BOISE, Idaho — Zoo Boise recently entered into a conservation partnership to help create a spider monkey sanctuary in El Salvador.
RELATED | Zoo Boise partners to create spider monkey sanctuary in El Salvador
This week, biologist Elena Castillo from El Salvador is in town learning from the Zoo Boise team how to conduct guest services, education, animal care, communication, and everything else involved in the operation of an animal sanctuary.
"I'm learning how to manage all the spider monkeys or all the animals that it leaves in captivity because in El Salvador we cannot ever rehabilitate them and we cannot release the spider monkeys, so all that I'm learning here is going to help me to create programs," said Castillo.
What a great team to learn from, as they take excellent care of 60-year old spider monkey, Elvis!
Gene Peacock, Director of Zoo Boise, is largely responsible for these collaborative efforts.
"We're fortunate to have her up here to learn from us, but we are also learning about her and her culture and the way they do things. It's just a great partnership and a great trade of information and just part of the great conservation that we do here at Zoo Boise," said Peacock.
Upon completion, Castillo will take all of the information she's learned back to El Salvador to implement into their wildlife rescue centers and community outreach programs.
