Wildtracks Newsbrief
Newsletter 2, 2024
We are reaching the end of 2024, and looking back over the year - with its ups and down, successes and sad points. A highlight is definitely the completion of the rehabilitation facility, equipped to support both manatee and primate rehabilitation activities...such an amazing step forward!! We also went through some low points - the loss of the Wildtracks vehicle during a late night wildlife rescue (thankfully no-one suffered serious injuries) has left us without transport for manatee calves. Unlike 'normal people', we select our vehicle based on being able to carry a 6' manatee in the back - we miss the Ford Expedition greatly, as it was the perfect vehicle and saw us safely through many wildlife rescues.
Climate change is real!! We have had to increase the height of the sea wall in front of the Lagoon Enclosure, with experiencing significantly more days of high water these last three years. The intense heat, tropical storms, flooded roads (and transport limitations) have delayed this years' primate releases, with both howler and spider monkeys ready for release. After a very wet November, we are now closing the year with the next releases lined up and ready to go!
Through all of this, we are so very thankful for the support of our Wildtracks Team, particularly our Rehabilitation Manager, Kyra and our Wildtracks staff. We are thankful for all those volunteers, both Belizean and from other parts of the world, who have helped with late night critical manatee calf care, preparation of older manatees for release, of the nursery monkeys and the monkeys being prepared for release, as well as the other animals that come into Wildtracks - the raccoons with their outstanding personalities, the coatis with their whiffly noses and peccaries that have been helped back into the wild.
We are also incredibly grateful to our individual and organizational donors, and the support of Wildtracks USA, critical parts of our support team, ensuring we have the resources to be effective in our work with endangered species. Wildtracks is a team effort and without these amazing people it would be difficult to achieve the results we achieve.
The Rescue
As evening draws in, a WhatsApp notification pings. It's one of our partner organizations, Belize Bird Rescue, with the news that someone has found a baby monkey in the Silk Grass area, in southern Belize. They relay the WhatsApp number, and we contact the rescuer for more information. What type of monkey is it? Where was it found? When? Is it injured? How big is it? Were there any other monkeys around? And where is it now?
The baby is a young Yucatan black howler monkey, less than 2 months old, but in good health. Its troop were chased by dogs in one of the farmlands, and the little youngster fell from the mother and was left behind. Armed with this information, we come up with a plan of action. It is now dark, the monkey is not hurt, and is safe in the hands of the rescuer for the time being. He has asked what he should do and is responsible and prepared, and is asked to keep the monkey in a warm, quiet place for the night, to be transferred early the next morning.
Silk Grass is 250 km south of Wildtracks - an 8 hour round trip, so we arrange to meet the rescuer in the morning to pick up the monkey. It is a long drive, so Flo, one of the Wildtracks volunteers, joins Paul to provide care for the young monkey from the pick-up point back to Wildtracks. We meet the rescuer near Silk Grass - and Flo takes on her first job as a surrogate mother. We asked her what it was like, being part of a rescue...
"When asked would I be willing to travel as part of the rescue team, the answer was immediately 'Yes!!'. My job would be to hold the monkey, keeping it calm - surprisingly easy when the vehicle was moving, as, like human babies, I found out that baby monkeys are soothed by the movement of the car and often fall asleep. However, less easy when the vehicle stops!"
"The baby howler, a female, was far smaller yet far heavier than I expected. With a head the size of a large grape, I couldn’t believe that this tiny creature could weigh so much! I’d been panicking the entire car journey to the pick-up point that I would hold her wrong, not support her head properly or accidently clutch her too tightly trying to keep her safe. Really, it didn’t matter, as she was already a relatively independent and confident monkey who knew exactly how she liked to be held - I was just the warm belly and the support for her to wrap herself around."
When a rescuer reports a monkey immediately, especially if a young baby, the chances of survival and successful rehabilitation are high. However, if it takes a few days for the rescuer to decide to bring the monkey in for care, that chance of survival diminishes day by day. Baby howler monkeys, in particular, have very specialized diets - like human babies, they need milk until they reach weaning age. They will not survive on rice, beans, corn and tortillas. If they don't get the right milk, they rapidly become dehydrated, develop diarrhoea and dangerously deteriorate.
