Looking for more excitement from your work? Interested in walking a puma every day for a month? No. Then how about a bear, or possibly a jaguar? If large mammals aren't your thing there are opportunities to work with spider monkeys too. The word 'job' is used in the loosest sense of the word as you will be required to pay a small daily allowance for the privilege and in return receive only basic food and board - no money. If you a daredevil by nature, fit, and would not object to living in modest surroundings then read on for further details. (I'm serious about this - it's really possible).
The job is located a mere 400 metres above sea level in the tropical lowlands. From the Salar this requires climbing the Andean highlands to 5000 metres before embarking on a never-ending descent. There cannot be too many countries in the world where such a feat can be accomplished in one day.
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| He really is doing what is seems.... |
From the city of Cochabamba take higway 7 - the destination is a mere 150 kilometres further which locals will tell you takes four hours to reach. Although it may seem impossible that a stretch of paved road 150 kilometres long could take four hours believe it. Four hours later you will arrive, hopefully not in the dark, and thankful to be alive for two reasons. Firstly, the road is a known drug route and you may be stopped a few times at checkpoints by the ever gun-totalling Bolivian police force keen to search your bags. Secondly, it's overrun by trucks. It is unclear if these two points bare any relation to one another, but it's a real possibility given the drivers rush to reach their destination and willingness to overtake on blind corners, notwithstanding the fog, mist, and later pitch darkness obscuring all but the faintest view ahead.
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| From this.... |
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| ...to this. |
With the descent colour returns to the landscape and to your body. After eight long hours you will arrive (or wake up if you haven't timed the trip accurately and arrive in darkness) in a town reminiscent of a tropical island, but sadly devoid of any sandy beaches.
Villa Tunari is the home of Parque Matial - a rescue shelter set up to protect wild animals from illegal trafficking, zoos and circuses. The idea is that the animals live in conditions which replicate their natural environment, meaning for the most part they are not in cages and require a bit of luck to spot. The job involves taking the large mammals from their cages where they are housed at night and walking them on a leash (a long one) for 8-12 hours per day. On the way you may encounter grateful visitors to the park, treking silently through the forest, hoping to spot wildlife. Although on a leash, the cats are free to walk where they choose; your role is simply to follow even if the cat decides to pursue its prey as has happened in the past.
Here is the account of two recent visitor to the park and potential volunteers, Reece and Charlotte:
We had been trekking for around two hours and were ready to leave, frustrated we had only spotted one monkey high in the trees. On our way to the exit we we ran in to a couple of girls we had seen in a group earlier. We had previously rushed past them so to remove ourselves from the wildlife-disturbing noise they were making. It was only a couple of minutes into our conversation we noticed a cat, about half the size of Reece, to her left. It turns out we had walked right passed her and her puma an hour earlier! The sandy-coloured predator, with footprints the size of its head and claws to match, chose to pass a mere metre by us, an exhilarating experience - and one available to all!
While we spoke to the girls about volunteering a family of five or six spider monkeys skipped and swung passed us, sweeping my back on the way, probably searching for food or a toy in my bag. Suddenly everything was happening at once as only five minutes further down the trail we ran into another couple of guys responsible for the park's bear. They cannot have been doing to good a job as one bore a fresh scar. Maybe it was hearing this, or seeing the others covered in weeping mosquito bites that reminded us of the perils of working among dangerous animals and changed our minds about volunteering, but it really is a once in a lifetime opportunity so if you are interested please apply through the website www.intiwarayassi.org
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| This tropical fruit I tried was named 'chocolate' so I was slightly disappointed to open it and find it tasted and looked more like seafood than confectionery. |
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