Guayllabamba Zoo

Weather: Sunny and 65

Between Sunday and Monday (yesterday) not much has happened. Sunday was just a rest and homework day. Monday I had class where we learned about the illegal wildlife trade and the Paramo. However, I found out yesterday from my host sister that Ines has bad arthritis in her finger. She started making essential oils and lotions with weed in them, and apparently this has been her saving grace and she hasn't had to turn to medications. So yesterday, Ines's dealer was here. I didn't meet him, but I heard him and Angie explained to me who he was while we were sitting upstairs. She was hesitant at first but then told me. I didn't know what to think at first, but now it's just kinda funny to me. I'm living with a 70 year old woman that knows how to make everything from egg nogg to lotion that has weed in it. It would be a different story if she was smoking it, but it was pretty funny.

Anyways, today I went to the Guayllabamba Zoo (aka Quito Zoo)! Now normally I wouldn't be happy about this. Back in the states, I refuse to go to a zoo since they purposefully import animals to make a profit. This zoo is technically a rescue and rehabilitation center for animals rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. They advertise as a zoo since it brings in more people than being a rescue center. They get no support from the government so they rely solely on visitors as their source of income.

As we were driving there, we drove on the most expensive road in Ecuador. This road literally cuts between 2 mountains, I was curious to know how much dynamite they used to build these roads. The mountains are comprised of dry forest which has a lot of cacti and trees you'd see in subsaharan Africa. Most people don't see this as being an important ecosystem, but it is indeed a very important one. Putting in these roads destroyed entire mountains of dry forest. I'm not sure exactly what they did, but as you're driving it looks like they cemented over the sides of the mountain all the way to the top. As we were returning from the trip, we passed a spot in the mountains where they were mining. This was my first time seeing mining up close and personal. The amount of environmental degradation was crazy and they were working right next to a river that was completely brown. I can't say whether or not this river was like that before they started mining, but one can assume this mining is polluting the river in one way or another. Mining is on the rise here in Ecuador for everything from silver to copper and gold. Mining companies want to go into protected areas now as well. It will be interesting to see what happens in coming years as Ecuador is desperate to expand and grow their economy.

When we got to the zoo, it was so cool to see the animals we have been learning about up close and personal. Some of the animals we saw today, we saw in the amazon like monkeys and macaws. In the Amazon we were able to get pictures but they were really far away, so seeing them up close and being able to get really great pictures of them was awesome.

A majority of the animals they have there come with a backstory. We saw Galapagos Tortoises and they started out as some guy's pets. He was feeding them Coke and cookies. Due to this lack of nutrition their shells are damaged pretty badly. Most of the animals started off as someone's pet and then when people realized that it's illegal to have the animal, they drop it off at this zoo. By that point the animal is used to being around people so the zoo is unable to release the animal back into the wild.

We saw Black Chested Eagles which are gorgeous birds. A couple of them were shot with BB guns and when the zoo got them they were unable to fly. One of the bird's head was completely tilted 90 degrees and the bird was unable to move its neck upon arrival to Guayllabamba. After an X-ray they realized a bullet was stuck between two vertebrate in its neck. They were able to remove the bullet and the birds head returned to upright. Looking at the birds today, you can't decipher which one had the bullet in its neck which is really remarkable.

The work that this zoo does is incredible, and I wish the government would get behind the work they are doing. To put it into perspective,

the environmental/wildlife trade division is comprised of 9 people for all of Ecuador (I think). There are 4 million people in Quito alone, so they have their work cut out for them. It may be small but at least the division exists.

While we were at the zoo we watched a show put on in Spanish that introduced birds of prey. Essentially, there was a worker from the zoo acting as an Ecuadorian wearing elaborate clothing and a feather as an earring. There was another worker that was dressed like a zookeeper who was explaining to her what has to happen to the bird for her to have that earring. The whole time the audience saw all different types of birds of prey which made the whole show very engaging. I thought this was a really great way to educate people since it's really not common knowledge. For example, a lot of people see shark tooth trinkets, and don't think any further than the fact that it would be cool to have a necklace with a shark tooth on it. We got to tour the vet clinic on site and they had a surplus of turtles. The vet said about 80% will be released but there was a pair that were being fed KFC by their owner. They will not be getting released back into the wild.

I've been interested in the illegal wildlife trade and just how it works and what can be done to put a stop to it for years now. Seeing the animals that are lucky to have survived it was an amazing experience. Our guide Max was saying that for every 9 birds sold on the black market only 1 survives. Most of the time the birds are put in plastic bottles or PVC pipes as a mode of transportation. Obviously they need air and most end up suffocating before they arrive at the location they're going to get sold at. I never would have guessed a trip to a zoo would be so eye-opening but I hope to one day make enough money where I can contribute to their fund.