Sadly, with increasing forest clearance destroying the natural forest habitat, this call was just the first of several to come over the next month. Three more baby Yucatan black howler monkeys were reported as at risk - on their own and too young to be able to survive in the wild.
Settling In
The baby was called Mimsie, and was just the first of four baby howlers that arrived at Wildtracks this year. As a lone baby howler in quarantine, she would call plaintively from inside her incubator, even when snuggled up to the teddy bear provided. In the wild, she would not survive without her mother, and we can see this demonstrated in her high levels of separation anxiety. When not in the incubator, she was with her surrogate carers - it was easy to see how much this reduced her stress levels, ensuring that by the time she completed quarantine and was ready for integration with the other babies in the nursery, she had the confidence and personality to be able to interact with the other young monkeys.
Mimsie has been a trooper from the start. On the rescue trip, she devoured her milk at near alarming speed and sipped her rehydrant solution responsibly and politely. Once she arrived at Wildtracks, she continued to keep up her healthy appetite. She has been eager to try new fruit when it is introduced, and while she is yet to actually eat any leaves, she thoroughly enjoys chewing every kind offered to her as she practices for when she has more teeth. She retains remarkable energy at nearly all times and is starting to bounce right out of her comfort zone. She’ll climb up anything at any given opportunity with impressive speed and is quickly gaining jumping skills!
Mimsie is relatively rare in her good-natured ways - out of the four current nursery monkeys, it's fair to say she's the most cheerful.
Most monkeys that are brought to Wildtracks have undergone some sort of trauma before arriving, obvious from their behaviour. The next baby to arrive was Nico, around a month older and certainly bigger, but lacking the easy confidence and eagerness to explore that Mimsie has. During the first week of quarantine, he struggled with feeds, was fatigued and uninterested in solid food. Even a month later, a slight unexpected movement of his carer could cause upset, and his separation anxiety grew when he was placed on his own in his quarantine enclosure each night. However, he grew in confidence daily as we started integrating him with Mimsie to form the foundation of the next Nursery Troop. Now, he too sets off independently, climbing hanging branches in the enclosure, and is far more interested in his food bowl than any carer in the room.
Intake number three is another young female, called Luna. She was surrendered to Belize Wildlife and Referral Clinic, treated, then transferred to Wildtracks. While in intensive care for the first few days, this female has bounced back and is already lively, with a strong, determined character.
Photo: Luna hanging out in the Nursery Enclosure (E. Trim)
And then there were four. Billie joined Luna, Nico, and Mimsie, and became the new oldest monkey of the troop. She was found at the side of a road, covered in mud, and taken home by her rescuers. She was then kept as a pet until, after a month, they discovered it was illegal and surrendered her to the Forest Department who then arranged the transfer to Wildtracks. She took some time adjusting to her new life up in the nursery and was hesitant around the other monkeys and carers at first. However, after watching the others eat, play, and learn together, she began to settle in quickly. It didn't take long to see Billie thriving and actually exhibiting the most independence out of the troop. When play-fighting was happening she was always there to show the others who’s boss with her gentle big-sister nature. Billie took to Nico quickly and found comfort spending time with him, whether that was playing, napping, or eventually sharing a hammock at night with him, helping her to gain confidence and learn to socialise with the other monkeys, preparing her for the wild.
While Mimsie, Nico, Luna, Billie, and many other Yucatan black howler monkey babies that have entered Wildtracks will eventually be able to live as wild monkeys, many abandoned monkeys aren’t as lucky. While Wildtracks offers the care and rehabilitation to prepare monkeys of all suitable ages for release, not all babies are rescued, and not all rescued babies can be released. One young sub-adult that has come in this year, for example, was kept as a pet for a significant time as a youngster, and as a result of inadequate diet, has very poor eyesight, and will not be able to live safely in the wild. He will have to stay with us at Wildtracks, as a sanctuary monkey.
If you live in Belize and find a solitary monkey in need of rescuing, please contact Wildtracks or the Forest Department as soon as possible!
Wildtracks: 660 4820
Forest Department: 822-1524
THE SPIDER MONKEYS
The Central American spider monkeys at Wildtracks continue to impress with their extremely high levels of intelligence. After several months of delays (caused by the logistical challenges of excessive rains, vehicle problems, etc.) we are now preparing to release another group – Cas, Kam, Ellie and Daisy. We’re excited to be getting close to returning them to the forest and watching their inevitable excitement as they explore a new home without fencing.
