER MONKEYS ARE QUITE A BIT BIGGER THAN CAPUCHINS, ALL BLACK, AND BRACHIATE IN A MANNER SIMILAR TO  GIBBONS. THEY STEAL LESS THAN CAPUCHINS, AND TEND TO BE LESS MANIC. THEY MAKE ¨SEXY FACES¨  BY PURSING THERE LIPS AND STICKING THEM OUT AS FAR AS POSSIBLE. THERE IS A LARGE COLONY OF SPIDER MONKEYS- SOME OF THEM ROAM FREE UNTIL BED TIME WHEN THEY ARE PUT INTO A LARGE ENCLOSURE.  OTHERS REMAIN ON CORDS.  PEOPLE WORKING IN SPIDER PARK HAVE TO LOOK OUT FOR THE MACHOS, A GROUP OF WILD MALE SPIDER MONKEYS THAT ARE QUITE AGGRESSIVE AND HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO KILL INFANT SPIDER MONKEYS.

MONKEY PARK

DREAM TEAM- CAELIN, RENE, JANETH

PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THE MONKEY PARK HAVE TO BE FRIENDLY TO TOURISTS AND NOT LAUGH WHEN THE MONKEYS STEAL THEIR THINGS. ALSO, ITS VERY GOOD TO SPEAK SPANISH IN THIS AREA OF THE PARK.

MONKEY MIRADOR

DREAM TEAM- MIKEY RAY VON, JOHN BURTLE, MARCOS, DANNY BENGSTON,

MONKEY MIRADOR IS THE LOCATION OTHER THAN MONKEY PARK WHERE MONKEYS ARE RELEASED. MOST OF THE MONKEYS HERE TEND TO BE A LITTLE MORE AGGRESSIVE THAN THE ONES IN MONKEY PARK. THERE WAS A LANDSLIDE ABOUT A MONTH AGO AND THE OLD MIRADOR COLLAPSED. THE NEW MIRADOR ISN´T REALLY A LOOK OUT AT ALL. MOSTLY, IT´S JUST AN AREA IN THE JUNGLE NEAR A SMALL STREAM FROM THE RIVER WHERE MONKEYS ARE KEPT. THE TRAIL TO THE MIRADOR IS ONE OF THE WORST IN THE PARK AND YOU HAVE TO CARRY HEAVY BAGS OF FOOD TO THE MONKEYS EACH DAY, SO STUMBLING ALONG A CLIFF FACE WITH A HEAVY SACK OF PAPAYA ON YOUR SHOULDER IS NOT ALWAYS VERY FUN.  MANY OF THE MONKEYS HERE ARE VERY FRIENDLY, BUT TEND TO ONLY LIKE BOYS.  THE MONKEYS IN THE MIRADOR DO HAVE THE LUXURY OF BEING TAKEN FOR WALKS BY VOLUNTEERS. THIS OFTEN INVOLVES A VOLUNTEER CARRYING A MONKEY ALONG UNTIL IT FINDS A CACHE OF DEAD BRANCHES AND LEAVES THAT IT CAN GLEEFULLY RIP APART IN SEARCH OF BUGS.

TIGRE THE OCELOT

DREAM TEAM- DAVID PAYANT

TIGRE IS THE MOST ACTIVE AND FIT OCELOT AT THE PARK, BUT SHE ONLY NEEDS ONE VOLUNTEER. BE PREPARED TO SPEND LONG DAYS ALONE IN THE JUNGLE.

BALOO THE ANDEAN BEAR

DREAM TEAM- CORY, ANTONE

WHEN IT´S SUNNY BALOO LIKES TO GO FOR WALKS. WHEN IT RAINS, HE LIKES TO SIT INSIDE. HE´S TOO STRONG TO BE HELD BY JUST ONE PERSON NOW, BUT HE´S FAIRLY RELAXED AND JUST LIKES DECIMATING THE OCCASSIONAL TREE. HE´S CURRENTLY AROUND 250 POUNDS AND WILL STILL GO FOR THE KNEES FROM TIME TO TIME.

SONKO THE PUMA

DREAM TEAM- DARYL, JACK, MIKAL

SONKO DOES A LOT OF WALKING BUT AT A FAIRLY LEISURELY PACE. HE´S PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST WELL ROUNDED CATS AT THE PARK AND IS A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH.

LUNA THE PUMA

DREAM TEAM-BECKY, ADRIAN

LUNA GOES INTO HEAT FAIRLY OFTEN, WHICH MEANS SHE LIKES TO SLEEP A LOT AND THROW THE OCCASSIONAL HISSY FIT. VOLUNTEERS WHO WORK WIH HER HAVE TO BE QUITE PATIENT. HOPEFULLY SHE WILL BE MOVING TO ANOTHER INTI WARA YASSI PARK SOON, AS HER TRAILS HAVE BEEN HEAVILY AFFECTED BY THE MUDSLIDES.

