I sat in the top bunk in the cabin last night listening to the rain fall steadily on the tin roof. I had not been in a bunk bed since my days as a kid at Camp Tockwogh. Somehow the top bunk was more fun then. And it didn´t even have a mosquito net.
I know you weren´t expecting me to write for two weeks until I was back in "town" again where there is internet and phone and other signs of civilization, but I was forced back to town after less than 24 hours at the reserve.
Mosquitos or rain. That´s the choice here. And not much of a choice I might add as the mosquitos still swarm you when it´s raining.
The rain began last night in earnest for the first time this season I was told (Go figure.) and today as I stepped into my borrowed knee high rubber boots, I realized this volunteer stint was not for the squeemish or light hearted.
So I donned my waterproof pants, wished once again, my rain jacket was still waterproof, doused myself in natural mosquito repellent and wandered outside in the pissing rain and swarms of mosquitos. I was eaten alive through my clothes instantly. Quite fun.
I met Lisa, another volunteer from England, who put me to work immediately cleaning and feeding the parrot cages. I could handle that. I was asked at least a dozen times before breakfast how long I would stay since at least 5 of the 10 volunteers are leaving this week. I was as non-commital as possible. I am not sure I am cut out for this type of work.
After 20 minutes of following Chris and Jonathan on a brisk walk through the jungle, wading through muddy water up to my knees, we arrived at my cats´cages, OB and Engine, two spotted ocelots. Engine, an apparently misunderstood cat, cannot be handled, walked and must be locked up in a small cage to be fed. I don´t know how much I will get to know him. OB, though I did not see her today as she is very shy, apparently warms up to you and once she trusts you can even be walked. Of course, both are wild and while, they are nowhere near as big as the Jaguars, they are not to be taken lightly. I reassured Chris I would never take a wild animal lightly.
Yaguaru, the Jaguar we fed today was an entirely different story. I don´t know if I have ever been that close to a Jaguar before, an impressively large cat with tan spots. He licked Chris and Jonathan´s hands hello before devoring a raw egg they gave thim to destract him while they locked him to one side of the cage to clean up and feed him. Apparently he can be walked with two men (or very tall women), but has a tendancy to pounce. Hmm, not sure that I will want to do that even if given the opportunity.
Surely, this park that rehabilitates sick wild animals to health and reintroduces them to the wild, that is all volunteer run is an amazing organization. But this morning as my feet pruned and I resisted the urge to scratch the mounting number of mosquito bites I was incurring, I was not so sure, that the amazing place was for me.
Now equipped with brand used second hand pants and a long sleeved shirt, mosquito netting to make a personal hat, plastic gloves and more repellant, I will return to give it the old college try. I owe it that.
Mosquitos or rain? How´s that for a choice?
No comments:
Post a Comment