Cam pre-rescue - critically emaciated, covered in scabs with significant hair loss, and very weak
Thank you to all those who have actively helped to reduce the illegal wildlife trade in primates in Belize. Spider monkeys such as Cam, now fully recovered and ready for release, are returning to the wild!
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Spider monkeys, as well as being super-intelligent and super-agile, are a highly endangered species. Successfully returning rehabilitated monkeys confiscated or surrendered from the illegal wildlife trade is a very significant step towards conserving this incredible species in the medium and long-term, with the re-establishment of a viable sub-population within Belize’s Northeastern forest. The strong partnership between the Forest Department and Wildtracks, and the support from conservation partners and concerned citizens across the country, has been hugely effective in ending the illegal trade in illegal pet monkeys in Belize – with no known or suspected spider monkey captures from the wild in over three years!
Unlike the howler monkeys, spider monkeys move through the forest far too fast, and over too large an area, to track visually in the way we do for the post-release monitoring of the howlers. We’ve twice used expensive, miniaturized satellite transmitters on purpose-designed collars with break-away degradable links to ensure reliable drop-off after the monitoring period, but have been disappointed with the very limited transmissions as the monkeys move through the canopy. With the complete absence of any elevated positions on the flat northern coastal plain, radio transmitters have a very limited detection range – but may be better than nothing! We’re also re-examining the financial feasibility of deploying the super-exciting drone-mounted VHF-receiver system made by an Australian company – a seemingly ideal solution for keeping tabs of extremely agile, super-intelligent spider monkeys that avoid people in a very, very large area of forest, with the receiver carried well above the canopy, detection distance is measured in kilometres rather than a couple of hundred metres. As with the howler monkeys, monitoring the spider monkeys’ return to the wild is a really important aspect of their rehabilitation – ensuring that they transition smoothly and successfully. The tracking information then helps us fine-tune the latter phases of their rehabilitation...so we will carry on looking for solutions for our post-release tracking challenges!
Wildtracks Rehabilitation Facility Completed!
There is an air of quiet excitement as the replacement Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre construction reaches completion and equipment and the Wildtracks Team moves operations from the temporary base into the new building. This year has seen the replacement of the original facility, first constructed to support environmental education activities more than 30 years ago. It was then repurposed in 2000 to support manatee rehabilitation and repurposed again in 2010 for the primates!
The new facility provides separate, dedicated spaces for manatee and primate food preparation, a clinic large enough to support manatee first aid....and equipment storage - so much additional storage space!! The new facilities provide separate, dedicated spaces for manatee and primate food preparation, a huge step forward! It includes a new ‘fruit room’, with holding space for the multiple crates of banana, papaya, melon, dragon fruit, and mango that arrive each week for the animals. It's a change staff and volunteers have loved! It has made delivery and unloading easier and provides direct access to fruit from the food prep areas – with less handling and moving of fruit.
The Manatee Food Prep area - so much space!
The largest room, the first aid clinic, provides a dedicated, equipped space for health assessments, first aid, intensive care, and on-site veterinary procedures by vet partners, as needed.
The Primate Food Prep area, adjacent to the Manatee Food Prep. Both rooms have separate upgraded storage areas for rehabilitation equipment
The construction and equipping of the purpose-built Centre has been supported by joint investments by the Belize Fund for Sustainable Development, Twycross Zoo, Burger’s Zoo, Save the Manatee Club and Edge Impulse, significantly strengthening Wildtracks’ capacity for the ongoing rehabilitation of these endangered species....
Wildtracks Directors Honoured
We are very excited to share that Zoe Walker, one of our two directors, was recently presented with two MBEs (Member of the Order of the British Empire) from King Charles III (one for herself, and one for her husband, Paul Walker) for their contribution to the conservation field and rehabilitation of endangered species in Belize.
