In the meantime the amaZOOnico is part of most tourist-tours from the region. Even hotels from Archidona (50km away) are sending their guests. It is one of the simplest and securest ways to observe forest-animals without to big effort in their natural environment. A guided tour is taking between 30 and 90 minutes, depending on the interest of the tourists and on the seize of the group. Normally the volunteers and trainees are helping to take care of the tourists, as they have their preferred foreign languages and as the groups are arriving mostly at the same time. We offer tours in Swiss-German, German, Spanish, English and French. Already after a short time, volunteers and trainees know how to spot tourists. If a canoe is landing at the amaZOOnico. The tourist are being welcomed heartily, not only from us but also already from the first animals. After explaining some general rules of behaviour and the history of Selva Viva the actual tour starts...

The actual goal of the amaZOOnico is not to be an attractive zoo, but to be able to release the animals into wilderness again. If this is not possible, we'd like to offer them ar least an environment as natural as possible. This results in only locking up the animals if it is really necessary. Many animals are living half-captive around the station. If a group of tourists happens to have bad luck, it can be, that the tapirs are still sleeping in the morning and are not in the mood to show up, or part of our monkey-gang is far away looking for food. For us this is exactly one of the special attractions of the amaZOOnico as well. Every day is different and we do carry the due respect towards the animals, if they wish, they can draw back whenever they like.
As the stock of the animals at the amaZOOnico is always changing a bit- new animals arrive, animals are released or moved into other enclosures etc.- the tours are always a bit diffrent. And in addition all the volouteerns have their own tours, that arethe same concerning the main content by vary with the knowledge and interesse of the volounteers.

On the way to the first enclosure, trumpet-birds are entertaining us with their queer sound. Capuchin Monkeys and the curious Squirrel Monkeys are climbing and playing in the trees. Afterwards, Hägar the young White-bellied Spider Monkey and Brujo the Monk Saki Monkey are arriving. Sometimes, if they're in the right mood, they climb on the visitors, curiosity is not only a human attribute. But beware, if you're not careful, all you well see is your hat or sunglasses disappearing with one of the monkeys in the top of the trees.
In the enclosure in front of Angelika and Remigios house there are living Kinkajous, agutis an a paca. Mostly on the way to the tapirs, coatis are joining the group. Often the visitors are quite surprised if Armin and Roswita, our pair of tapirs, are suddenly appearing out of the bush by command. They share their big enclosure with a small caiman and three water-turtles.
Further on comes the Jaguarundi. With some luck, we'll meet Morena, Kiki or Churi, our Woolly Monkeys. Moreno is chief of the monkey-gang and quite a pack of muscles. We all give him the necessary respect.
The Jaguarundi is now living in an enclosure, that is far to small. Having grown up with human beings it is considering them as conspecifics, therefore it is not possible to release it. Most of the wild felines are solitary beings as adults and are defending their territory against every conspecific. It's a pity that we had to make a bad experience with the ocelot. The cage wasn't shut . After four years without problems the ocelot suddely attacked two of our workers and hurt them. As soon as we're having enough money, a new suitable enclosure will be built. If you like, you can help us along...
Next the two White-Bellied-Spider-Monkeys Johann and Pia are waiting for us. They are sharing their enclosure with our intelligent female monkey Boogi and some agutis. It may sound strange, but Boogie is hold in an enclosure for being to intelligent. She is even able to open combination locks and had a special liking for destroing our accomodations.

As soon as we arrive at its enclosure, the Collared Peccary is rubbing its head against our legs. The two owls, that we are visiting afterwards, are looking at us with their bib eyes. Meanwhile very attentive visitors may have notices the Crab-Eating Raccoon in the background. After having made acquaintance with a trap, one of its toes had to be amputated, but the shy little guy has a good chance to survive in the forest and shall be released pretty soon. It is kept away from the tourists as good as possible, for not getting used to humans and not loosing its natural respect of them.
On our way back, we pass the enclosure of the young monkeys. At the moment Toni and Tica, two Woolly Monkeys, as well as Mirco the Monk Saki Monkey, a small Squirrel monkey, a tiny Tamarin and a hurt Dusky Titty Monkey are leaving there. After the obligatory gohh, how cute they are! we continue the tour to the Boas. These are the only animals being kept just for demonstrations in the amaZOOnico. All the other animals can not be released for different reasons or are always heading back. Each visitor may touch the boas and is learning through this, that snakes are not cold nor slimy, and that you do not have to be afraid of them, but keep the respect as with all other animals as well. There is no reason to kill a snake just because you're afraid of them. Pretty astonishing is the fact , that there are nearly no visitors who do not at least touch the boa quickly with a finger.
The last station is the "Kiosk". Here, tourists can relax and drink something Of course we hope, that they are not only paying the entrance fares, but also buying t-shirts and as many objects as possible (blowguns, wood-carved canoes, net-bags, lances, ... ) from the Waorani and Quichua-indians. On one hand we are dependent on every receipt, on the other hand we support the conservation of the traditional handcraft through fair trade with the Indios. If the tourists have liked it, we're sometimes getting donations as well. We can cause a lot here with only little money, as everything is much cheaper here than in Europe. If you did actually like our little excurse and you'd like to contribute something to our work, there are many ways to help.

