One of our reserve rangers, Ubiel Rendón, has become one of the key people in the management and research of our protected area. Ubiel (most people call him "Uriel") used to be an avid hunter. He would shoot all kinds of animals and birds including, deer, agouti, olinguitos, pigeons, quails, and guans. We hired him 5 years ago, and his trapping and hunting knowledge has been extremely important in studying the animals in the area.
By showing Ubiel the importance of conserving the ecosystem and the animals, he became more conscious of the damage he was causing to the ecosystem. He has transformed himself into a supporter of our conservation project at the Mesenia – Paramillo reserve.
One of his greatest findings was the Olinguito, a new species of carnivore for science described in 2013. Uriel found a nest with a cub and his mother in 2011, taking some spectacular photos of the cub. In 2014, the photos were a worldwide sensation because no one had photographed an Olinguito cub before.
Ubiel appears to have a knack at finding new species. For the past couple of years he has been finding amphibian and reptile species, some of which are confirmed to be new to science.