The award, first announced in January, is one of the highest to be given in the UK. It praised Paul and Zoe Walker as "widely recognised in Belize for working tirelessly towards the conservation of Belize’s endangered species, tropical forests, and reefs." It then continued: "They founded their organisation, Wildtracks, in 1990, and continue to lead its activities more than 30 years later. As part of the Wildtracks conservation work, Paul and Zoe established the National Manatee Rehabilitation Centre in 1999 to provide rehabilitation care for orphaned and injured Antillean manatees rescued from Belize’s coastal waters. In 2010 they established the National Primate Rehabilitation Centre for Belize’s Yucatan black howler monkeys and Central American spider monkeys confiscated from the Illegal Wildlife Trade to ensure that these endangered primates can be returned to the wild."
Since its establishment, Wildtracks has responded to numerous wildlife emergencies, rehabilitated 174 primates and returned over 100 back to the wild, reestablishing these species in critical forest areas. Wildtracks also collaborates with the Forest and Fisheries Departments of the Government of Belize, and other national and international conservation organisations, towards effective and sustainable management of Belize’s natural resources. Their work has brought great credit to the UK and its reputation in Belize and beyond."
In response, Zoe and Paul shared...“We feel very honoured to be entrusted by the Government of Belize to provide rescue, rehabilitation, and release services for some of its amazing wildlife, including endangered manatees, spider monkeys and howler monkeys. It has also been an inspiring adventure in the world of conservation planning across Belize's tropical forests, seas, and species....protected areas, conservation organizations and communities....and one that hasn't yet finished.
"Whilst the awards have our names on them, they reflect the commitment of the Belize Government and the many conservation organizations and individuals we have collaborated with over the years, the work they do and the impacts they make. The awards also reflect the hard work and commitment of the volunteers and supporters who have made Wildtracks what it is today, and the greatly appreciated support from our local communities of Sarteneja and Fireburn.”
Wildlife rehabilitation is all-consuming - we never know when a new manatee intake might arrive, or when Forest Department may call about a rescued primate. This makes it difficult for both directors to be away at the same time - particularly Paul in his role as Director of the two endangered species rehabilitation programmes. Whilst he was not able to attend the investiture ceremony held at Windsor Castle, he was certainly in everyone's thoughts on the day.
In September, Zoe was also one of the 28 distinguished recipients of Belize's Meritorious Service Award, as part of the September celebrations! This prestigious honor, presented by the Governor General, Dame Froyla Tzalam, recognizes Zoe's outstanding contributions to environmental conservation. The award states that "Throughout her career, Zoe has been, and continues to be, a dedicated advocate for Belize's environment and wildlife. She has collaborated with the government, protected area managers, and conservation partners throughout Belize, working towards a nature-based, sustainable future for both the environment and its people.
The success of her efforts, in collaboration with her husband and co-director, Paul, is not solely attributed to Wildtracks, but also to the strong partnerships that have been forged across Belize. This award acknowledges not only Zoe’s unwavering commitment but also the collaborative efforts of the broader conservation community in advancing the environmental agenda".
MANATEES AT WILDTRACKS
Wildtracks has been busy in 2024 on the capacity building front, with the hosting of officers from the Belize Fisheries and Forest Departments and Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development for a three-day course on manatee response, rescue, and rehabilitation. These officers are on the frontline of manatee conservation, with real power to protect the manatees in Belize's water. It has been a pleasure to share information that can help strengthen their response to live manatee strandings, and their understanding of the efforts required to ensure rescued manatees have the skills they need to return to the wild.
As one Forest officer said at the end of the course… ‘It definitely takes a team’… As part of the course, two of the three rehab manatees (Tess and Toby) were prepared for soft release with the insertion of identifying pit tags to ensure they will be recognized in the long term if encountered again after release. Lifting even sub-adult manatees out of the pools for tagging takes a large, coordinated team of committed people working together. All those involved, both the Wildtracks volunteer team and the course participants, are to be congratulated for ensuring the process was completed with limited stress to both manatees and people!
Belize Fisheries and Forest Department officers and staff from the Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development participating in the 3-day capacity building course
Observing and learning the ins and outs of manatee rehabilitation
Working with the Wildtracks Team for a hands-on experience...
