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SUST-OAH Bello Horizonte

Sanctuary and rescue for poached wildlife

Esperanza Verde is an emerging conservation project in the Peruvian jungle that aims to actively work against the black market trade in wildlife and to manifest local conservation and animal welfare. In 2010, two Dutch animal managers started the promising project with the purchase of 58 hectares of jungle - the "Selva dormida" - which are now used to reintroduce wild animals in an environment that is as untouched and protected as possible. Unfortunately, reintroduction is not possible in every case, which is why a larger infrastructure is needed to care for the animals on site. In spring 2016, the jungle clinic financed by the Susy Utzinger Animal Welfare Foundation was put into operation in the Esperanza Verde project: Here, professionals from the Esperanza Verde organization take care of the rearing and veterinary care of orphaned young animals from poached wildlife and animals that have been confiscated by authorities (from animal smuggling activities) or have come to the station injured by other means.

This jungle clinic became a SUST Orphan Animal Hospital in December 2016: during hospitalization, the Susy Utzinger Foundation (SUST) covers the veterinary costs, finances medications, surgeries, therapies, food and professional care for the animals. After the animals have left the hospital in good health, it is decided on the basis of years of experience and adapted observation steps whether, when and how the animals will be returned to the wild. This is usually not an easy process, as the animals have 'forgotten' how to behave in the wild due to the long absence. Close contact with humans and targeting them can also be problematic. The protected area, which has now grown to 180 hectares, plays an important role for the animals to slowly get used to the 'new' environment or in becoming the new home for them right away.

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Kiros Story

July 2021

Looking back at some photos in this folder, you can follow Kiro's story very well: At the end of April, a sad picture of three miserable capuchin monkeys who just arrived fresh at Esperanza Verde, hungry, dirty and scared. Among them little Kiro, one of the youngest monkeys ever to arrive at the SUST Orphan Animal Hospital.
Then, at the end of May, so much progress: Kiro can leave the hospital after his condition has greatly improved. He is getting to know the forest environment through a safe enclosure and spending time with an experienced adult female capuchin.
Now, two more months later, we can continue the story: we were able to open the last door for Kiro. He is still very young, but strong and curious. He gets good support from the free-living monkey group in Esperanza Verde, which he could join outside. He has already made friends there now, among the other young capuchin monkeys as well as the woolly monkeys. We are proud of the little one and eager to see how it will go on.

Kiros Story
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