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monkeys in villa-tunary
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In Villa-Tunary, a small peacfull village in the heart of the jungle, near Cochabamba, Bolivia, there is a very special monkey refuge.
By Bolivian law, selling, buying or holding a monkey is forbiden. But, unfortunaly, the reallity is different.
Monkies are being sold everywhere throughout the country for shows at the markets, dressed as clowns, to thiefs who need an extra pair of quick hands or just as house pets.
Few of these abused animals finally find thair way to the "INTI WARA YASI" refuge in Villa-Tunary. |
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This special name is made out of the three local Indian languages:
INTIÊÊ -(in cachua)ÊÊÊÊ is SUN
WARA-(in Aimara)ÊÊÊ is STAR
YASIÊ -(in Goarni)ÊÊÊÊ is MOON
The name was chosen to emphesize the comitment the locals have to preserve the nature that they live in. |
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The place is runned by Nina, her 4 adopted children and volunteers, which most of them are travellers who heard about this place during their travels in South America. |
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Most of the volunteers work is feeding and cleaning the monkeys, but playing with them is also a very important task. |
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There are about 50 monkeys in the refuge from 4 different types: |
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Cappuchinos- (Cebus Olivaceus) named after thair black "cap" on their heads. |
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Spider Monkeys-(Ateles Chamek) rather big black monkeys which use thair long tail as a fifth limb. |
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Squirl Monkeys-(Saimiri Sciureus) very small and yellow . cute but they have sharp teeth and they like to use them... |
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Red Houlers-(Genus Alouatta) they are not realy red, they are brown, but they do houl... |
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(cartoons are from THIS site) |
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The refuge is a monkey refuge, but when people come and give other abused animals, you dont say no...so there are also a hand full of clipped tropical birds, a white eagle, an Ocelot(Leopardus Pardalis) named Lancelot, and two Pumas(Puma Concolor). |
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The refuge is not financially suported by the bolivian gouverment or any other institute.
The only money the place gets is by charging about 1$ entry from occasional tourists. |
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links: |
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Comunidad inti wara yassi - official site.
ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ |
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Email me! |
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Refugio Bolivia. |
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** This is NOT an oficial site, and all the details that are written here are my impressions of this wounderful place that I got while staing there. |
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