By Tessa Okell, Assistant Manager - Projects Abroad Peru

We are writing to you as past Projects Abroad volunteers to let you know a little more about the situation regarding the emergency here in the Sacred Valley.

Foreign press have been focusing on the evacuation of tourists from Machu Picchu due to the severe damage caused by floods and landslides in the Cusco region. However, the experience of these tourists being air-lifted out has no comparison with the atrocities locals in the Sacred Valley and southern Cusco valley have had to endure. Over 13, 000 houses were swept away and more than 60,000 people have been directly affected by the flooding. In the normal rainy season the Vilcanota river has a volume of between 600 and 800 m³ but now 1100 m³ a second was measured. Thirteen bridges over the river have been destroyed which makes logistics very difficult. Hundreds of hectares of corn crops have been ruined and this will cause serious economical setbacks for hundreds of families in the coming year. Many of our partner organisations, host families and even colleagues were directly affected by this force of nature. Local communities organised themselves with group kitchens and received basic food supplies and started cleaning the rubble of their houses, but these efforts lack co-ordination and there is no sign of any major reconstruction or rebuilding effort by national or regional authorities. The lack of leadership and organisation in most districts is obvious and disheartening. Projects Abroad has co-ordinated with some emergency committees in helping out in the following ways:

1. Complementing the basic food stock with fresh produce like tomatoes, onions, eggs, oranges etc. in the most remote affected communities.

2. Offering temporary work in the cleaning and sanitation efforts.

3. Psychological and social support for the affected families.

The many different realities in the communities require a wide range of strategies and obviously more help is needed. We already received some financial support and Projects Abroad has kindly sent a $5000 donation.

If you would like to make a donation, you can send contributions to Projects Abroad – just ring up the appropriate number below with your credit or debit card and say that this is for the Peru Fund. We guarantee that all the money will go straight into emergency projects after the floods. If you wish to donate from another country not listed below, please email info@projects-abroad.co.uk with your name, country and phone number and a member of staff will call you back.

Australia: +61 8 8410 8881

Canada: +1 877 921 9666

Denmark: + 45 (0)36960814

France: +33 (0)476 634949

Germany: +49 (0)30 23457223

Italy: +39 (0)810605507

Netherlands: +31 (0)786 131356

USA: +1 888 839 3535

View the newest addition to the Projects Abroad Youtube Page about our Teaching program in Peru, enjoy!

Turtle digging a nest

By Stuart Timson, Conservation Director - Projects Abroad

This report from Taricaya will bring you all up to date on what has been happening over the last couple of months. Personally, I went on vacation for a couple of weeks and with some major overhauling going on at the centre time has flashed by and so I shall report on the last eight weeks together. As usual my dilemma is where to start with so many projects advancing and the hard work of everyone involved with the project producing such fantastic results.

Nonetheless, I would be remiss not to begin with the completion of the collection phase of the turtle project. Despite fluctuating river levels, freakish cold weather and an increase in poacher activity we have smashed our record for nests and eggs collected. You may well recall how the collection got off to a very slow start with just two nests in July. The female turtles (Podocnemis unifilis) were unable to lay as weather conditions were very unfavourable and whilst we understood they would have to lay eventually it was a great surprise to everyone that we finished August with 77 nests transferred to our artificial beach and an astounding 2400 eggs. This is a true reflection of hours spent camping and walking the beaches, often in unpleasant conditions, and I must thank everyone for their hard work on this project. This huge total could have been even greater but one night a group of poachers beat us to a cluster of 9 nests, more by luck than planning, and so our total could have been higher still. With a potential haul of close to 90 nests on the same beach we have been monitoring for several years now we must ask why more turtles are laying their eggs here every year. It is an intriguing phenomenon because the first baby turtles we released back in 2005 have yet to reach sexual maturity and in a couple of years one would expect a marked increase as these youngsters return to lay their first clutch on the beach where they first entered the river; but why are more turtles appearing every year on our beach?

