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You helped monkeys get better care at
wildlife rescue centers in El Salvador!
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Black-handed spider monkeys are meant to live free in the forest canopy. Unfortunately, the illegal pet trade in Central America robs many of these primates of a full life in their forest home. Once stolen away, many will never be able to rejoin wild populations.
A national plan to protect this critically endangered spider monkey in El Salvador is being implemented by MARN, the country's Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. This plan includes improving care for spider monkeys in captivity. Your support helped us connect captive care experts at the AZA-accredited Zoo Boise with local caretakers to improve the management of captive primates across El Salvador! Thanks to donors like you, our staff coordinated a three-day workshop led by Zoo Boise director Gene Peacock and team members Austin Reich (a biodiversity education expert) and Nicole Villenueve (an animal trainer).
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This workshop focused on enrichment, public outreach, nutrition, and rehabilitation of rescued spider monkeys. Trainers shared important tools for wildlife care, like peanut butter treats, toys, puzzles, and regular routines that engage the minds of these intelligent primates. What attendees took away will help improve the quality of life of spider monkeys in captivity. We are very grateful for your donations.
The Zoo Boise Conservation Fund has partnered with us since 2020 to strengthen our black-handed spider monkey conservation efforts. Last month's workshop was a testament to your support, which can enable us to respond to the needs of wildlife by connecting our partners with government authorities. This training and Paso Pacífico's contributions to spider monkey protection in the forests near Laguna Olomega in eastern El Salvador are part of the country's national efforts to help these endangered primates recover. The efforts also includes partners such as Asociación Territorios Vivos El Salvador (ATVES), Fondo de Inversión Ambiental de El Salvador (FIAES) and FUNZEL.
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Thank you for contributing to a better future for spider monkeys
in El Salvador!
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Darling Delgado joined Paso Pacífico in 2014 as one of the first female rangers on our team. You may have recently seen her inspiring sea turtle work featured on social media for #WorldFemaleRangerWeek (read the blog post here).
Darling is inspiring a new generation of young girls and boys to be nature enthusiasts. In an interview for World Female Ranger Week, she spoke of the countless young people who have been inspired by the work you made possible: "I have nephews, brothers, and children who are motivated by my work to protect the turtles. They like my work and aspire to be a ranger."
Darling is a mom to two children, whom she is raising to care for and protect sea turtles. Today, they are Junior Rangers. Thank you for supporting Darling's work and her two Junior Ranger children!
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Just last month, two generous donors in the Netherlands donated new camera traps. These tools will enable us to follow trends in wildlife populations and document forest activities like hunting and logging. Thank you to these donors!
In recent months, our camera traps have observed jaguars again in Nicaragua's Paso del Istmo Wildlife Corridor! You can watch clips of a young male jaguar during the day here and at night here.
We look forward to more stunning videos and valuable information thanks to the camera traps provided by the anonymous donors in the Netherlands. If you would like to follow their example by directly giving equipment to our rangers, just email info@pasopacifico.org or order from our Amazon Wish List. Thank you again!
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Did you hear the news? Parrot ranger Hector Luis Espinoza Acevedo received an International Ranger Award from the IUCN's World Commission on Protected Areas! Hector was awarded at the Africa Protected Areas Congress (APAC) on July 20 for his relentless dedication to protecting and conserving the yellow-naped amazon parrot.
This prestigious conservation award includes a cash prize to benefit Paso Pacífico's community ranger team in the buffer zone near Nicaragua's La Flor Wildlife Refuge. Hector will also receive a custom-made uniform patch that will showcase his achievement.
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We send a special thanks to the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas, the APAC, Re:wild, Conservation Allies, and the International Ranger Federation for sponsoring these awards. And of course, we thank our donors for your continued support of our parrot and ranger programs! You've helped keep hard-working rangers like Hector in the field protecting wildlife.
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PARTNERS MAKE IT POSSIBLE
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Teens at Zoo Boise are setting good examples for young conservationists. The Zoo Teens program brings in teens to educate zoo visitors and assist at the facility. They inspire local young people to get excited about wildlife conservation.
This summer, these amazing young teens have focused their outreach on Paso Pacífico's conservation programs. Their volunteer efforts are helping people learn about and support our sea turtle and spider monkey conservation work.
Last month, our executive director Sarah visited Zoo Boise and presented about spider monkeys to park visitors, donors, and staff. A highlight of the trip was meeting some of the Zoo Teens who are out every day engaging with the public. We are grateful to the Zoo Teens for their work and are inspired by their commitment to wildlife!
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Thank you to all the photographers who contributed photos used in this e-newsletter. These include MARN, Zoo Boise, Austin Reich, Luke Massey, Bismarck Picado, Paso Pacífico rangers Marcos Calero, Jairo Coronado and Yorlin Vargas, and staff members Sarah Otterstrom and Eliza Woolley.
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