Proytecto Asis (II)

Alvoro and his father have created a beautiful little haven for animals. You can see some herons in a tree that's over a swamp where the caymans are at. The herons and the ducks are wild, but like to live at the center where food is plentiful. It's really cool to see them swoop from tree to tree. The ducks spend most of their time up in the trees, rather than the water. Not sure if that's because of the cayman in the water or the fact that they like being up high or not.

There are also three spider monkeys at the center. These monkeys were taken as pets long ago, and then the owners decided they didn't want the monkeys any longer. The monkeys don't have the socialization skills to survive in the wild (they're all over 10 years old, I believe) so they stay at the center. A lot of animals are taken out of the jungle by people visiting from San Jose and other cities, who think it's cute to have them as pets. Then when the animals get larger and revert to their wild ways, the folks get fed up with them and dump them. That's where Alvoro comes in. There's also a big trade in sending animals up to pet shops in the States and other countries. Alvoro said for every animal that you see in a pet store, a good half-dozen or more did not survive the trip up to the pet store.
This group of monkeys was quiet and well behaved while we were there, though they do like to mix it up on occasion, we were told. They will reach through the cage to shake hands with you, though they will bite, so folks don't go into the cage all that often.
Their tails are just like an extra arm or leg, as they use them to swing around and grip things with. Very agile critters.