Goldminers

I believe that the answer lies in an increase in small-scale gold mining in the area. As more and more people struggle to make a living in and around Puerto Maldonado the continued high price of gold makes mining on whatever scale more attractive. In reality, to start extracting gold all one needs is a small set of machinery and a boat, whilst the numerous beaches in the lower Madre de Dios River are unclaimed sites waiting to be tapped. The miners themselves will not ignore laying turtles as their eggs are an extra income or source of food but it is the 24-hour activity with loud machines that is scaring the female turtles away from the beaches. This year we were forced to ask two separate rafts to move on from our beach and this is further indication of increased mining in the area. With increasingly few untouched beaches our site is becoming a haven for the pregnant turtles and it begs the question what would they do if we were not working in the area? In conclusion, our turtle repopulation project becomes ever more crucial to the survival of this species locally and we can only expect more and more nests as the turtles are presented with fewer and fewer beaches upon which to bury their eggs. This coupled with the imminent reproduction of our first releases means that next year will surely see yet another record broken!

Another first at Taricaya was the official release of three residents from the animal rescue centre. As you will recall, since becoming an official rescue centre we have been unable to liberate any animals as the government struggled to formalise the release protocols. After continued banging on doors and numerous proposals we finally got the green light to go ahead and release two coatis (Nasua nasua) and a Spix’s guan (Penelope jacquacu). After blood work and behavioural analysis the animals were deemed healthy and ready for liberation and so the government official responsible for the permits was invited and with great pleasure we took the animals deep into the reserve and returned them to their natural habitat. Over the years, releasing animals back into the wild has given me great satisfaction and now that we set a precedent I look forward to many more releases and a better dynamic in the centre as residents come and go more frequently.

Spix’s Guan

Another positive from these releases was the freeing up of enclosures and as we restructured our animal distribution we have been able to separate a set of enclosures for our small felines, a larger enclosure became available for our macaws and a cage has also become available for our group of small spider monkeys. The three young spider monkeys were joined by a fourth juvenile female this month and as they continue to grow and recuperate we shall be looking to move them form the quarantine cages into this larger enclosure so they start to bond as a secondary group that can eventually be integrated with our group of 4 sub-adults. The liberation also meant that we were able to receive new residents and apart from the fore-mentioned spider monkey we had two firsts for us arrive over recent weeks. The neo-tropical otter (Lontra longicaudis) is becoming increasingly rare with increased fishing activities in the rivers causing mortalities in nets and competition for food and so the young male that arrived last month was a surprise to all of us. The youngster became an instant hit and is already running around his enclosure and happily chasing fish we release into his pool. The second arrival is a very unusual one as the red-masked parakeet (Aratinga erythrogenys) is resident in the north of Peru and is not found in Madre de Dios. One can only assume that its arrival in Puerto Maldonado is a reflection of the pet trade ripe in the northern Amazon region of Peru but its release will pose a problem as it will be destined to a solitary existence. We shall have to push for a transfer to its natural dry mountain forests for release as and when the time comes.

September saw a breakthrough with the butterfly house also as the government came to inspect it. The instant approval means that as soon as the paperwork ploughs through the system we shall be able to begin working with our three test species and release them for breeding into the large enclosure. In parallel our permanent butterfly traps have enabled us to capture many new species for the reserve and whilst I do not have the exact total at the moment as some individuals are still being processed for identification, I estimate that we are well over 130 species for the reserve.

Many of you who have visited us over the years will have slept in our huge two storey dormitory block but eight years of jungle storms and wear and tear means that it had to be torn down and replaced and so this month we have been slightly disrupted as the building was taken apart. Materials have been reused where possible and next month will see the completion of a new series of rooms each sleeping four people but with the luxury of private bathrooms. This will take our capacity to 40 volunteers at any given time and create uniform living accommodation for everyone. Whilst maintenance and safety were the primary reasons for this change we need to continue to grow as volunteers for 2009 have surpassed all other years and with over 170 volunteers visiting us this year the future indeed looks bright for Taricaya and all that we are trying to achieve.

October will bring us the first heavy rains of the new wet season; the hatching of our first turtle eggs; preparation for the transfer of our adult spider monkey troop to the pre-liberation area deep in the reserve and much more… until then!

