It began with one injured animal. Now, Catia Lattouf’s Mexico Metropolis condominium has develop into an unlikely sanctuary for sick hummingbirds
An historic Mayan legend warns that the gods will curse any mortal who dares cage a hummingbird. So, in Catia Lattouf’s Mexico Metropolis condominium they flit round freely, wings a blur as they beat the air 50 instances a second.
Twelve years in the past, nonetheless reeling from the lack of her husband and recovering from her personal perilously shut brush with demise from colon most cancers, Lattouf took in an injured hummingbird. A tussle with a much bigger, feathered bully had value the tiny creature an eye fixed. For Lattouf, the chook – named Gucci after the designer spectacles case she saved him in – proved her salvation.
“There have been instances I didn’t need to play however he would fly to my head and my shoulder, or sit in entrance of me,” Lattouf recalled, her voice breaking. “It was an expression of affection.”
Since then, Lattouf’s dwelling has develop into a makeshift clinic for sick, injured or toddler hummingbirds, and after years of affected person examine the 73-year-old is a go-to reference supply for chook lovers throughout Latin America.
She usually cares for dozens of the very important pollinators at a time, and a basis to coach up the subsequent era of hummingbird whisperers is within the pipeline.
“Gucci wrote a brand new life for me,” she mentioned. “I made a promise to guard the planet and humanity. I do know I’m going to reside one other 20 years, however at some point this legacy should proceed with out me.”
Picture: Fernando Llano
