Up Close and Personal

This is the first day in a month that I have been away from Sacha Yacu Wild Animal Rescue Center, and I already miss it terribly. I miss the rain forest, even though I'm in the cloud forest; I miss my old friends, even though I'm surrounded by new ones; but most of all, I miss the animals.

This is our baby parrot, out of his cage for feeding time.

This is one of our Amazonian parrots... their talons hurt a lot.

 I'm only realizing now just how unique an experience it was to be so close to animals that are usually only seen in zoos. At Sacha Yacu we have the opportunity to really get up close and personal with our animals.

Me with Grumpy, my favorite monkey.

Every day I got to have birds fly over and climb up my arm, have monkeys delice me, or pet some of the cutest little coatis the world has ever seen.

I got to go in the cage with our two female Coatis and pet them. I want one...

This time around I really developed some special bonds with our animals, and it was even harder to say goodbye then last time. But I can leave knowing that perhaps I made a small difference in their lives, that they are well taken care of, and that maybe, just maybe, I will see them again someday.

This was the first time someone (me) got pictures of our Tigarillo outside of it's cage. That was a lucky night.