| At This Jalisco Campsite, Jaguars Are Your Neighbors John Pint - Mexico News Daily | |
| go to original August 26, 2022 |
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UMA Potrero de Mulas (Silara Views)
Animal rescue in Mexico suffered a serious blow during the presidency of Enrique Peña Nieto, when the government decided to shut down its network of 11 wildlife conservation and rehabilitation centers. Since then, local shelters have at least popped up, thanks to concerned vets and biologists. Confiscated exotic wildlife like macaws, crocodiles, parrots and howler monkeys now end up in locally funded shelters like Agua Azul and Villa Fantasia in Guadalajara.
But what if the mistreated or confiscated animal is a puma or a jaguar, unaccustomed to living in a cage or even in the roomy enclosures provided by modern zoos?
This is when the wildlife rescue centers turn to the UMAs.
An UMA is an Animal Management Unit licensed by the government to care for or raise exotic or endangered creatures — from crocodiles to tarantulas — as well as jaguars.
Mexico has only a handful of UMAs permitted to handle this big-cat breed, and one of the most fascinating of these is the Potrero de Mulas (Mule Pasture), hidden away in a jungle-filled valley 35 kilometers east of Puerto Vallarta, at 830 meters altitude.
The Potrero de Mulas website says that, besides being a UMA, it is a center for ecotourism, environmental education and recreational activities, with cabins to rent, a campsite, trails to follow, rock walls to climb and great food (for groups over 20).
Apart from all this, photos show Mule Pasture to be an extraordinarily beautiful place, despite its less-than-attractive-sounding name. I contacted the owner, Marisol Lovera.
“You are welcome to stay with us,” she told me,” but you will need four-wheel drive to get here.”
From Mascota to Puerto Vallarta this Jalisco road sign reminds visitors that they are in big cat territory.
Read the rest at Mexico News Daily
Related: Famed Jaguar ‘El Jefe’ Spotted in Northern Mexico (Tucson Sentinel)
Related: Mexico’s First Ever Criminal Case for Animal Abuse Ends With 10 Years in Prison and $115,000 Dollar Reparation (PVDN)
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