Captures | Capturas

In the last two weeks we were in the process of capture one or two capuchin monkeys from the Rio do Brasil Reserve to install radio-colars on those individuals, to help us locate and habituate the group.

Plan and carry a primate capture is logistically complex, and although we had some problems this time, we manage to solve them by making good contacts, like the CETAS (Wild Life Triage Center) at Porto Seguro, that lent us the traps, and we hope we can work with them in the future.

The first thing we did arriving at the reverse was install the traps to habituate the monkeys to them. In the following day, with the help of the reserve staff, we build two blinds to hide and wait for the monkeys.

During the three days of habituation, with a lot of food inside the disarmed traps, we recorded the monkeys visiting the place. We then proceed with the attempts to catch the monkeys, with the support of our veterinarian colleague.

Spending 12h inside the dark blind each day, for 6 days, we waited for the monkeys. They did visit the place a some times, but, alas, they didn’t cooperate. They visited the place, but no monkey went inside the trap enough for us to activate it. Moreover, on the last say we had to flee from the blinds because they were raided by army ants.

Well, thats the life on field work. This type of capture is difficult, and sometimes can take weeks of waiting until the monkeys are caught. We are already planning another capture try for the near future.

Although we were unable to capture the monkeys, we did had contact with two groups of capuchin monkeys in the area, and one group of Titi monkeys, and learn some tricks to help us in the next expeditions to capture the monkeys.

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Nas últimas duas semanas estávamos em processo de tentar capturar um ou dois macacos-prego na RPPN Rio do Brasil para a colocação de rádio-colares, para nos auxiliar na localização e habituação do grupo.

Planejar e fazer um captura de primatas é logisticamente complexo, e tivemos que resolver alguns fazendo contato com o CETAS (Centro de Triagem de Animais Silvestres) de Porto Seguro, que nos emprestaram duas armadilhas e com quem com certeza poderemos colaborar no futuro.

A primeira coisa que fizemos ao chegar na RPPN foi instalar as armadilhas para habituar os macacos a elas. No dia seguinte, com a valorosa ajuda dos funcionários da RPPN, construimos dois esconderijos para ficarmos abrigados e escondidos para esperarmos os macacos.