More Enrichment Adventures!

Croc pics from Thursday 

Jaco with the other volunteers!

That's some very dark sand!

            After taking that day off to go into Jaco on Thursday, the past few days have consisted of working almost exclusively on enrichment here at the center. Since the enrichment team consists only of Taylor, Erandi, and me we’ve stayed pretty busy working on improving the enclosures and making new toys for the animals. We’re always open to suggestions from the other volunteers, and some of them have contributed ideas as well. The past two days we’ve mainly focused on the enclosures for the raccoons and some of the howler monkeys. The howler monkey enclosure has too much stuff in it that just makes it feel crowded and cluttered, and a lot of the plastic toys in there they don’t even use. I spent most of this morning taking some things out of there and rearranging stuff to make the space more usable.

            This afternoon we’ve done some really good work with the raccoons- they’re always interested in getting new things since they’re such smart, curious animals. There was a small hammock in one of the sloth enclosures, which I took out since they were never using it, and moved it in with the raccoons. So far they’ve loved it; they were climbing on it before I’d even finished tying it in place. They have a section of their enclosure that has dirt rather than a concrete ground, and after lunch Taylor and I worked on turning that into a kind of deeper dirt box, to encourage them to dig more. Once it’s done we’ll probably hide some food under the soil so they can find it. We’ve created a few other toys and games for them as well, and they’ve been busy with that all afternoon.

            I also spent some time this afternoon in the aviary that houses the two scarlet macaws, as well as some amazon parrots. I proposed some ideas to Erandi for enrichment for them, and I’ve spent the past few days going in there every afternoon to try some things with their food- like hiding it or tossing it up for them. Part of the reason that I asked to do this is to get more experience and become more comfortable with these species. Parrots and macaws have freaked me out for years, and I really want to work on not being scared of them.

            I’ve been here in Costa Rica for nearly a week now, but it doesn’t feel like it. In a way it seems like I’ve just arrived, but at the same time I already feel very used to the schedule and rhythm of working and living here. In a way this place reminds me of Bolivia, but it’s definitely not as “third world”- for one thing, we have wifi and drinkable tap water. But when it comes to the typical volunteer schedule, as well as the types of animals we’re working with, the two places have a lot in common. Even the weather is pretty similar- it can get pretty hot and humid here around midday, but thankfully there’s usually a bit of a breeze and it definitely cools off at night, which makes it easier to sleep considering there’s no air conditioning here.

            My work for the day is over, so I’m currently sitting at one of the common areas waiting for dinner. Typically after dinner I spend some time relaxing upstairs. The second floor of this building is more of a big balcony than anything else- it’s a big circular room that’s completely open, with some hammocks lining the edges. Right after dinner a lot of the volunteers flock straight for the showers, so I usually go up there for a while, relaxing and reading until there’s no line.

            That’s pretty much all the news I have for today! This post’s food for thought isn’t so much related to travel, but rather the feeling of contentment that I really feel here in Costa Rica: “Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not.”- Ann Brashares