Osoboy, Wonder Dog of the Jungle

By Terry Kelly

Osoboy, Wonder Dog of the Jungle, is a narrative based on the adventures of this dog and his master. Brought to the remote Amazon jungle as a small puppy from the United States, Osoboy began his incredible journey from a fearful puppy to a fearless and faithful hunter. The unbelievable courage and agility that he demonstrates to protect his master and provide the necessary food for the community of Christian believers he is connected with will thrill the heart of the young and old alike. Taking place on a tributary of the mighty Amazon River, the story takes the reader to areas so remote that few could visualize or comprehend.

Come follow the saga of a man and his dog and their intricate connection to a group of foreigners and nationals who attempt to form a life in an area so hostile that their very future is constantly in jeopardy. See how in the beginning the innocence and simplicity of the native population, whom these Christians have targeted to help, is slowly converted to the evil ways of the Mafia. Soon, through the power of greed and money, they are forced to cultivate tons of cocaine to satiate their ever increasing demand.

Yet through it all, there stood a dog whose very presence exemplified the noblest traits of courage and fidelity. Undaunted by the impending evil, Osoboy continued to represent the very qualities that resist evil and nurtures goodness.

As the dawning of a new day began to hover over the Amazon region of southern Colombia where this story took place, the life of Osoboy will continue to inspire and thrill the lives of all who hear and read of his adventures.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Aug 30, 2006
• ISBN: 9781467802857

Terry Kelly

Mr. Kelly is uniquely qualified to write about stories of adventure in the Amazon jungle. Having lived for 18 years among various tribes of Indians , he learned their way of life as few foreigners have. Their way of life became his, and the insight and understanding obtained from his contact with them opened up a world of survival and excitement that few have known. Accompanied by his ever faithful dog, Osoboy, these two protagonists have opened up the wonders of the Amazon Rain Forest and brought it to the door steps of potentially millions of children and young people throughout the world. Ever since the T.V. series of the courageous dogs in Lassie and Rin Tin Tin back in the 1950’s and 60’s, America has lost a true dog hero. In this story, a new hero emerges, Osoboy, The Wonder Dog of the Jungle. With Mr. Kelly’s unique insight into the realities of jungle life, the reader will be awed by Osoboy’s faithfulness in the midst of adversity and danger, thrilled by adventure after adventure as they plunge into the wilds of the untamed jungle, and saddened to tears by what happens at the end. Come with them as they take you into a domain of wonder and excitement. Based on a true life adventure and the reality of the absolute necessity of a man and dog companionship, see how the story of Osoboy exemplifies the rare qualities of faithfulness, perseverance, and pure grit to survive and overcome in such a demanding and hostile environment. Presently, Mr. Kelly resides in Newnan, Georgia with his wife and two children. His family was forced out of the Amazon by members of a guerilla group working with the illegal drug trade. He now teaches school and has become a notable international story teller, thrilling the hearts of children and young people alike with stories based on his experience in the jungle. If you are interested in contacting him, he can be reached by email at [e-mail]

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© 2006, 2011 Terry Kelly. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse    12/14/2011

ISBN: 978-1-4259-2657-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4678-0285-7 (e)

Contents

Osoboy, Wonder Dog of the Jungle

Epilogue

About the Author

Osoboy, Wonder Dog of the Jungle

Osoboy, Wonder Dog of the Jungle

From the moment I placed my eyes on him, I knew that he was a special dog. Our little Cessna single engine plane had just landed on the runway on the property of our church in the United States. After a grueling ride of 23 hours from the rain forest of southern Colombia, we arrived to our church camp in Homestead, Florida, a sleepy, agricultural town outside the vast metropolitan city of Miami. I had spent the last two and half years in the Amazon jungle, and the presence of cars, houses, and electrical conveniences was very strange to me. But when I got out of the Cessna single engine airplane and walked toward the church, I could not help but notice the pet dog, Lady, and her six little puppies. That was when I saw him. His round, beady eyes, little pug nose, and brown and yellow furry body reminded me of a little bear cub. I found out he was a male and thus the name Osoboy came to be. (Oso means bear in Spanish.) I couldn’t wait until I would take him back with me to the jungles of South America.

Not only did I obtain Osoboy on this trip back to the States, but I got married too. After a few months, we were on our way back to the province of the Amazonia of Colombia with more supplies and an eagerness to continue the work among the native population of that area.

