Kyra Boss

Saturday, 6.15.19

It’s been a week since I came home from Belize, and it’s been an interesting couple of days. Much like other times I’ve come home from trips, it’s been difficult getting back into a daily routine. I spent much of the last week trying to be productive, but feeling a bit lost along the way.

From the moment I stepped back onto U.S. soil, there were a lot of changes I noticed from a cultural perspective. I remember buying a pre-packaged sandwich and a water bottle from the airport Saturday and being shocked to realize it had cost me $15 U.S. dollars! In Belize, the meals would typically cost $15 Belize dollars, meaning it was only $7.50 U.S. The meals from Belize were also made from scratch, and as a result, they were fresh and delicious. Sitting in the airport terminal eating a limp sandwich, it was quite the wake up call that I was home. The food from Belize is definitely something I will miss.

I will also miss the kind nature of the Belizean people. The employees of the Tropical Education Center (the place we were staying) made me feel welcome and at home, more than any other place I have stayed on trips. The people that I had the opportunity to speak to at the clinic showed me the empathetic nature of Belizeans and the love they have for animals. A local artisan that I spoke to while purchasing a necklace took pride in her work, and showed gratitude towards myself and my friends for purchasing her pieces and supporting local artists.

Another aspect of Belize I will miss is the country’s dedication to conservation and sustainable practices. Every place we went to eat, the discarded food was gathered to be composted. At the zoo, water bottles were collected to be recycled. Many single-use plastics that would be carelessly discarded by your average U.S. citizen were reused and revamped by the Belizean people. It made me think about how much of our culture in the U.S. is centered around materialistic things. In Belize, the people do not have access to the resources those in the States do, causing them to have a lot more environmentally sustainable practices. As a result, the people of Belize have been able to make the best out of everything they are handed, and do not take things for granted.

While I was on the plane ride back, I did a lot of reflecting on my trip and the things I have learned along the way. Ultimately, I came up with four important life lessons that my time in Belize has taught me.

Number 1: Accept the imperfections

There were a lot of times when I would feel guilty for complaining about things because going on this trip was my choice and I was supposed to be enjoying it. However, what I learned was that sometimes you will complain and that’s okay. The key is to keep yourself in check and not let your complaining upset the entire trip.

Number 2: Be present

Being in the age of documenting our entire lives, this is a tricky one. On the one hand, you want to enjoy looking at the Spider monkey swing through the trees, but on the other, you have to post a cute video of it for Snapchat! It is important for there to be a balance. While many people had their phones glued to their hands at all times to take pictures, I tried to give myself time to capture it through the lens, but then put the phone down to live in the moment.

Number 3: Be flexible

It’s important to remember things won’t always go as planned or as expected and that’s okay. It can be frustrating and disappointing, but sometimes the reality exceeds expectations. Or if not, it has the potential for a great story to tell afterwards.

And most importantly, for anyone planning to travel the world, or experience something for the first time…

Number 4: Be open

Don’t be afraid to try new things! Sometimes it won’t work out, but it’s better to say that you tried than to sit back and have regrets later on for what you could’ve done. Venturing outside of your comfort zone is never easy, but it is always worth it.

I have had an incredible journey these last few weeks in Belize. It was sticky, sweaty, exhausting, scary, amazing, heart-warming, fulfilling, and the most exciting adventure I have ever gone on. I wouldn’t trade my experience for anything. If you have been reading my blog posts, thank you for following me on this journey.

Friday, 6.7.19

And just like that, it’s our final day of class! The end of this week has been focused on wrapping up all of our projects.

Wednesday morning we headed out to Runaway Creek for bird banding. We opened up the nets that we had set up the previous week so that they would catch birds that are flying by. Approximately 40 minutes after opening up the nets, we returned to see whether there were birds in any of them, and found that we had captured one bird. Our nature guide Ray is an experienced birdbander, and explained to us the process of banding. After carefully untangling the bird from the net, Ray brought the bird over to our table of equipment. After identifying the bird as a Yellow-green Vireo, we recorded the bird’s characteristics (weight, sex, body score, etc.) and banded it with a small metal bracelet. Ray explained that banding is done throughout the Americas in order to identify the birds’ migration patterns, which are monitored via a worldwide database.

