In this video, Adolfo Mesias, protector of Monkey Forest, shares his experience. Spanish and English translations below. This video was graciously shared with us from our partners at Neotropical Primate Conservation.
[English]
From Adolfo Mesias, the protector of Monkey Forest: “For us as a population center…they are seeing logging at 80%, hunting at almost 100%. It was too much, every day. Every day there was a native community from Aguafun that came… they hunted for 8 days, 15 days. Quite a few people came. Already during the day it seemed like it was a terrible plan. The bullets [shooting] every day made us uncomfortable as citizens when we saw that. That field already had too much hunting.
We organized ourselves as a local patrol and we put an end to this hunting. But it was hard work to convince the people who came from other places to stop, but in itself, we have achieved our objectives by talking, by dialoguing with the people. Perhaps this is another way to proceed, right?
But by talking with them we have tried to convince them and, for what it’s worth, we have managed 100% to put an end to the logging and hunting here.”
[ESPAÑOL]
Adolfo Mesias, El Protector del Bosque de Monos: “Para nosotros como centro poblado que quizás sea … están viendo la tala a un 80%, la caza casi al 100% porque estaba demasiado, todos los días. Todos los días había una comunidad nativa de Aguafun que venía… hacía la caza, venían por 8, 15 días. Venían bastantes. Ya en el día parecía que era un plan de terrorismo. Las balas toditos los días y eso nos incomodó como ciudadanos al ver eso, ese campo que estaba demasiado ya la caza. Nos organizamos como ronda campesina y ponemos fin a este campo de la caza. Pero un duro trabajo para convencer a la gente que venía de otros lugares a talar el bosque, pero en sí, hemos logrado los objetivos conversando, dialogando con las personas, no quizás, este, de otra manera, quizás como se procede, ¿no?
Pero conversando con ellos se ha tratado de convencer y, para qué, hemos logrado en un 100% de poner fin a este campo de la tala y la caza…”