Rain, mosquitoes and mud - how to protect the Amazon!

With the wet season in full force in Bolivia, our first team of volunteers this year are showing a resolve worthy of great praise while working at our wild animal sanctuary project in the Bolivian Amazon. After a 30 hour drive from La Paz, a 2 day wait for the river to drop to safe crossing levels and several hairy stream traverses in a truck, they have finally arrived at the Jacj Cuisi refuge close to the Madidi National Park in Bolivia. Their task is to build a new 20m x 20m enclosure for Sacha the puma, who was rescued from the Andean city of Potosi last year. What does this involve? Well, mainly a lot of carrying rocks, sand, cement and fencing into the jungle, followed by the erection of the fencing once all the materials are there. Not the easiest task in torrential rain, but our guys seem to be up to the challenge.

This enclosure will be the fifth of around 20 enclosures which are projected to be built for various cats in this, the project’s newest reserve. In time, Jacj Cuisi hopes to be able to accommodate dozens of primates, hundreds of birds and 20 felines, as well as serving as an educational centre for the local communities – it seems we’re going to be busy over the next few years!

Find out more about volunteering in Bolivia.