By Will Harper, Director - USA

As Editor of the blog I spend a lot of time chasing my colleagues all over the world for blog posts to keep all of you, the visitors, entertained. But I have unfortunately pulled another Mexico. For those too busy to click on the link I visited our programs in Mexico in February 2007 yet wasn’t able to get a blog post up about the trip until three months after. Rest assured I am getting better (and less hypocritical) since this post is only two months after my recent trip to Peru in July. See, I am working on it!

This trip was my second to South America on which I served as the escort on our escorted flights offered to the 2 week volunteers. Here are some observations and advice for those traveling to the beautiful country of Peru.

1. Machu Picchu is a MUST SEE

Iconic view of Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu is often the sole reason some people visit Peru and while there is so much more to Peru it certainly does not disappoint. Perched upon a mountain ridge above the Urubumba River valley and at over 8,000 feet above sea level, Machu Picchu is one of the most dramatically located ruins I have ever seen. It is just stunning. I was fortunate enough to visit twice, one time climbing up and down and then taking the bus up my second time. Although at the climb almost gave me a heart attack at the ripe age of 27, it was totally worth it and I would recommend this to anyone with a good ticker and who likes to hike as it really makes you appreciate all the effort the Incas put into creating this place. My second recommendation is to visit in the afternoon just before sunset. By this time the day trippers from Cusco and the large tour groups have cleared out by this time and you feel like you have the place to yourself.

2. Always have change, always. Never get caught without it.

Although I have sometimes encountered this in other countries before, for some reason it became very evident that there is a serious change problem in Peru! It seems every time I ever went to buy something in my first week in Peru no body had any change, ever. So like a good traveler I adapted and hoarded as much change as I could my second week. You have been warned!

Peruvian soles

3.Get your Pachamanca on

Pachamanca is a traditional Peruvian dish usually found in the central Andes. It is essentially a huge feast cooked in an earthen stove. After a hole is dug in the ground, river stones are washed and then heated up by a wood fire. Once they are ready the hot stones are interspersed between different layers of chicken, pork, lamb and beef wrapped in banana leaves and finished off with a layer of potatoes and plantains. After two hours of cooking everything is taken out and the feast begins! I was able to take part in one while visiting our Inca Project. After a heavy carb diet the pachamanca was an amazing bounty of protein!

Step 1. Start with a bucket o’ meat

Step 2. Heat river stones

Step. Dig everything out and enjoy!

4. Do not miss Maracuya

Maracuya

Maracuya or a Peruvian passion fruit was one of my new discoveries from this trip. When in Peru expand your tastes buds by trying any new fruit or vegetable you don’t usually see in your grocery aisles back home and for all of you connecting through the Lima airport I would recommend grabbing a scoop or two of the maracuya gelato at the ice cream place near the food court. You will not regret it.

5. Visit the Jungle

Sunset over the Madre de Dios River

If there was one surprise from this trip it was my three day stint on our Conservation program at the Taricaya Reserve. I am not a big jungle guy but I was blown away by everything there is to do and learn about at Taricaya. In my short visit, I was able to birdwatch amongst the rain forest canopy, help out on the model farm, prepare meals for animals being rehabilitated and watch the sunset over the Madre de Dios river. Even if you are volunteering in the Sacred Valley on the Teaching, Care, Sports, Medicine or Inca programs I highly recommend doing at least the 7 day Conservation Add-On. You might come back with a new favorite animal like I did.

My new favorite animal, the tapir!

By Will Harper, Director - USA

Although I have been back from Peru a couple of weeks now after flying on the escorted flight with 2 week summer special volunteers, I apologize that it has taken me so long to post what is now becoming a regular tradition here at Projects Abroad, recreating Tom’s now infamous picture above Machu Picchu which has been widely used in our promotional materials and fair stands.

Here is the original

Below are Rob’s photos from his trip to Peru in 2007 of a cloudy Machu Picchu

Take 1

Take 2

Now here is my addition to the developing meme …..

Which one do you like best?

