Monkeys and Mochilas
Cotton-top tamarins are incredibly cool animals, and you have a good chance of seeing them in a number of places in Colombia. I had the opportunity to visit El Ceibal, a project run by Proyecto Titi, when I was there (read my trip report for mammal watching notes). The cotton-top tamarins aren’t faring the best, due to wood cutting and poaching by villagers living near reserves.
Proyecto Titi has a great project to provide alternative income to these villages: The villagers collect plastic bags, cut them into strips and sew them into “eco-mochila” bags. These are marketed at zoos like Disney’s Animal Kingdom and on-line. It’s reducing the considerable litter of the Colombian countryside and the tamarins are thriving in areas near the mochila projects. It’s a nice gift idea that is helping wild mammals.
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