...catching and moving manatees
Understanding what is involved in preparing manatees for soft release
Working as a team to ensure that Tess and Toby will be ready for soft release
Providing insight on what is involved in handling and moving manatees and inserting pit tags in preparation for release
Even sub-adult manatees are heavy - moving them from the pool and back takes a team - a capacity building experience for all involved
Tess and Toby arrived at Wildtracks as very young calves in 2022 – each about 1 m in length. The tagging provided an opportunity to check their size now as they are prepared for release - they are both around 1.8m from the tip of the snout to the base of the tail. Their condition was assessed and their girth measurements show that they are doing very well! Their rehabilitation has only been possible because of the support of our Wildtracks family - volunteers and donors alike - thank you to all who have participated in their journey!
UPDATE: While Tess and Toby are now released and doing very well, the Manatee Rehab Centre continues to support Kit and Kat, the most recent manatees to move through the rehabilitation process. Kat is the largest new-born calf intake we have had the pleasure to work with, arriving in May and measuring almost 1.3 meters from nose to tail. She weighed in at 35.4 kg (78 lbs). In comparison, our smallest manatee ever was Hope, with an intake length of 0.87 meters, and weighing 10.8 kg (24 lbs)!!.
Left: Kat arriving at Wildtracks as a new born calf
Wildtracks joins the Global Rewilding Alliance
In 2024, Wildtracks celebrated becoming a member of the Global Rewilding Alliance, a partnership of over 200 organizations that are working for the restoration of numerous wildlife species and healthy ecosystems. It is an Alliance that connects and enables rewilders around the world to learn faster, overcome shared challenges, feel more connected, stay inspired and work together to mainstream rewilding in science, policy and practice.
At Wildtracks, we meet the criteria for Alliance membership as we are dedicated to the effective management of healthy ecosystems in Belize in our reintroduction of more than 100 iconic Yucatan black howler monkeys into Belize’s Northeastern Biological Corridor. With an estimated 95% first year survival rate, the program has been a success as part of a re-wilding strategy to strengthen forest resilience to climate change impacts. The population has flourished, with third generation offspring and a population increase to more than 150 individuals. Our work with manatees, too, has resulted in the return of 18 individuals to the wild, and our first wild-born calf - all positive steps when the national and regional population is facing high impacts from boat collisions across its range.
Photo: Primates should be wild - a released Yucatan black howler monkey in Fireburn (Photo: E. Gissis)
Driven by volunteer support and national collaborations and partnerships, the Wildtracks mission focuses on conservation strategies that support Belize’s commitment to the Global Biodiversity Framework, and encompasses endangered species rehabilitation, capacity building and planning for Belize’s conservation community, and stakeholder engagement to foster environmental stewardship.
1% FOR THE PLANET SUPPORTS WILDTRACKS
Wildtracks, as a 501 (c) (3) has been accepted as a vetted environmental partner by 1% for the Planet!! This platform provides businesses an opportunity to commit 1% of their annual sales to vetted environmental partners such as Wildtracks, with the assurance that its environmental partners are credible and accountable.
Wildtracks is a 1% for the Planet environmental partner, providing impacts across the Conservation and Restoration Impact Area through supporting biodiversity and preventing the extinction of threatened species, and in strengthening the management of marine, freshwater and terrestrial protected areas. Our work goes beyond biodiversity conservation, ensuring strong conservation outcomes that build resilient ecosystems, wildlife and communities across Belize. This is through strengthened species and protected area management, planning for ensuring water security, support of livelihoods and the protection of life and property provided by forested steep slopes, riparian vegetation, the barrier reef and mangroves.
If you are interested in joining the 5,200 businesses that support the planet and people through committing 1% of annual sales to organizations such as Wildtracks, with a direct impact on the ground, then we encourage you to explore 1% for the Planet. If you are already a 1% for the Planet business, consider selecting Wildtracks as one of your environmental partners next year!
We also feel very honoured to be selected as a 1% for the Planet environmental partner by Edge Impulse, and added to their portfolio of supported organizations - Thank you!
Join us on our journey to keep the Wild in Wildlife in Belize!
A huge thank you to our Wildtracks Team (Wildtracks Belize, Wildtracks USA, our Wildtracks manager Kyra Dixon, Wildtracks staff, volunteers and supporters), the Belize Forest Department, the Belize Fisheries Department, donors and grant partners for your support.
A special thank you to Save the Manatee Club, Twycross Zoo and Burgers' Zoo, Edge Impulse and Robin Cruickshank for their continued support through 2024!