by Mike Graeber
Bubba the Pizote came to me many years ago as a baby. He was found in the middle of the road, exhausted and abandoned by his troupe because he was too small to keep up. The person who found him brought him to me in a mayonnaise jar; he was about seven inches long and only four weeks old. We have been together almost eleven years now, and in that time we have shared many adventures together.
Anyone who has been a resident of the Dominical area for more than a few years has probably heard about Bubba, or even met him in person, and he is without a doubt the area’s biggest animal celebrity. Literally millions of people, all over the world have seen Bubba. This is because (so far) he has been featured on Animal Planet three times, South American TV three times, Nat Geo two times and the BBC one time.
Bubba’s TV experiences have ranged from successfully executed appearances to an out of control nightmare. Pizotes can be dangerous, especially when all fear of humans has been removed by domestication.
Bubba’s first Animal Planet TV experience ends with a very arrogant TV show host (who shall remain nameless) running down the road, screaming for help,
with Bubba on his back like a clawing-biting backpack from hell. Four guys with TV cameras dropped their equipment and locked themselves in the car to escape Bubba’s wrath.
If you live in the Dominical area, or visit often, there is a good chance that you will encounter wild pizotes. Remember that these can be dangerous creatures and please do not feed them. If you find a baby or an injured pizote (or any other baby or injured creature) please contact us at the Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary immediately… We can help!
