the tales of missing tails

it has been awhile, and although i feel like i should comment on a previous comment and i could talk about bolivian politics, were going to the root of one of my passions: animals...
having volunteered in a refuge for animals taken off of the pet market here in Bolivia, i have seen the brilliance and even the appeal of having a monkey or a puma for a pet... they are cute, exotic, and fun, all enjoying playing with humans... and it can be fun, when they are young...
when they are adults, the pumas dont know their actual strength, dont understand how much damage their teeth and claws can do, and it takes a lot of time, patience, and scars to undo that damage... the adults at this reserve work only with their volunteers and never see tourists (and no, i didnt see them either, i was with the monkeys)... and although they will never be released in to the wild, and have to be caged overnight, at least they are not trapped in the homes that broke their legs and filed their teeth and claws in desperate attempts to control these wild captive animals...
the monkeys, some missing tails due to doors or dogs, have some hope of being released, as those that are taken young are grouped together and if luck is present, they form a troup and when they are socially stable and old enough, they are released with as minimal of human contact from volunteers as possible... i worked in the tourist park, where the monkeys that would not be released and were too used to human contact, were present... these monkeys, although playful, curious, and still very much monkeys, allowed people to interact with them, and usually it was safe, and people would say how much they would love to have a monkey.. until it turned on them, cuz the person did something stupid, gave them a warning bite, or even a full bite if it went past warnings, and the people got upset because we let them get bit...
los animales silvestres son silvestres and although i was honored and really enjoyed working with the monkeys, it was depressing at times to know that this troup will always compete with humans for territory, the alpha male will always be upset and hence, unpredictable, and that people will continue to be blind to the needs and natural behaviors of these animals and refuges will have to exist for these animals to have a semi-wild life...