Opening the pre-release cage doors at Wildtracks to let this year's howler monkey troops go free

Friday October 2, 2015

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Athena, paired with Elliot

Elliot - Arrived on 24th July, 2012 as a youngster, estimated to be about 5 months old.

Elliot after arrival and once settled in (Photo: Jazmine Kim)

Jenny - paired with Spartacus. Jenny arrived as a sub-adult, estimated at about 2 to 2.5 years old.

Peanut - arrived on 9th October 2012 as a very young baby - estimated at about 3 months old. He was found on his own at the base of a tree by by the rangers of the Community Baboon Sanctuary. After quarantine, he became part of the '3 P's'...joining Pebbles and Polly, and then Sam

Pebbles and Sam...part of the group of four known as the "Teens", once they had moved out of the nursery. Sam arrived on 26th October, 2012, a hairless 7 month old youngster with an advanced case of scabies, confiscated by the Belize Forest Department. Pebbles arrived on 30th November, 2012, at 5 months old - a surrendered pet. They joined Peanut and Polly, and have formed a very cohesive troop

Sam on arrival

Polly, another member of the Teens, was rescued by the Ladyville Police on 15th December, 2012, and thought to be 6.5 months old. She joined the Teens after passing quarantine.

Sam, Polly and Pebbles at full cry...Three of the four Teens in their pre-release enclosure

Spartacus, found on the ground at night in a rainstorm at Hickatee Cottages in Toledo District, a bedraggled 4.5 month old baby. His left hand was nearly severed, and he was rushed through to Belize Wildlife & Referral Clinic, where he was patched up and put on the road to recovery. His wrist has needed another operation since then, but he is now fully recovered and assessed as being ready for life in the wild, with Jenny

Spartacus soon after intake...

The Teens - Pebbles, Peanut, Polly, and Sam, calling from the tree tops in the pre-release enclosure before their move down to Fireburn

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Wildtracks

Wildtracks is working towards the sustainable future of the natural resources for the people of Belize, through conservation, research, education and sustainable development. Wildtracks is located in the north east corner of Belize (Central America), approximately two miles south east of Sarteneja, an idyllic lobster fishing village, situated on the shore of Corozal Bay. Much of the conservation and research activities focus on two protected areas, one in the marine environment (Corozal Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, the largest national marine protected area in Belize) and one in the tropical forest environment (Fireburn Reserve, managed by Wildtracks, and forming part of the north east biological corridor).

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Opening the pre-release cage doors at Wildtracks to let this year's howler monkey troops go free

Top Photo: Spartacus and Jenny calling in their pre-release enclosure at the Primate Rehabilitation Centre, Wildtracks, Belize.

They have been down at Fireburn since Tuesday and are now settled in and feeding well...and becoming accustomed to the new sights, sounds and smell of the Fireburn forest.

Meet the individuals being released this year - three troops (two pairs and one troop of four) - these photos are from the pre-release enclosures, where they have been practicing their climbing skills, learning how to keep together, how to find shelter...and loudly advertising their presence to the other troops! Wildtracks seems strangely quiet now that they have left on this final step into the wild...

Photographs by Fanny Tricone

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