Screaming Piha (Lipaugus vociferans)

By Stuart Timson, Conservation Director - Peru

Once again I have a month of hard work and adventure to report on from the depths of the Peruvian Amazon. With the lodge bursting at its seams we have been able to accomplish a huge amount and push forward many of our projects in parallel. The butterfly house moves ever closer to official opening, beach patrols have begun on the turtle project, Mauricio has returned to mist net, modifications have been made around the rescue centre and necessary maintenance has begun around the camp and reserve before the return of the rains later in the year.

Normally during these updates I mention sightings and adventures around the reserve in conclusion but I feel it is time to dedicate more attention to these encounters as the Amazon rainforest is a place of mystery and amazement and, whilst our constant work in the field of conservation is incredibly worthwhile, we should not detract from the fact that we are living in one of the world’s greatest ecosystems with the unexpected surprises and adventures that only true wilderness can provide. This month has been no exception as we have been working in huge numbers around the reserve. Trails have been cleared, bridges repaired, mist nets tended and monitored, materials collected for the newly modified animal enclosures and our regular observation hikes undertaken. It was during such an outing that we heard a huge crash as the jungle came alive with swarming bodies hurtling through the undergrowth. Whilst clearing one of the many trails we had stumbled into the middle of a herd of white-lipped peccaries. Many local guides and wildlife books will swear that wild peccaries are dangerous and that climbing trees is the only way to ensure not being mauled! The truth is they are just trying to get away from you and by standing still their amazing sense of smell means that they will never come too close during flight. Nonetheless it was a great experience for the volunteers lucky enough to feel the jungle suddenly come alive around them before returning to the facade of relative tranquillity. Another group working in a different sector of the reserve came across a huge snake in the middle of the trail, the relatively harmless yellow-tailed creibo was no threat but the loud whoosh as it took off down the trail caused most of the group to stumble back a little! Further down the trail we found fresh jaguar spoor overlaying tapir tracks- a hunt from the previous night? The truth is that the tropical rainforests around the globe are teeming with life and much of it we have yet to discover. Scientists and investigators continue to try and unravel the mysteries and complex relationships between its inhabitants and we are truly privileged to be at the forefront of such research!

Flat headed snake

This brings me on nicely to news from our own diversity studies and this month I would like to mention our herpetology research first. As volunteers and staff alike continue to check the pitfall-traps and carry out frog hunts at night it was actually a random encounter whilst walking the trails that led to the discovery a new species for Taricaya. The Flat-headed snake (Xeopholis scolaris) is a small member of the Colubrid family of harmless snakes. This is our 33rd species of snake identified in the reserve and takes our complete list of herpetology to 110 species. A few days later, there was a further snake adventure that deserves mention this month. Whilst working on some cage improvements in the rescue centre I heard shouts of snake from the Amazon parrot enclosure. I rushed over and was greeted by a large rainbow boa (Epicrates cenchria) trying to hide in the cement blocks inside the cage. It took me close to 15 minutes to finally extract it after a tug-of-war that left me struggling for breath. When I finally got the snake under control we were able to measure it at just less than 2m and its display of strength demonstrated just how effective these predators are and the relative ease with which they suffocate their prey. Once everyone had a chance to hold and photograph it I released it well away from the cages as the snake had entered the enclosure with a view to snacking on one of its residents!

Rainbow Boa

On a different herpetological note we have also begun our monitoring of Playa San Francisco; the beach allotted us by the government for collecting the eggs of the “Taricayas”. These freshwater turtles (Podocnemis unifilis) have been struck hard by the freakishly stormy dry season and the associated high water levels. If that was not enough, the rains were followed by a seasonal “friaje” (cold weather front from Patagonia) where temperatures dropped to 12 degrees Celsius for almost a week. As the river finally starts to drop and the sun shine we have only encountered two nests so far in the first ten days of monitoring but I am confident that the female turtles have been patient in waiting for ideal laying conditions and that August will see me reporting on yet another successful collection phase that will reward the hours spent wandering the beach at night.

