Amazon Natural Park & Nauta Caño

Feb 04, 2020 - Delfin II

1 of 3

We had an extraordinary sighting today! A beautiful silky, or also called pygmy, anteater was observed at a very close range. This unusual sighting is my second ever in about nine years in this area. This small mammal is very small; it weighs just about half a pound and is only 15 inches in length without counting its long prehensile tail. Pygmy anteaters are solitary creatures that are active at night, therefore are rarely seen for they are small and nocturnal.

The second full day of our expedition on the amazingly bio-diverse Peruvian Upper Amazon, we had an early visit to the Amazon Natural Park. In this privately owned reserve, we crossed a small lagoon on catamarans, then walked to a long suspension bridge. We had the privilege to walk in a primary forest and listen to our expert Delfin II naturalists talking about several plant species and about some fascinating aspects of the ecology of the rainforest of the Neotropics.

In the afternoon, we explored Nauta Caño by skiff rides. This beautiful creek is covered with thick vegetation where our naturalists and skiff drivers spotted several species of colorful birds like macaws and toucans as well as some three-toed sloths and a couple of squirrel and night owl monkey troops.

Send
Tweet

About the Author

Carlos Romero

Expedition Leader

Carlos was born in Quito, Ecuador and grew up in Venezuela, where he lived for many years near the ocean and later the rainforest. He returned to Quito to study biology and specialized in the fauna of Ecuador. His main field of study was zoology with an emphasis on vertebrates. He has a doctorate in biology and a master’s in ecotourism and natural protected areas management. He designed a new curriculum for the largest university in Ecuador, the Central University— a masters in environmental management and administration of natural protected areas. Carlos has also taken part in various scientific projects and expeditions with the Biological Sciences Department of Quito’s Polytechnic University. He has published several scientific papers, including one about the bats of Galápagos and one about the vampire bat of mainland Ecuador.

Talk to an Expedition Specialist