Melikki's Primate Rescue Center at Morrillo Beach Eco Resort
- Cari Mackey
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Though our initial dream was to create a beautiful eco resort with fun adventures, rich cultural experiences, and a deep connection with nature for our global guests, our little eco resort has become so much more over the years.
Our 5 acre (2+ hectare) jungle-wrapped enclave along Panama's sublime Pacific coast, is home to many endangered species including the endemic Azuero Mantle-Backed Howler monkey. In the early days when we'd visit our property and dream about what this would be one day, we would get cramps in our necks as we watched the show in the canopy above and fell in love with those beautiful animals.
Now, waking to their calls in the early morning and watching them over a cup of warm coffee in our dining room, or as our guests watch them while they rest peacefully in a hammock on their private terrace, they are one of the many unforgettable moments that make our eco resort so extraordinary.
The turning point came shortly after we moved here in 2015 when we witnessed first hand the consequences that deforestation and habitat fragmentation have had on these rare primates. Forests that once connected the coastline to the mountains of the Cerro Hoyas National Park were steadily cleared for cattle ranching and agriculture. As a result, wildlife populations declined as habitats became isolated forcing primates to use high voltage power lines or the ground to travel to other parts of the forest.
These animals and this land became more than just a business, a place to live, and a tourist destination, it became a responsibility. We found ourselves having to care for monkeys suffering from burns, injuries, and abuse. Because their little bodies are quite similar to ours, our EMT backgrounds have helped but we found ourselves woefully underprepared to care for them properly.
Though Soldier was technically our first patient, Melikki was our real impetus to manifest the Melikki Primate Rescue Center that is now on our property where we care for injured, sick, and orphaned primates. After several years of construction and permitting Melikki's, it has now been over a year since we oficially opened.
The primates of Panama face many threats though most of our patients have been the result of the illegal exotic pet trade. Infant primates are impossibly adorable and it's only natural to be drawn to them. However, they are incredibly difficult to care for properly.
Their dietary needs are complex and located way up in the tree canopy far from our reach. Their energy levels and socialization requirements are more than humans can adequately provide, add to that sharp fangs, and howls louder than what the human ear can safely tolerate. In short - they are not domestic pets and never have been.
When those adorable little infants become too much to handle they get dropped off malnourished, dehydrated, and with neurological disorders like aggression or depression among other ailments.
Melikki's is a small rescue center that takes a dedicated team effort. Guided by a team of veterinarians near and far and a support staff to make food, harvest fresh leaves, and provide daily care and enrichment these animals need to thrive.
Melikki's is not open to the public, but it serves as an important education resource for our team, local community, and guests of our resort. Through guided visits and storytelling, it helps illustrate the challenges facing Panama's primates and demonstrates how we can all be a part of making a meaningful difference in their conservation.
Come stay with us at our eco resort to learn more about Panama's incredible primates and how you can be a part of their protection and conservation for generations to come.
With love from Panama,
Cari and Ryan Mackey
Owners & hosts
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