the founder and the president of the Amazon Shelter - a non-governmental organisation whose mission is to rescue and rehabilitate the wild animals suffered because of the human fault.
- ‘They cut off the wings, brake legs and claws, feed by food that cause serious diseases; whatever comes to their morbid imagination if only to turn them into the pets. Some of them come here in terrible condition. We have a vet, but sometimes the things are so bad that she can do nothing. In this case, we send the animals to the central clinic in Lima, but there are cases that we have to euthanize them because there is no chance for them recovery.’
Magali Salinas was born in Lima, but long ago moved from the city to this remote place to help injured and ill Amazonian creatures.
In 2005, this woman founded NGO to work together with Ecological Police. In 2007, she bought the piece of the jungle near Puerto Maldonado. She has built a shelter - to help the animals - and the educational station - to assist the people become human.
The cost of entrance for foreigners is just 40 soles (equivalent to 11 Euro). But the place is remote and not advertised well, so there is a lack of visitors. Since the government does not support the initiative, the visitors’ payment and private donation is the only money that she has to do her hard work. She used to work with a local company that sent her volunteers, but when Magali made a court against the high-ranking killers of tapir, they stopped cooperation with her.
She has built a house for the volunteers, but I saw there only one volunteer and two interns. In the meantime, it was about forty patients in the shelter - and each of them needs some special care, and about each of them Magali can tell a sad story. Some of them came from the airport customs; others were found dying on the roads where their "owners" threw them as too complicated toys.
- ‘What do you do when the animals recover?’ - I asked. – ‘Do you release them in the forest?’
- ‘We are happy when it is possible - however we have to find the proper place before. But we cannot release all of them, unfortunately.’
- ‘But why?’
- ‘Because some of them crippled so badly that they can't survive in the wildness. For example, this macaw female - she doesn't have claws. When macaws create a couple they cannot live without each other. Or look at this baby peccary: we found her when she was just one month; her mother has been killed by hunters. Now we prepare her to join our peccary family. The problem is that the peccary becomes domesticated very fast, and they trust people; so if we release them they can easily fall prey to hunters. But those green and blue macaws are almost ready to be liberated - they just have to lose weight a bit. Their ex-owners used to give them cookies and milk, and they are so fat that can't fly. So now they keep to a special diet.’
The kitchen in Amazon Shelter recalls an elite restaurant where every client has his special menu. Every sheet has a picture and description - what, how and for whom has to be prepared, with due regard to the particular species and physical condition of each patient.
- ‘Why the government doesn't help you, Magali?’ - I wondered.
- ‘Because they think that I have a kind of zoo, where I show the animals for money! - replied he bitterly. - You see this place... If I made a proper zoo in the proper place, it would be unlikely that I will live under such conditions. My only problem is that I can't see torments of these creatures!’
I thought that if the officials see this woman and her shelter, the thoughts about easy money would disappear from the very first moment.
Together with animal rescuing and rehabilitation, from 2008 Magali does a lot of educational work. The primary aim is to stop the wild animal trade, to explain people that wild must to be in wildness, that animals from the rainforest can't live in captivity.
- ‘The worst thing is that nobody attends what I say’ - grieving Magali. – ‘I explain, demonstrate with examples, narrate - but it in one ear and out the other. That's why I prefer to work with children - at least they have a chance to understand the matter.’
Sure, I left Magali more than 40 soles - she was surprised and sincerely appreciated. I was going back to the center of Puerto in a shabby taxi and recall other similar stories. About the shelter like this, but made in the far-east region of Russia for the wild animals with the enthusiasts. About the woman in Malta who converted her house in prestigious area of the country to the nursery for abandoned cats. And so on... All of these people with noble souls don't receive any support from the mighty of this world, who are more interested in political debates and obtaining significant money. They exist just because they can't remain indifferent to the troubles of helpless living beings - and because there are tender-hearted people who try do their utmost to help.
- ‘This piglet came to the peccary family more recently. And straightaway they started to protect him and care for him as he was their baby‘. Listening to the stories from Magali, the consciousness is transforming, and already you can't be totally confident who behave like pigs and who behave like human - peccaries or people...
Amazon Shelter is opened for donations and volunteers. The volunteers, except participation in a worthy cause, also have an unforgettable experience of living in the rainforest lodge and an opportunity to attend individual and group tours to discover a jungle.
How to get to the Amazon Shelter:
Address: Km. 11 Carretera Tambopata Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios, Peru
Telephone: (511) 997-223-958
URL: www.amazonshelter.org
e-mail: info@amazonshelter.org
Facebook: facebook.com / amazon.shelter
Twitter: @ amazonshelter.
15.03.2015
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