People in the Navy

Sailor trades cubicle for wildlife

By Sarah Gilmour

Credit:  Image provided by LCdr Salt LCdr James Salt feeds a toucan at the Monkey Park Animal Rescue Centre in Costa Rica.

While many head down south to relax on the beach, Lieutenant-Commander James Salt chose instead to shovel monkey droppings.

He had four weeks of leave to use up and decided instead of a traditional holiday, or staying in his Ottawa home, he would volunteer his time in a Costa Rica animal rescue park. The Monkey Park Animal Rescue Centre in Portegolpe, a small town on Costa Rica's Pacific coast, relies on international volunteers to help treat injured wildlife and return some to the wild. LCdr Salt visited December 29, 2006- January 25.

“Six days a week I was feeding, cleaning and repairing the cages and environments,” said LCdr Salt, 38. The work was hard, dirty and often challenging. “Try hopping into a croc’s tank to clean it while the croc’s still in it!”

Credit:  Image provided by LCdr James Salt A baby howler monkey receives treatment at the centre’s clinic.

Some of the animals in the rescue center, including macaws, crocodiles, monkeys and wildcats, will never be able to return to the wild, he says, and so they become education tools in the part of the park open to the public. While he was there, LCdr Salt helped treat baby howler monkeys found abandoned by a nearby power line with suspected electrocution injuries. Once their injuries are treated, he said, they will move to an area of the park simulating the wild to easily reintegrate to the environment.

He found the park on a volunteer website and found it a good match for his love of animals and desire to do something different.

“It wasn’t a vacation, it was work,” said LCdr Salt. “It was pretty cool,” he said, unable to stifle a smile.

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