Taricaya Turtle with mark from 2005 hatchlings

The butterfly house is almost ready to receive our first study species as the plants that we transferred have taken root well and are producing new shoots and foliage. This is essential as these particular species have been selected as primary food sources for the caterpillars. Adult butterflies will happily feed on fermenting fruit and nectar but their respective larva can only digest certain plant toxins and so the appropriate plant species needed to be identified and transplanted. In August the government official responsible for the permits and license will visit us and give us the green light to proceed with the project and the introduction of our first specimens will follow directly after this.

The animal rescue centre continues to flourish and our young arrivals from last month are progressing very well. The baby jaguarundis (Herpailurus yaguarondi) have quintupled their weight and are becoming a handful already. The young spider monkeys (Ateles chamek) are growing quickly also and their fur is starting to shine with a healthy diet and treatment of vitamins. However, the growth of these youngsters coupled with a continued lethargy from the Peruvian government in producing release papers for some of our older residents mean that we have had to modify some of the existing cages. The problem lies in the fact that we are using the quarantine area for animals that should be in larger enclosures. As a result, we have made some adjustments to existing enclosures and built new partitions to create a row of three cages for our smaller cats (margay and three jaguarundis) and as soon as the coatis are released next month we shall reshuffle the remaining residents and free up the quarantine cages again. July also saw us receive a new species in the rescue centre, INRENA, the government branch responsible for the environment, called and left us a juvenile Striped owl (Pseudoscops clamator). This magnificent bird of prey is usually found in open grass lands or abandoned farms where it feeds primarily on rodents. The bird is doing well on a diet of fresh beef and when it moults leaving the adult plumage we shall have to locate and appropriate release site as we have yet to come across this bird in the wild around the reserve.

With the return of Mauricio Ugarte we have been out mist-netting again and this time the nets were located on the eastern border of the reserve. The first few days have been very successful with some great captures including the aptly named and very vociferous Screaming Piha (Lipaugus vociferans). This mid-canopy bird is renowned for its distinctive call that pierces the forest at all hours during the day but its drab colouration makes it very hard to spot and we were all excited by this capture. Our bird list is now at 417 species and the three new discoveries this month were the Ladder-tailed nightjar (Hydropsalis climacocerca), Blue-crowned manakin (Lepidothrix coronata) and the Rose-fronted parakeet (Pyrrhua roseifrons). Mauricio will be with us for the first week of August also so I am sure that there will be more new findings to report on next month.

Before signing off this month I would just like to thank all the volunteers who have been with us during this very busy period. I should mention this every month but the results we achieve speak volumes on their own but the work ethic of the team never ceases to amaze me and with a mix of nationalities, ages and backgrounds the morale on the project is fantastic and enables us to achieve so much. This coupled with the continued dedication of all the staff members means that we move from strength to strength and as both our project and recognition grow it is looking very bright for the future here at Taricaya.

Click here to learn more about our Environmental Conservation program at the Taricaya Reserve

By Stuart Timson, Conservation Director - Peru

With the wet season finally drawing to a close and the river starting to drop it was time for a bit of damage control at Taricaya as we headed out onto our extensive trail system to assess the condition of our more distant trails that had been hard to reach previously. There was a secondary aim also as we search for a suitable pre-release site for our spider monkeys as construction may begin now that the heavy storms have passed. Our first task was to perform what we call the “Big Loop” which involves an all day hike around the perimeter of the reserve. This is always an adventure and more so at this time of year as we must cross many temporary swamps, often swimming from tree to tree! Considering the extent of the storms this year the trails were in good shape and we had to negotiate just a few fallen trees and despite being caught in a torrential downpour halfway around the circuit a good time was had by all. The walk culminated with the capture of a beautiful 3.5m snake. The Yellow-tailed Crebo (Drymarchon corais) was slithering off the trail in front of me and after a hectic chase through the undergrowth and some help from the other staff members present we were able to corner it and take some important biometric data (length, weight etc..).

