My favourite animal: The Otter

Is hard for me to choose just one animal, but if I have to, it will be the otter, because it`s a cute and nice animal and also it collaborate with environmental vigilance. This mammal is a very interesting animal and I`ve liked it since I watched it in a TV show, colled Maravillozoo.
The otter is part of the Chilean fauna, inhabiting from the north coast to Cape Horn island. In this country we have 2 species: one of then inhabit near to rivers and the other one is marine, they are: the huillín (Lotra provocax) and the chungúngo (Lontra felina), respectively.

For the purpose of explain why I like this animal I will mention some characteristics about it and I will refer to the situation in Chile, specially about the conservation.

Although otter doesn`t looks like a hunter, it is, actually it`s a carnivorous animal, it eat small fishes and crustaceans helped with its funny whiskers, therefore its appearance can be deceptive, what is very interesting . It`s an animal principally nocturnal, it pass the day sleeping, and when is getting dark it hunt its food. Its coat is dark brown with gold shades, it`s very dense and this works like a water insulating, so it`s beautiful and useful as well.
Another important and curious characteristic of this animals is the fact that they are “sentry animals” because the presence of otters in a place is a water`s purity indicative, because when this is contaminated, they leave the place and they move to cleaner water. So they help us to monitor the environment.

Sadly, in Chile, the otters population and many others species are fragmented because of the environmental destruction, human disruption and illegal hunt, therefore this is an endangered specie. We can realize about that, because the population is decreasing in an alarming way. The conservation is one of our works like vets, and we must take part in projects addressed to protect our flora and fauna, for example generating stronger animal protections laws, monitoring demography changes in a way that make possible to act timely, and so on.

Things to do and places to visit in Santiago

Santiago is a city with several beautiful places, but sometimes the people who live here don`t know even the half, sadly I am in that group. We live so busy that we haven`t time to visit our city. Nevertheless if I have to indicate to a tourist where to go, I think that I would do well.

My top five are:

1. Santiago`s Metropolitan Park:
This is my top one because in the Metropolitan park you can find a lot of interesting, fun and enjoyable things. For example the house`s Anahuac Culture, where art exhibition are done; also in Saint Cristobal hill is the National Zoo with exotic and native fauna, big and beautiful swimming pool, viewpoints, traditional cable car for to climb the hill, and big green areas like the Mapulemu garden where you can see the Chilean flora.

2. Saint Lucia hill and the craft market:
I recommend this place because first of all, the hills into the city are a very attractive for tourists, moreover it is a really beautiful place with interesting architecture and green areas. You can stay here all day and without to get bored. The Saint Lucia`s craft market has several stands whit beautiful Chilean craftwork, so you can to buy souvenirs.

3. Central market:
In this place you can eat Chilean seafood, and this is another thing that the tourists always enjoy. The central market is compound for a lot of restaurants with different prices, some are really expensive and others, very cheap.

4. Pablo Neruda`s La Chascona House - Museum:
I have confess that I`ve never been there, but I think that is a interesting place to visit for tourist and Chilean as well, because it`s part of the big poet`s history. In my opinion it is definitely a good place to know and I want to do soon.

5. Santiago`s Cathedral:
This is a national monument, so we must to take to foreigners to visit it. The architecture in this place is really wonderful, specially the ceiling. In addition to the cathedral, you can go to the Arms Square and to the nearby museums like “Precolombino” Museum.

As you can see, Santiago has many places to visit and things to do, and my top five are just a sample of them.

Death penalty

I think that this topic always will generate discussion, but I reckon that we need to be neutral and do not think and don`t act from the hatred.
In my opinion, death penalty is not fair and I disagree with this sentence. First of all, the trial `s decision might just be wrong and if the accused was sentenced to death there is no way back and regrets doesn`t work, you can`t just back in time and make a different decison. In addition, to my mind the death isn`t a real punishment, this person just will be frightened the time before of the execution and that`s all, I feel that in some cases this is not enough. I agree with effective life sentence, the problem could be the economic resources addressed to prisoners, but they can work for their food.
Besides, so far there is no indication of a crime`s decrease rate in countries that have death penalty, to my mind this mean that it isn`t a good way of to do justice, but a patch solution and society`s revenge that doesn`t lead to anywere.