- Show trip
- Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
- Share
- May 24, 2023
- 🌧 25 °C
- Altitude: 909 m
EcuadorProvincia del PastazaEl Triunfo1°24’37” S 77°42’29” W
Sacha Yacu Centre, Amazon, Ecuador

After spending the night in Quito, we caught the bus down to a town called Poyu, which was an hour taxi ride away from the wildlife centre. When we got there we were greeted by a group of (very) young people smoking weed, and shown our room. We are sleeping in a dorm room with three other Israeli girls. The accomodation is extremely basic but luckily the mosquito nets help keep out creepy crawlies.
On our first day, we had a tour of the grounds with the coordinator, Rose. She showed us the different animals which include a baby anteater, an ocelot, lots of different birds and monkeys and some turtles. After lunch we helped move sand to build a new enclosure but it absolutely bucketed down while we were working. Then, we dug for worm to go fishing in the lakes for small fish to feed the ocelot.
The next morning after breakfast we helped prepare the food for the animals. They eat so well with a fresh fruit salad every morning. Then, I went with another volunteer, Olivia, to feed the birds and monkeys. We had to be careful of Fredrick the monkey as she had attacked another volunteer yesterday. In the afternoon we trecked out in to the jungle to chop down banana trees for the animals. Alex had to go and move more sand bags for the new enclosure. Three times a day, a baby anteater called Camilla needs to be fed. She’s super cute and snuggled right into the back of my neck. This is because ant eaters stay in their mothers back for almost two years.
On friday, we only have Jobs in the morning. After preparing the fruit for the animals. Alex and I fed the parrots and the macaw, Stephania the monkey and the turtles. In the afternoon, one of the longer term volunteers Bjorn, took us on a hike into a canyon with a waterfall. It was an amazing walk and we had to climb up a few flowing waterfalls so it was quite challenging. In the evening we had a bonfire and made bread on the fire.
We went into a local town on Saturday for the night. It was a pretty depressing city but we did get some wifi to plan our trip after Ecuador. On Sunday evening we headed back to the park with only two other volunteers. Monday was our last full day and because we were now such a small group, there was lots to do. Alex and I were also on cooking duty which was relatively easy for only four people.
Unfortunately on Monday Alex was scratched by an anteater, so before catching the bus back to Quito, we also hunted around Puyo, looking for the rabies vaccine. We were unsuccessful so we have to get it in Mexico!Read more