Later on in the day, we ventured over to some of the caves found at the Reserve. As we trudged

through the forest, the climb became more and more steep. When we finally reached the top, we found the

caves. My eyes were immediately drawn to a small painting done on the wall next to the cave entrance. Ray explained that this was a Mayan painting of a jaguar from approximately 300 A.D. The Mayans used annatto dye from the seeds of the achiote tree to paint it. It was incredible to me that the paintings have been able to withstand the test time and the elements. I felt humbled to be able to have a glimpse of the Mayan culture first-hand.

The following day, we ventured over to the zoo to conduct necropsies. Our course instructor and veterinarian, Dr. AJ Runey, explained to us the proper procedures and methods for conducting a necropsy. The first animal we looked at was a Barn owl whose cause of death was unknown. As we examined the bird, Dr. AJ explained to us the importance of knowing what the species “normally” looks like internally in order to identify abnormalities. The abnormalities in turn have the potential of determining the cause of death. It was very interesting to learn about the process and all of the different factors that go into it. While we were conducting the procedure, Dr. AJ told us about different necropsies she has done in the past, including one on a giraffe that took over five hours to complete!

That afternoon, we had the opportunity to do our enrichment projects. In order to alleviate the stresses that come with life in captivity, zoos often have “enrichment devices” which aim to increase the animal’s activity levels, and allow them to express behaviors that they would have in the wild. My classmates and I were split up into pairs and groups of three to come up with an enrichment project for an animal of our choice at the zoo. One of the groups froze chicken in ice for the jaguars, so the animals would have to work to get to the food. Another group worked with the Spider monkeys, and drilled holes into a piece of bamboo so that they could stick fruit into it. The bamboo was then hung in the trees. It was so cool to watch the monkeys find the food, and problem-solve in order to get to the fruit. My partner and I worked with the jaguarundis, a small wild cat species. We chose them because of their playful and inquisitive nature, and built our enrichment device based upon that. With the help of a zookeeper, we took coconuts and cut holes into them, draining them of their water. We then filled half of them with chicken, and the other half with cinnamon. We used spices in addition to food as enticement because the animals are strongly guided by their sense of smell. When we placed the coconuts into the enclosures, the jaguarundis were quick to find the new objects and investigate them. In no time they were able to find the chicken and eat it. It was really special to be able to see that I was able to make an impact. I loved that our work enriched their lives, if only for an hour. One of the jaguarundis was known to pace throughout the day—a behavior that suggests the animal is stressed—and while the coconuts were in the enclosure, she did not pace at all.

Today was our final day of class. This morning we took our final exam, which covered everything that we had learned these past two weeks. Afterwards, each of us did presentations on a topic of our choice. I chose to do my project on jaguar care and conservation.

Tomorrow we head to the airport in the morning to begin our journeys to our respective homes all over the United States. It is such a bittersweet feeling to know that I get to go home, but I also have to leave Belize and all of the wonderful people I have met here.

Tuesday, 6.4.19

These last few days, I’ve been lucky enough to be able to do hands-on work with the animals. On Sunday, several of my classmates and I worked at a spay-neuter clinic run by local Belizean veterinarian, Dr. Tesecum. We checked people in, performed physical exams, took the animals’ vitals, and assisted in surgery. Having little experience doing any of those tasks, I was a bit intimidated. Fortunately, the clinic was busy enough that I had to jump into the work and focus on each task I was given, rather than spend time second-guessing myself. While assisting the veterinarian with surgery, he allowed me to suture the dogs up, and taught me proper suturing techniques.

The clinic was an extremely humbling experience for me. I loved being able to give back to the members of the community, and to see the love they have for their animals. By the end of the day, we were able to see 45 dogs and two horses.

On Monday, we had our first lesson with our instructor from C.E.L.A., Jane Champion. Jane works with the primate populations of Belize conducting research and educating students like myself about her work. She explained that there are two different species of monkey in Belize—the Howler monkey and the Spider monkey. After her lecture, we departed for the Community Baboon Sanctuary (CBS). Howler monkeys, or “baboons” in Creole, have large populations in the Bermudian Landing region of Belize where the sanctuary is located. What was interesting about the sanctuary was that unlike Runaway Creek, which was relatively devoid of human influence, villages of people inhabited the land of the CBS. When researchers discovered the Howler populations in the area back in the 1980s, a voluntary agreement was signed by nearly all of the landowners which stated they would manage their land in such a way that would accommodate the Howler monkey populations. While we were there, we hiked along the forested areas in search of Howlers. Much to our surprise, it did not take us long to find a baby Howler monkey. Looking down at us with curious eyes, the monkey perched on a tree just a couple feet away from us. As time passed, we noticed another monkey in her troupe. Jane explained to us there were probably around six Howlers up in the trees, many of which were hidden amongst the trees. It was interesting to know that they were up there, and had it not been for the young Howler, we would not have noticed any of them.

