Sunday, February 11, 2007

Marco is free


Yesterday I visited Marco and Vicky. I took with me a bunch of leaves from the forest around Canaote. When I arrived, he was sitting in his enclosure still looking a little confused. He had arrived here a week earlier and there was no sign of me. Now suddenly I appeared with his favorite munch. Vicky looked on from a distance, although earlier I had seen her alongside him but outside the enclosure. He was happy with the leaves and set about eating them. After a short while we opened the door and allowed him to escape. He was tentative at first. Looking at the grass, then climbing a small tree, then down on the ground again searching in a broad sweep. Suddenly there was a loud crash and Vicky appears at his side. She grabbed him and held him tight. Marco shot away and then there ensued the most incredible chase through the trees. This chase carried on for most of my visit. After an excellent lunch, we returned to watching Marco and Vicky getting to know each other. This was not ‘me Tarzan, you Jane’, but rather ‘me Jane you Tarzan’. Vicky it turns out is a bit of an Amazon and now at last she has her man.
It is going to take time. He is young, boisterous, and inexperienced and she is older and strong.
The test will be where they sleep tonight. I am sure that Gabriela will tell me.
I wanted a picture of their first moments together but these pictures were largely obscured by the trees as the pair of them raced through the branches. So for now, here is a picture of Marco in the trees during his first moments of his new life with Vicky. More news as it comes in.

No comments: