“When she looked at me, I knew she was thankful …”
As a boat operator moving goods along Panama’s Bayano River, Matusalen Garcia knows the area well. But the other day, he had a unique experience unlike any other in his years on the river.
In the morning, as Garcia navigated towards his first task of the day, his attention was drawn to a small, shadowy form battling the river’s currents. Initially uncertain of its identity, he steered closer.
“I edged closer,” Garcia recounted. “To my surprise, it was a howler monkey. Witnessing her plight, vulnerable amidst the river’s perils, I felt compelled to intervene.”
This marked Garcia’s closest encounter with a howler monkey, likely a novel experience for both of them. Yet, in a single glance exchanged between them, an unspoken understanding seemed to form.
“When she looked at me, I could sense her gratitude for being rescued,” Garcia reflected.
In the end, the monkey made it safely back to shore, unharmed after her risky swim.
Afterward, Garcia resumed his routine, but with a newfound warmth in his heart:
“It felt really good to lend a hand to that helpless animal,” he shared.