Today, we drove to San Ignacio to visit the Belize Raptor Center (BRC). “Raptors,” also known as birds of prey, feed on small vertebrates and include species such as hawks, owls, falcons, eagles, kites, and vultures. The Belize Raptor Center acted as a rehabilitation center and sanctuary for the birds. The founder of BRC showed us around the facility and told us about the work that they do. All of the birds are rescues, often confiscated from homes. Ideally, after some time at the BRC, the birds would be released back into the wild where they belong. Unfortunately, as a result of imprinting and other behavioral issues, most of the birds cannot be released. Imprinting is when an animal becomes attached to a person or thing, rather than interacting with individuals of their own species. Additionally, birds can become habituated so that they associate humans with positive things like food. Oftentimes this can become problematic, increasing instances of human-animal conflict.

I loved being able to hear from the founder of the BRC because she had such a passion for her work with the raptors. Her dedication to education and outreach was something I truly admired, and I hope to do the same in my career in animal care.

Saturday, 6.1.19

I can’t believe the first week here is already over! After our first day at the zoo, we spent the following morning exploring Runaway Creek Nature Reserve. The reserve is one of the many protected areas of Belize, spanning 6,000 acres, which not accessible to the general public. Fortunately, we were able to explore the land guided by one of the Reserve’s land managers, Ray Cal. Having worked at the reserve since 2003, Ray was extraordinarily knowledgeable about the land and all of the life that encompasses it. With his expertise, we were able to set up camera traps throughout the forest in areas frequented by the wildlife in hopes of capturing them on camera. He explained to us the uses of camera trapping as a means of conducting research. Additionally, while we were there, we set up nets for our bird-banding lesson that we will have later on in the week. 

The following day, we had a guest speaker come and to talk to us about the crocodile populations of Belize. Miriam Boucher, the research coordinator for the Crocodile Research Coalition, explained the work conducted by the organization. The CRC promotes conservation for the Morelet and American crocodile species by conducting research on their populations and their habitats throughout Central America. She discussed the many misconceptions the public has about these creatures, and how the fear people have towards crocodiles can propagate actions which put entire ecosystems at risk. Her insight and passion towards the cause changed my perspective of crocodiles, and gave me a new-found appreciation for them.

That evening, my classmates and I were given a private tour of the zoo. With a zookeeper as our guide, we walked around in search of the crepuscular (active at dusk and dawn) and nocturnal animals. The keepers enlightened us about the life of the animals, and enticed many of them to approach us using food. I even had the opportunity to feed a tapir! It was so incredible to learn from the zookeepers given their intimate relationship with each and every one of the animals. I was so grateful to be there and to be able to spend time with the animals in this way. 

On Friday, we started our day early with birding. Walking around the Tropical Education Center, our wildlife expert Ray explained to us the different birds we heard calling, and their distinct physical characteristics. By the end of the hour, we were able to identify 25 different species! I found it unbelievable that we were able to find so many birds in such a small amount of time. Later that morning, we learned about the practice of remote capturing animals as a means of administering medical care, and got to practice using a blow dart and a cardboard animal target. That afternoon we had the opportunity to return to the zoo to conduct observations on an animal of our choice. I chose to study two tapirs, and recorded their behavior over the course of an hour and a half.

Saturday and Sunday are our free days, and so today we traveled to one of the islands of Belize, Caye Caulker. In order to get to Caye Caulker, we had to drive to Belize City and then take a water taxi over. When we arrived in Caye Caulker, the island was bustling with activity. The streets were filled with craftsmen, food vendors, and golf carts shuttling people from one side of the island to the other. Stray dogs would run past our heels and people would call out their merchandise as we went. It was overwhelming, but also very new and exciting. My friends and I spent the day exploring the island, eventually stumbling upon a beautiful resort, which had a breathtaking beach and an area in the water that seahorses inhabited. 

The past few days were a whirlwind of activities that have been exhausting, yet so incredible. I cannot wait to see what my second week has in store.