AVIARY

DREAM TEAM- SOFIA,

THIS AVIARY CONTAINS SOME MACAWS, SOME SORT OF TURKEY VULTURE, AND SEVERAL BIRDS OF PREY. ONE OF THE MACAWS IS QUITE AFFECTIONATE AS I UNDERSTAND IT. IF YOU WORK HERE, YOU HAVE TO BE GOOD AT KEEPING THE MONKEYS OUT OF THE AVIARY.  OTHERWISE THE ALPHA MALE WILL GET IN AND YOU´LL HAVE A PARROT HOSTAGE SITUATION ON YOUR HANDS.

BIRD QUARANTINE

DREAM TEAM- TOMAS, SARA MANUWAL

WHERE MOST OF THE BIRDS AT PARQUE MACHIA ARE LOCATED. APPARENTLY THERE ARE SOAP OPERA LEVEL DRAMAS BETWEEN THE MATING PAIRS OF MACAWS, BUT I DON´T KNOW TOO MUCH ABOUT IT.

SMALL ANIMALS

DREAM TEAM- LOUISE, ARIANNA, CORRIE

ANIMALS THAT RESIDE IN SMALL ANIMALS ARE OFTEN THE HARDEST TO DESCRIBE. TEJONS (OR COATIS) ARE A RACCOON LIKE CREATURE WITH A SLIGHTLY PREHENSILE NOSE THAT ARE FAIRLY GOOD AT CLIMBING TREES. TAYRAS ARE LARGE WEASELS WITH PEE COLORED HEADS THAT ARE EASILY AMONG THE NASTIEST ANIMALS IN THE PARK AND MUST BE KEPT IN CAGES ALMOST ALL OF THE TIME. THERE ARE ALSO SOME TURTLES THAT  LIVE IN A SMALL POND IN MONKEY QUARANTINE AND A NIGHT MONKEY OR TWO. BE PREPARED FOR A FEW AFFECTIONATE TEJONS AND A LOT OF CHIRPING.

GATO

DREAM TEAM- JORDAN, JADE

GATO IS THE OLDEST PUMA. HE WAS ORIGINALLY IN THE CIRCUS SO HE´S LIKE A PUPPY AROUND HUMANS.  HE LIKES TO SLEEP A LOT. BE PREPARED TO SPEND LONG DAYS IN THE JUNGLE.

MY KNEE HAS BEEN BOTHERING ME A BIT TOO MUCH AND SO I´VE BEEN SWITCHED TO WORKING IN MONKEY QUARANTINE WITH THE CAPUCHINS. I LOVE IT. YESTERDAY I LET AN OLD CAPUCHIN NAMED LERONA SITS ON MY BACK FOR ALMOST AN HOUR,  RUNNING HER LITTLE FINGERS THROUGH MY HAIR AND OVER MY ARMS AND CHEST LOOKING FOR BUGS AND BITS OF DEAD SKIN. IT WAS LIKE A MASSAGE. IT WAS BETTER THAN A MASSAGE. IT´S SO GOOD TO JUST HAVE SOMEONE PAY SO MUCH ATTENTION TO YOU. EVERY DAY AFTER LUNCH I GO INTO THE QUARANTINE AND SAY ¨LERONA, IT´S TIME FOR MY THREE O´CLOCK.¨ SHE ALSO EATS MY EAR WAX BUT SHE DOESN´T DIG IN AS FAR AS THE OTHER CAPUCHINS DO. ISN´T LIFE UNDER THE SUN SUCH A CRAZY DREAM? ONE CAPUCHIN NAMED QUEENIE HAS GONE INTO HEAT. SHE SPENDS HER ENTIRE DAY MASTURBATING WITH HER LEG WHILE STARING AT ME AND SCREAMING. IF I LET HER CLIMB ON ME SHE NEVER WILL LET GO. SHE JUST HANGS ON ME AND SCREAMS. EVEN WHEN I´M IN THE QUARANTINE KITCHEN CUTTING UP VEGETABLES FOR THEIR LITTLE DINNERS SHE´S SITTING IN THE WINDOW, STARING AT ME, MASTURBATING, AND SCREAMING.

IT´S  DEFINITELY HARD WORK THOUGH. I SPEND AT LEAST THREE OR FOUR HOURS A DAY CLEANING UP DIRTY PIECES OF FRUIT AND SHIT WITH QUEENIE SCREAMING FOR SEXUAL GRATIFICATION IN THE BACKGROUND. IT´S ALL SO SURREAL. I FEEL LIKE AN AZTEC FILTH GODDESS.  I SUPPOSE I DO LOSE SOME MAN POINTS FOR NOT WORKING WITH THE MOUNTAIN LIONS, BUT I LOVE THESE DIRTY CAPUCHIN BITCHES IN MONKEY QUARANTINE.