In the summer of 2001, Heidi Gordon, John Punke, Will Baldwin, Emily Watry, and Anna Joyner traveled to Catemaco, Veracruz to work with Mexican researchers studying behavior and physiology of howler monkeys and Agouti paca.

This externship was sponsored through a Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine Department of Education Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), U. S. Department of Education grant, and was intended to give veterinary students an international experience in veterinary medicine.  

Upon arriving in the capitol city of Veracruz, we were greeted by veterinarians and vet students from the University of Veracruz. After a tour of the city and a lovely night at the Hotel San Martin, we took the first of many long bus trips as we journeyed to Catemaco. Once in Catemaco, our Spanish-speaking abilities were quickly put to the test as we attempted to find the house where we would be staying for the next two months. The university house was a large multi-purpose building, serving as dorm/laboratory/fiesta hall/laundromat for the 10-15 students and researchers who studied the wildlife and plant species of the Las Tuxtlas region of Veracruz. We settled in quickly and soon grew comfortable with the daily routine of research in the mornings, siestas in the afternoon, and social activities with our co-workers in the evening.

Research is conducted at three primary sites in the area. Monkey Island is home to over 70 Mantled howler monkeys and is a site of several ongoing behavioral studies. Pipiapan is a forest sanctuary where the university houses howler monkeys, spider monkeys, and agouti for rehabilitation and research. And a few hours drive was the small town of Santa Marta, where several researchers studied howler monkey groups that live in fragments of forest surrounded by miles of agricultural fields.

On Monkey Island we learned to identify howlers by the markings on their hands, feet, and tails. This assisted the researchers by providing them with positive identification of the monkeys so they could more easily observe and record their activities.

At Pipiapan, we first were trained in the care of the research animals, then assisted in collection of samples. We collected fecal samples from the cages of the spider moneys to be analyzed by the researches in their studies of cortisol levels as an indicator of stress.We also learned to take vaginal swabs from the agouti and then examine the slides to correlate the cytology with estrus cycle stages.

Our trip to Santa Marta was a 3-day field expedition in which we assisted in the remote tranquilization of wild howler monkeys. After the monkeys were captured, we took blood and fecal samples, oral swabs, and body measurements. The monkeys were also banded for future identification. Much of this information is used in the studies of the stress levels of monkeys in a fragmented environment.

During our stay we had ample opportunities for inexpensive travel. We visited many historic cities, deserted beaches, and breathtaking archeological sites on the gulf coast and Yucatan peninsula. These areas were all easily accessible by the extensive bus services that run all over the country. Through this program, we experienced the culture and history of Mexico while learning about care and study of various research animals and capture of wild howler monkeys.

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