Strange Bedfellows

[Jim King]

This is a baby Black Jaguar and a baby Wooly Monkey drinking milk out of the same syringe. Both are orphaned as the local indiginous peoples kill the mothers and sell the skins and the young to the illegeal animal trade. I dont think I will ever have an opportunity to take another photo of a pair like this.

[Gary Herrmann]

Very cool pic. I'm going to have to block this thread so my wife can't find it. She's always loved black jaguars.

I can just here it now. "Can we call him and see if we can raise the jaguar? I know its a wild animal, but maybe we can file his teeth and nails, and house train him and..."

That said, imagine breaking into a house and finding a 100 lb cat lounging on the sofa. My 15 lb 1 yr old Maine Coon cat chases after the dogs as it is.

All kidding aside, it must make you feel great to rescue those animals. Well done.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

That's neat that you can help these endangered species survive Jim.

It's a shame....humans tend to be the same way.....as babies and youths they get along.......as adults one can become the hunter and the other the hunted..........:(

[Carl Eyman]

Have you done this before, Jim? That is raise baby animals from infancy? I'm interested how you get them back to the "wild". Do you have to donate them to zoos or other sites where they can get human support?

[Jim King]

Carl: My wife has been doing this for over 20 years here in the Amazon. Some species can simply be helped back to health and released but the most have to be taken when healthy and ready to a resort owned by our vet and fed and sheltered until they learn again how to live on their own and slowly they finally get back on their own. Many that come with wings cut off or some other severe problem will always need to live in the resort grounds and be fed and sheltered. A good example is an owl that arrived about a month ago that the locals blinded it for some witchcraft idea. Every meal it is hand fed and watered and will be for the rest of its life.
The biggest problem we have are the cats as a 150 pound adult can get out of hand. The little jaguar in the photo will probably end up in a zoo that is being organized by the program "Animal Planet" and a group of Australians that come here to help animals. My wife was just filmed for an Animal Planrt program a few weeks ago.
It is an endless problem that is both extremly rewarding and yet can be downright depressing.

[John Miliunas]

My wife was just filmed for an Animal Planrt program a few weeks ago.
It is an endless problem that is both extremly rewarding and yet can be downright depressing.

Jim, what you folks are doing is sincerely a wonderful thing! "Thumbs up" from me, my friend! :) (I'd tip my hat but I don't wear hats!:rolleyes: )

Also, any info on when that program will air??? I'd be interested in watching out for it!!! :) :cool:

[John Bailey]

Congrats to you and your wife, and all the others that work for the benefit of these animals. You've made my day a little brighter. Also, I think my wife will finally be interested in a thread on a woodworking site. Thanks for your work.

John

[Dennis Peacock]

Jim,

I'm very proud of you and your wife for doing what you are doing to help the animals. Keep up the good work.