Our trip back was chartered on the church’s plane called a D18, and before we knew it, we were in Bogotá, Colombia, to renew our paperwork. From there we flew to the nearest city before embarking on a boat on the famous Caqueta River to our final destination, our little thatch roofed house in the jungle. This was Osoboy’s first exposure to the jungle, and still being a puppy, he took it pretty hard. Being transplanted from that metropolitan area of Miami to the vast rain forest of the Amazon would be a shock to anyone, even a dog. How I remember that first day back in February of 1971 as Osoboy took in the panorama around him. The monstrous trees that overshadowed our little bungalow, the strange sounds of the jungle, and the unique aurora of the rain forest, all worked together to produce a fear in him that he had never known. I intently watched him as he cowered between my legs, taking in all that surrounded him, shaking like a leaf in the wind. I wondered about Osoboy, but something inside me told me that one day he would be a fearless hunter, the best doggone dog in the jungle.

Days turned into weeks and weeks into months as Osoboy began to grow. One day I watched him as he sat on the patio of our house, contemplating the jungle surrounding him. There was a hesitation as he looked up at me and then to the jungle. Then he took a step that broke the barrier of fear and the unknown. Osoboy disappeared into the jungle, and like a young lion that makes his first kill and tastes of the blood that will forever sustain him, he walked into a realm that instinct had declared to be his new habitat. A few minutes later he bounded back with the look of a conqueror, and I knew from that day on that the jungle and Osoboy had become one.

Months turned into a year and then two, and daily I could hear Osoboy barking in the forest that surrounded our home, chasing animals or being chased, whichever was the occasion. When the latter occurred, which was as frequent as the former, he would quickly head for home, which was quite awkward and dangerous at times. But soon Osoboy emerged as a great hunter; in fact, there was no dog in the entire region where we lived who compared to him. His instinctive ability to tree animals was essential to our existence since hunting was one of the three ways of providing food for my family.  Hunting, fishing, and raising crops such as corn, rice, beans, bananas, platanos, (cooking bananas) yucca, (the main staple used like potatoes) and many tropical fruits such as pineapples, mangoes, and citrus were these ways, and each was indispensable for our physical well being. But hunting, by far, was the most exciting, and treeing an animal was the first step in this process. Here’s how it worked. Osoboy would disappear into the forest as was his custom every day. I was generally busy doing other things such as chopping firewood, clearing jungle for planting or harvesting crops. When I heard Osoboy bark wildly, I knew that he was chasing an animal. I waited until the barking became isolated to one place and knew at that point he had treed the animal. I would then leave my work, grab my machete or 16 gage shot gun and take off in the direction of his barking. As I approached I would yell out, Echem boy, echem boy, which was my Spanish version of saying, get him boy, get him boy. Osoboy understood that terminology and would fervently increase his barking as he knew that I would soon be there. As always, when I got there, Osoboy had his front paws up on the tree barking away and awaiting my approval.  That a boy, I would say as I patted him on his head. That’s all the reward he needed. Then, I would decide how to get the animal out of the tree, whether by shooting it, or if the tree wasn’t so large, cut it down with my machete and trap the animal with Osoboy’s help. After killing the animal, we would take him home for our next meal. Other times he would encave the animal such as an armadillo or the famous paca, the most sought after rodent in the jungle for its incredible tasty meat. The animal would disappear into a hole or cave in the ground and Osoboy would attempt to dig it out while I covered the escape hole with my machete or gun (these animals always went in one hole and out another). If I guessed the right escape hole I could kill him upon emerging, but many times he would escape by another hole that I wasn’t guarding.

A danger was lurking in the forest that surrounded our jungle home. At first it was a couple pigs that disappeared from our closest neighbor who lived about twenty minutes away by trail. Then panic struck the area when a five-year-old girl suddenly disappeared while getting water in a nearby creek. It could only be the formidable tigre mariposo, the famous South American jaguar. Unbeknown to us, the great cat’s nightly path of several miles took him 100 yards behind our home where he slept during the day. Osoboy sensed his presence, but knew better than to take him on by himself. The neighbors across the river formed a posse of several young men led by Hector Galindo, who at that time was engaged to a missionary’s daughter. They brought three hunting dogs and the hunt was on. When the dogs picked up the scent of the jaguar behind our home, Osoboy joined them. A fierce battle took place where one of the dogs was killed and one was injured, but finally the big cat climbed a tree to escape Osoboy and the two other dogs. Hector stepped in, aimed, and dropped the cat with one shot from his shotgun. The trophy was brought to the patio of our home and displayed with great pride and relief. Of course Hector became an instant hero, especially to his fiancée, Linda. It wasn’t long after that incident that they were married. Our two young children at that time, Jennifer and Nathanael, ages 5 and 3, never knew the danger they played near daily.

There was one command that Osoboy longed to hear.  Echem boy not only meant go get him, but also let’s go hunting. There were times when there was no fresh meat to cook and my wife would say, The meat supply is gone. That meant I needed to go hunting and there was nothing Osoboy wanted more. He would run around in circles when I gave the command and then take off down the path to the forest. Of course, by this time he had learned two vital facts. I was his master, and he was my protector. I knew that he learned that because