Tuesday, 5.28.19

It’s hard to believe I have only been in Belize for four days! So far, a lot of our time has been spent getting adjusted to life in Belize, and becoming acquainted with the course schedule and expectations. It has not necessarily been an “easy” transition from life in the United States to that of Belize, but it’s definitely been an interesting experience. Over the last few days, I have realized the little aspects of my life in the U.S. that I take for granted. For example, living in New Jersey, I don’t have to worry about scorpions or applying mass-amounts of bug spray on myself on a daily basis. When I go to the bathroom I don’t have to leave the comforts of my house to walk somewhere else, and I don’t have to worry about biting ants on my pillow. That being said, there are a lot of things Belize offers that my home in the United States cannot. There is a vast variety of flora and fauna that are so full of life and vibrancy. The beauty of the country shows through in the pride the people of Belize have for their country.

When I first arrived at the Tropical Education Center (TEC), I felt like I had stumbled upon a tropical summer camp. The TEC staff welcomed us to a cabin-like building with four rooms filled with beds. The bathrooms, showers, and sinks were each housed in buildings a short walk from our dorm. As I began to explore the grounds, I was struck by the fact that the grounds were designed to be immersed with the natural land. Winding pathways led to untouched areas of savannah, along with dense areas of vegetation and swampland. It was so beautiful, and I would often found myself getting lost in it (literally).

On our second day, I was able to see more of the land firsthand when we went ziplining and cave tubing. I’ve ziplined before, but only in the States, and so I was excited to see what it would be like in Belize. The ziplines were built along cliff sides, allowing us to be able to see breathtaking views of the land from a bird’s eye view. It was a bit nerve-wracking for me to jump out onto the zipline knowing we were so high up, but it was all the more rewarding with each course I completed.

After our aerial tour of Belize, we had the opportunity to go cave tubing. After a long trek through the woods, we arrived at our first cave. Our guide explained to us that the Mayan people believed the caves were the entrance to hell because the entrance of the cave itself had a teeth-like appearance to it, resembling the mouth of a monster. As we traveled along inside the caves, we were told stories of the Mayan people and the spiritualistic relationship they had to the land and the animals in it. Flowing along the river outside of the caves, I began to understand their perspective. With the trees and plant-life surrounding me in an array of different shapes and colors, and the birds chirping soothingly in the breeze, it created an incredibly peaceful experience.

The following day, we got to spend more time immersed in the nature by going on a hike through a trail that’s part of the Tropical Education Center. The rest of the day was devoted to lessons, in which we discussed the basic principles of wildlife health and medicine, along with wildlife disease. It was exciting to be able to learn about things that we would experience first-hand, which made it so exciting to have our first visit to the Belize Zoo today.

Our tour of the zoo began with a behind-the-scenes tour of the jaguar enclosures. The zookeeper that was showing us around explained that some of the jaguars were new to the zoo and not well acquainted with people, requiring them to be kept in enclosures away from the public. As we were walked past these enclosures, the jaguars would growl and keep a close eye on us. Some of the ones that had to be kept in smaller enclosures were pacing, visibly distressed. The zookeeper explained that the zoo presently did not have the means to house all of the jaguars in large enclosures. As a result, the animals were rotated between the larger and the smaller enclosures daily. It was eye opening for me to see such a large, ferocious animal feeling vulnerable much like the animals they would prey upon. It was a humbling experience to observe their behavior and the impact humans have upon their lives. While the circumstances were not ideal, the love and devotion the keepers had for the animals was palpable, and it was clear that they were doing all they could to ensure the jaguars’ stress was minimized.

Later on in the day, we had the opportunity to perform a physical examination on a tapir. Having never worked with nor seen a tapir, I was excited to learn about the procedure for caring for them. The keepers went into the enclosure first to draw blood from one of the tapirs. The tapir was hesitant at first, but as soon as the zookeeper began to brush him, he immediately relaxed and plopped himself onto the ground, enjoying the belly rub. Unfortunately, the presence of the other zoo staff, along with the sharp pressure of the needle caused him to get up, and several attempts later they were only able to draw a small amount of blood. Consequently, they had to use a blow-dart to administer a vitamin B12 supplement that they had initially been planning to give intramuscularly. It just went to show how even the animals that are docile and receptive to human interaction will sometimes choose to not cooperate. Fortunately, the tapir named Bullethead allowed myself and the other students to take his heart rate and perform a physical exam on him.

My time in Belize has been unlike any other trip I have ever taken. I have already learned so much, and I am so excited to be able to continue to learn more about the country and its animals.