 Carol and Sweetie… Photograph Lisa Johnson
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Dear Friends of the Sanctuary,
What an exciting year it has been! Ripley reproduced, more macaws are being born in the wild, we helped Chacho in Mexico, Chana is still with us and I had some of the best volunteers!
We are looking forward to the New Year to finish our improvement projects, the learning center and continuing with the welfare programs for the permanent residents.
If you haven’t visited us in awhile, I think you would be amazed with all the changes we have made—all for the better!
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 Riley’s first school picture… Photograph Dion van der Veen
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 Riley… Photograph Cassie Festa
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Riley turned two years on the 18th of October. What a wild child! It has been brought to our attention that he is a male! Rosie was so secretive about hiding his sex. I’m sure there is an instinctive survival reason that we aren’t aware of.
Both Poppy and Sweetie will not interact with any of the wild males, but has accepted Riley’s burgeoning flirtations. He should reach sexually maturity at less than three years.
I am sure Rosie will reproduce another in time for Sweetie and Poppy to once again witness the social behaviors of infant care in preparation for their offsprings. Keep your fingers crossed!
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 Free flying Scarlet Macaw… Photograph Dion van der Veen
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Our flock of scarlet macaws continues to grow!
This past year we had two hatch in the wild and one from Agosto and Mayo. The free flying are still begging to be fed, but are eating well and have the full plumage to prove it.
Most of you will remember Agosto having only one eye, but that doesn’t seem to bother him. Already this year we have heard little cheeps coming from their nest box!
To the right is one of the chicks hatched this year and flying free. You can tell he is a juvenile by the dark solid color of his eye—the ‘wheating’ of the eye has not yet started.
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 Sam building up his pectoral muscles in preparation to fly! Photograph Dion van der Veen
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In the July 2019 newsletter, we told the story of Boogie, the tayra having a mastectomy. We had some post surgery complications where we had to think positive for her full recovery. Look at her today—she is a picture of good health!
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 Boogie, the tayra. Photograph by Jeff Cable Photography
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Carol is scheduled to run her first marathon this January 19, 2020 on Jekyll Island, GA.
She is running to fund raise for a solar system that will be sufficient for both sides of the Sanctuary which will need three refrigerators, one freezer and all other electrical needs for the learning center complex and the volunteer housing.
We have all seen Carol get out to run on the beach in the heat of the day, or on her treadmill when the tide is too high to complete her training program.
When she crosses the start line, she will have run over 600 miles since May in preparation for this demanding 26.2 mile run.
We will be posting a GoFundMe soon. Please keep an eye out for it. She puts her heart and soul into anything for the betterment of the Sanctuary.
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 Ripley and Rooney. Photograph by Dion van der Veen
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Many of you will recall reading about Ripley, the spider monkey that had been caged for much of her life. When she came to us, she was so weak that she could not resist the physical examination Dr. Tello gave her—all she could do was whimper.
When it was time to release her, she thought it was a trick. Rosie took it upon herself to show her the way out.
This summer we saw Ripley with a newborn female that we have named Rooney. She is a great playmate for Ripley.
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 Cassie Festa… Photograph by Cassie Festa
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 Dion van der Veen… Photograph by Cassie Festa
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We were fortunate to have some outstanding volunteers this year. Many of you will remember Hope Emilia Cullen was here at the first of the year. She so courageously took on the care of the infant Titi monkey. Cassie Festa has been volunteering on and off since 2015. She now has her Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Behavior and will be starting her Masters on Primate Behavior this fall. Dion van der Veen is an upstart veterinarian student and an exceptional photographer. Many of the pictures in this year’s calendar and this newsletter has been provided by him.
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 Starting left, Alexis, Carol, Tatyana their guide, and Vasily Mikhailovich.
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Carol was given the opportunity to visit Belovezhskaya Pushcha State National Park, in Belarus— an UNESCO World Heritage Site with Biosphere Reserve status. Sharyn Wolf, ‘our reporter at large’ and Lisa Johnson traveled with her.
While at the park, she met Arnolbik Vasily Mikhailovich
, the Deputy General Director for Science & Environmental Education and with the bison specialist that was responsible for their successful breeding program. She was asked to give a presentation about the Sanctuary to the park staff and to an environmental class.
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 New cages!
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 Agosto & Mayo in their new cage with chicks in the blue nest box!
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We have been remodeling many of the cages making them higher and putting roofs over half of the area giving the tennant the opportunity for a cool shower if one desires.
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I had the honor of being part of the team that helped this spider monkey in Mexico who had lived in a small cage for most of his thirty years alone. He lived in the back of a hotel in a small town in Mexico.
It is only through the determination and perseverance of Lisa and Larry Anderson that this sentient being has been given a better life at Akumal Monkey Sanctuary a reputable center where he will be introduced to his own kind to be able to live out the rest of his life in some semblance of normalcy. It is amazing that Chacho is of healthy mind and has a good and normal monkey attitude.
Read his story in Lisa’s words, “I met Chacho back in 2010 as we sailed through the tiny town of Barra de Navidad, Mexico on our sail boat S/V Lisa Kay. It was our…”
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May the following pictures and the joy of the season warm your hearts. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
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Winkie…
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Female Great Curassow…
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 Looks like Gus and Kim Jong-un have the same barber…
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 Kinkers the Kinkajou… Jeff Cable Photography
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 Free flying Scarlet Macaw…
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 Boa constrictor… Photograph Dion van der Veen
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 Two curious Mono Titis… Photograph Dion van der Veen
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 Lola… Photograph Dion van der Veen
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 Mr Bird… Photograph Lisa Johnson
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 Sam… Photograph Dion van der Veen
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 Positive reinforcement training with Cassie… Photograph Dion van der Veen
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 Mono Titi… Photograph Dion van der Veen
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 Vita, our first Scarlet Macaw… Photograph Dion van der Veen
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 Leno & Chonchito – Photograph Dion van der Veen
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 Poppy… Photograph by Cassie Festa
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 Rosie and Riley… Photograph Dion van der Veen
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 Male Great Curassow… Photograph Dion van der Veen
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Your support this past year has been tremendous—you helped us to improve the lives of many deserving animals in need.
We were also able to remodel and enlarge many of the cages and to continue working on the multipurpose building/learning center.
We thank you for your confidence in us—we will carry on to show our appreciation through continuing to improve every facet of the Sanctuary to saving wildlife.
Thank you to those that gave their support through purchasing our calendars. A special thank you goes to Jeff Cable who so generously donates his many beautiful pictures. Appreciation is also extended to those that donated throughout the year. Because of your help we were able to continue releasing and giving those less fortunate the best care possible.
Please press the PayPal icon below to make your year end donation.
Or you could write a check today made payable to OSA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY FOUNDATION, INCand send to P.O. Box 171, Greenwood, IN 46142-0171.
THANK YOU!
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 Look Mom, no cavities!!! Photograph Dion van der Veen
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