Mostly some of the young wooly monkeys are hanging around at the souvenirshop and are attrakting the tourists. Kongo, a young wooly monkey, is quite a lot of puppy fat and is oft called affectionetely "the soccer ball". Olga and Samson, also young wollys, are more in the background, in the contrary of Ivan, who prefers to jump down from a tree on top of the volounteers and rarely tries this with touirists as well. But this is not the idea.We want the animals get used to humans as less as possible, and before all not climb unto tourists. It may look cute to have such a monkey sitting on the shoulder, but despite all they are wild animals, that can tear your hear or even bite, if you do not behave correctly. Often the young spider monkeys are als found climbing around the "Vet-house" and distracting the visitors from looking at other enclosures.

In the first enclosure are the Tucans. Two Arasaris, originally from the coast, have been brought together with many other animals from a zoo in Ibarra, that has been closed down, as they kept the animals under lousy conditions. As these Arasaris (small species of Tucan) look similar to ones at the Oriente, they accidentally arrived at the amaZOOnico. As they are not from this area, they can not be released. Also from this zoo came a Tucan, together with two others, that have already been released.If his wings are ok again, it should be able to be realeased as well. And then there is Sam the wite-throated Tucan. The "mister" knows, that he is beautiful and he behaves like it. As he is annoying everything and everyone, he can not be outside. Should he try to annoy one of the taller monkeys, it would look bad for him.

Now we can finally start. First you'll get to a big bird cage. Diffrent parrots are living there:Two big scarlet macaws, blue headed parrots, amazones (very skilled in speaking) and two blackheaded parrots. Also there is a goan (Pava del Monte) living inside, a big bird similar to a turkey. It is not possible to release the parrots, as they got too much use to humans. They would fly straight back to people. An in the case of the protected macaws, it would be easy to catch them and sell them again illegally.

Further on, we're passing the empty tapir enclosure (rumours say, there are baby caimans living there in the water...) the next cage is also a big birdcage. There are other parrots living inside, like a geenmacaw, a blue and yellow macaw, cobaltwinged parakeets, various amazons and a small tucan, the smallest specie of the oriente. Often you really have to look for it in the cage, as it is well hidden. If you're lucky and the amazones are in the right mood, you can hear them chatting, words like "Hola", "Hasta luego" and even "cerveza, dos cervezas"... Sometimes the amazones come straight to the wire of the cage to say "Hola" to the visitors .

Now we continue to Felina. The jaguarundi has been living for quite a while in a much better enclosure and seems to like it there. The small weaslecat is very curious and comes often closer, to have a look who there.
In the big cage behind are Johann and Otello, two adult male spider monkeys . As mainly Johann had started to attack other monkeys (and has a howler monkey on his conscience) he had to be put in a cage. Hank, a paca, is also living in this cage. He spends most of his time in his trunk and is only rarely out.
Just beside, are living the the collared pecaries. These navelpigs are making good use of waste. They eat all the left overs, also from Liana Lodge. As they are living in quite a wide enclosure, you may not always meet them on a tour.

Varying to time and interesst of the visitors you can make a small detour to see the agoutis and the kinkjous. Agoutis are large shy rodents. The kinkajous are mostly sleeping curled up together in theyr trunks, as tehy are nocturnal animals.
Now we go on through the rainforest to the caiman and the turtles.It is most impressing, when the turtles are taking a sun bath on a log and also the caiman is laying on the beach to heat up. But you never know. Very often, the caiman is absent and the turtles are not in the mood to pose.

Now we go the whole way back to the souvenirshop. Returning you acn often see the small squirrelmonkey playing and climbing in the trees, searching for insects. Just beside the shop there is the enclosure for the boas. Very often they are kind of intertwined so you cant't really tell there are two snakes. Every now and then one of the snakes is taken out and who dares, may touch it or hold it. And sometimes the coatis appear as well, sniffing around the food tables and looking for left overs, mostly there is still more than enough for them.

 
17.08.2003 / © 1999-2010 amaZOOnico