About CONREHABIT

How We Started:  In the summer of 2003, Martha Armenta, President of Mazatlan´s wildlife protection group CONREHABIT A.C., moved 100 Pichichine ducklings into her son´s bedroom.

The ducklings, which hatch annually on Mazatlán´s Tres Islas, had swum across open waters to the mainland and were found crossing the busy Camarón Sábalo Avenue on their way to inland lagoons, their feeding grounds until maturity. Martha put boxes in the back of her car and rode out to collect them before the brood was decimated by speeding cars.

 The ducklings stayed in her son´s room, being fed and petted, until they were calm enough to release a few days later into the lagoon at the Mazatlán Aquarium. Meanwhile, a few houses away from her, CONREHABIT volunteer, Clare Simons, had turned her laundry room into a jungle gym play area for a young Howler Monkey named Pancho. Pancho had been kept as a domesticated pet, but when the exotic allure of the monkey wore off, the owner gave it to CONREHABIT.

Pancho arrived at Clare´s house sick, malnourished and traumatized. It took a year of Clare´s motherly care and devoted attention for him to recover. After his recovery, a place was found for Pancho at the Xcaret Zoo in Cancun. CONREHABIT arranged for the paperwork and the zoo paid for Pancho´s air transportation. He is now with his own species where it is expected he will thrive, mature and reproduce.

What We Do:  Pancho was a product of illegal trade in wildlife, which together with covert hunting, is decimating Mexican wildlife. According to Martha Armenta, Highway 15, which runs through the State of Sinaloa, is an obvious smuggler´s route on the way to the US border. Inspection stations along the highway are primarily focused on narcotic trafficking and ignore wildlife traffickers. In addition, despite the fact that trafficking in wildlife falls under Mexico´s federal criminal statutes, law enforcement agents are woefully unfamiliar with the regulations including which animals are protected under the statutes.

“The wild animals and birds that are smuggled north are sold for hundreds of dollars at the border towns,” said Martha. “They do terrible things to the birds. Immediately upon capture, they clip their wings so short that they go into shock. For every bird that makes it alive to the border, eight die.” It is not only smugglers which concern CONREHABIT members. Knowingly, or unwittingly, tourists purchase lizards, parrots and other wildlife in contravention of federal laws. The sellers tell the tourists to put the animals or birds in their suitcases if flying home and they will be fine. Needless to say, the lizard or bird suffocates to death. “If there´s one thing I want to say to tourists,” said Martha, “it is don´t buy wildlife. Vendors on the highway, or the streets, are selling them illegally. They kill the adults to take the young, leaving no adults to procreate.” While fighting an active campaign against wildlife smuggling, the members of Conrehabit are dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing wildlife closer to home. Originally a wildlife clinic at the Mazatlán Aquarium started by the late Kittie Jepson and veterinarian Aldo Barragan Arias, the non-profit association has grown to comprise professionals with doctorates and masters in the fields of biology, veterinary medicine and wildlife rehabilitation.

Some of the Ways in Which We Meet Our Goals:  In keeping with Conrehabit´s goal of educating the public on wildlife preservation, Sandra offers group nature walks at the estuary by appointment. CONREHABIT also offers limited tours.  “We are looking for volunteers,” said Martha, “to help on these walks, particularly retired English-speaking people, as part of an education program for schools and tourists.” Biologist Isaias Sauceda of the Mazatlán Aquarium, a Board member, does a weekly bird count nature walk through the Laguna de el Acuario, El Bosque and the Laguna del Camaron Sabalo Estuary which is open to groups wishing to know more about local bird species. Another Board member, Sergio Escutia, owns a fish farm in Teacapan. When the government gave Conrehabit several tame hawks in 2005, he set about building a facility to train raptors in falconry. The reason Conrehabit is successful, said Martha, is not only the expertise they have but also because there are no other rehabilitation programs in the area.

Conrehabit rescues and rehabilitates all wildlife, except marine birds, such as pelicans, which are the charge of the Mazatlan Aquarium. Conrehabit began rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife with the Black Bellied Whistling Duck crisis. The extreme over development of Nuevo Mazatlan and poor planning policies of the municipal government have deprived the Pichichin Ducks of their habitat. Every summer, the calls come in from the hotels along the Sabalos-Cerritos stretch reporting the arrival of the ducklings. The ducks have no place to go, and wander into the streets while searching for a suitable habitat.

Martha expects Conrehabit will see more injured and displaced animals as the area of Nuevo Mazatlan is cleared for human habitation. This previously unpopulated wilderness is the territorial home of fox, bobcat, armadillos and a host of birds and reptiles. To date, there have been few safe places to house current injured animals but that is about to change.

Martha Armenta is passionate about wildlife. She and the volunteer members of Conrehabit are dedicated to educating the public on the care of our environment through the rescue, rehabilitation and release of injured animals and birds. As she says: “We are all a part of nature. If it crashes, so do we.” To report injured wildlife, call Conrehabit at 044-669-912-0890. To report injured seals or other mammals, call the Mazatlán Aquarium at 981-7815.