At this stage I was content that the disruption to our trails was minimal and a few days clearing would see us reopen all the routes again. But later the same week as we headed out to search for an old trail we have not used for a couple of years I saw perhaps the worst case of storm damage I have ever come across. Passing the canopy and heading straight into the heart of the reserve we were heading for the main swamp and our old mammal colpa when we came across an area of maybe 3 or 4 hectares that had been completely levelled by the weather. Lightening damage is common in the rainforest and fallen trees are essential in maintaining the dynamism of the forest ecosystem as light reaches the ground and permits the continual plant succession that prevents any group of trees from out-competing others and thus reducing diversity. That said I have never seen such a huge natural clearing and the sheet lightening that struck must have been incredibly powerful. It left a lateral scar maybe a kilometre long crossing many of our trails with trees ripped apart halfway up and the falling giants had taken much of the surrounding vegetation down with them. After the initial shock had worn off it was time to get stuck in and reopen the trails that had been affected and with the routes now passable again it will be a case of time as the forest will regenerate and eventually swallow up the gaping hole.

Volunteers on a trail walk during the rainy season

At Taricaya we always take advantage of any situation and the huge clearing will give us a golden opportunity to hunt for new species of orchids and epiphytes (plants that live in the tops of other trees) that would normally be inaccessible in the high canopy. The area is also a perfect candidate for some reforestation studies in a natural environment and later this year we shall make the most of the site to perform some new studies based away from the pilot farm.

The White-winged Shrike Tanager

Every month I also keep you updated on our wildlife inventories and April gave us a few great sightings as I have come to expect. First in the mist netting as we continue our study of the mid-canopy we caught a bird that we had only heard around the reserve before. The White-winged Shrike Tanager (Lanio versicolor) is a truly spectacular species usually found in mixed species flocks which makes picking them out difficult and it was a fine catch as we moved our nets along the edge of the creek. One would expect birds to be the only captures during the day but early one afternoon we had a real surprise when we found a bat entangled in the net. The fact that it was active during the day aside; it was a rare species of which we had only previously captured a female. This fine male was the largest of the White-lined Sac-winged bats (Saccopteryx bilineata) and whilst most actively hunting small airborne insects around dusk it was still very early for it to be out of its roost. It must have been very hungry or equally confused!

Elsewhere on our long trail hikes we came across many different animal tracks in the fresh mud. Having scrambled across the swamp on a recently fallen tree we were greeted by tapir (Tapirus terrestris) tracks on all sides. The reason soon became apparent as we started to clear the abandoned trail and stumbled on an open area under a dead log. This favoured sleeping place was freshly cleared and so the tapir must have been close by. Thus we made as little noise as possible and diverted the trail to avoid disturbing it as these animals, the largest land mammals in South America, are becoming increasingly rare as they are prized for their meat. I did not want to force the individual, probably female due the size of its tracks, to leave the safety of the reserve where it would be at risk. On the same walk we were able to identify the tracks of a red brocket deer (Manzana americana), white-lipped peccaries (Tayassu pecari), collared peccaries (Tayassu tajacu) and many of the terrestrial rodents such as agoutis and pacas. These findings really are encouraging as an indicator that the mammal populations are returning to their levels of many decades ago before hunters entered the area. The reserve has not reached its carrying capacity yet but animal confidence is on the rise and further justifies our efforts and the confidence placed in us by the Peruvian government.

Next month will see us complete the butterfly house as we work to collect and transplant the right species of plant for the caterpillars of our chosen study species, we shall be even more active around the reserve as we approach our capacity at the centre and our long standing projects will continue to operate as normal as we manage our ever growing rescue centre and press on with our wildlife inventories…..

By Richard Munday, Desk Officer

Since 2005 Taricaya has been running the Taricaya turtle repopulation project. From 14th July 2008 we have started year four of this project with the aim of further improving on our massive successes in previous years.

A little back round for those of you unlucky enough to miss the project completely.

Taricaya turtle

The Taricaya turtle otherwise known as – Podocnemis Unifilis or Yellow Spotted side–necked turtle is hunted for meat in the areas of Madre de Dios and the eggs are poached from local beaches for sale in Puerto Maldonado (12 chicken eggs will sell for about 3 soles, 12 Turtle eggs will go for about 6 soles, so you can see why people sell them) The process of our Turtle project is as follows. We have permission from INRENA to patrol and protect one beach in our area called Playa Alta. Each night we send a group of volunteers and staff with Melvin (Son of Enrique the native Ese Eja family that we have worked with so much in the past) who then camp out on the beach for the night. Dinner usually consists of Tuna, Ham or Cheese sandwiches and then off to bed at an unusually early time of about 7:30pm. Our first patrol of the beach then starts at about 11pm, a patrol of the beach consists of walking around the perimeter of the beach to try and find turtle tracks, which is the easiest way of locating the turtles nest.

The red circle is the nest and the blue circle are the tracks

Once we have located the nest we then extract the eggs, taking records on the depth of the nest, the width, the amount of eggs and various other pieces of data that help us relocate the nests in our artificial sand bank in Taricaya. During each night we try and do two walks, one at 11pm until about 12:30am and then another at about 4am until 6am, before we return to the lodge with nests that we have retrieved. Back at the lodge we then proceed to relocate the nests in the artificial banks in as similar a way as possible.

Then it’s a waiting game…between 70 and 90 days later the eggs begin to hatch and the young are then taken to the turtle pool we have at the animal rescue centre, where they are kept until November 5th (Which as the observant among you will remember is Taricaya’s anniversary!) Before they are finally released we weigh and measure the turtles, as well as mark then with the Taricaya V, which is finely cut into one side of the shell (This does not cause harm to the turtle and is common practice when working with shelled animals).

Since 2005 Taricaya has released a massive 2027 baby turtles back in to the wild, which is 2027 more baby turtles than would have been allowed to hatch if it wasn’t for our work (Local poachers take everything, leaving perhaps 1 or 2 nests that they can’t find)

This year is exactly the same except that we are planning on running the project for slightly longer – 6 weeks instead of 4 - just so that we make sure we don’t miss anything! One of the things we started last year which continus this year is the Taricaya Turtle Tournament, as each group consists of volunteers, staff and Melvin, so naturally a little bit of competition between the staff comes out of the project, who gets the most nests, the most eggs, sees the most turtles actually laying, etc.

Last year I had the pleasure of getting the most nests by a mile! Beating everyone else by about 20 nests, this year though as you can see below in our Taricaya Turtle Tournament board its going to be a lot closer!

The final scores and the winner will be shown in next months update

Our two Pacaranas (Ed. Cutest photo ever!)

By Richard Munday

For almost 3 years Projects Abroad’s Taricaya Reserve has been fighting with paperwork and red-tape to get the full licence for our animal rescue centre. Like with everything in Peru, paperwork seems to take an age to complete! We went through the same process for the reserve status of Taricaya that took almost 4 years in fact!

On the 28th May 2008 the final rubber stamp hit the final piece of paper with the final signature and now the Taricaya Reserve has one of Peru’s first Animal Release Centres!!!

The three big Macaws we work with

The licence is only provisional for this year as we have to be audited to make sure we are doing everything properly so starting from the 11th June 2008 until the 10th June 2009 we have full power to release animals, have full protection from the government and we now have the confidence to make the animal release centre a permanent fixture at Taricaya.

Maggie our Night Monkey

A little background is needed I think…The animal release centre happened by accident to be honest. Ever since Fernando and Stuart started working on Taricaya they brought animals from Puerto Maldonado to be released around the lodge. It was something nice for the volunteers to see and of course it was a worth while activity to do. Gradually the idea started to take form, more animals were brought to Taricaya. But as things started to get bigger we started to realise that we needed to start doing things properly so enclosures were built and the animals were all moved into those.

When we began with all of this Peru didn’t have any release centres and they didn’t even have any legal status for a release centres. So like many things in the past we started from scratch and working directly with INRENA (NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MANAGEMENT OF FLORA AND FAUNA).

Isobella our young Brazilian Tapir

Now that we have a formal licence and we have auditors from an animal care centre in Puerto Maldonado called “Amazon Shelter” who have trained vets and animal behaviour experts. The experts from Amazon Shelter will visit once a month to check all of our animals and train our staff on animal management, feeding and safety precautions.

Needless to say there is a lot of work to be done and hopefully a lot of successful releases to come in the near future. I will no doubt update everyone in the future about the animal release centre and how it is advancing in regards to construction and releases.

Click here to learn more about this project