Manuel Antonio National Park and Curu Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica
In spite of being the smallest national park in Costa Rica, Manuel Antonio National Park hosts quite an impressive number of plant and animal species. About 353 species of birds have been spotted in its 682 hectares; 99 species of mammals (59 of which are bats) as well as anteaters, coatimundis, sloths, ocelots, tyras, gray foxes and three of the four types of monkeys found in the country which are the squirrel, howler and white faced monkeys. Furthermore, green iguanas, ctenosaurs and sea turtles can also be found in this area containing 138 species of trees. But forests are not zoos and finding wildlife can be quite a challenge as animals are not only avoiding the tropical heat of the day but also being seen by humans who somehow have gained the reputation among all the creatures of the planet of being the greatest predators of all. In order to have the opportunity of seeing some wildlife we had to wake up early and walk quietly through the Sloth Valley Trail. And it was worth it! As we walked towards the trail we encountered eight bats resting on a tree, a whole family of coatimundis having their breakfast on an inga tree, three two-toed sloths taking their daily siesta (which lasts all day long) on a rain tree, and band of white faced monkeys drilling holes on bamboo sticks in order to extract fresh water from them since here summertime is in February. We also saw some howler monkeys and some a couple of iguanas.
At noon we sailed up North towards Curu Wildlife Refuge in the Nicoya Peninsula. This refuge is actually a 1,214 hectare working cattle ranch which also produces mangos, coconuts and selective cutting of trees in the 1,000 hectare forest which the owners have kept. The refuge also has a program of reinsertion of spider monkeys and scarlet macaws into the wild. We walked through the trails and enjoyed seeing some new species of birds but perhaps the most fascinating aspect of this visit was the fact that in such a short time we were able to visit a transition forest in Manuel Antonio and three other life zones in Curu: mangrove swamps, littoral woodland, semideciduous and deciduous forests.
In spite of being the smallest national park in Costa Rica, Manuel Antonio National Park hosts quite an impressive number of plant and animal species. About 353 species of birds have been spotted in its 682 hectares; 99 species of mammals (59 of which are bats) as well as anteaters, coatimundis, sloths, ocelots, tyras, gray foxes and three of the four types of monkeys found in the country which are the squirrel, howler and white faced monkeys. Furthermore, green iguanas, ctenosaurs and sea turtles can also be found in this area containing 138 species of trees. But forests are not zoos and finding wildlife can be quite a challenge as animals are not only avoiding the tropical heat of the day but also being seen by humans who somehow have gained the reputation among all the creatures of the planet of being the greatest predators of all. In order to have the opportunity of seeing some wildlife we had to wake up early and walk quietly through the Sloth Valley Trail. And it was worth it! As we walked towards the trail we encountered eight bats resting on a tree, a whole family of coatimundis having their breakfast on an inga tree, three two-toed sloths taking their daily siesta (which lasts all day long) on a rain tree, and band of white faced monkeys drilling holes on bamboo sticks in order to extract fresh water from them since here summertime is in February. We also saw some howler monkeys and some a couple of iguanas.
At noon we sailed up North towards Curu Wildlife Refuge in the Nicoya Peninsula. This refuge is actually a 1,214 hectare working cattle ranch which also produces mangos, coconuts and selective cutting of trees in the 1,000 hectare forest which the owners have kept. The refuge also has a program of reinsertion of spider monkeys and scarlet macaws into the wild. We walked through the trails and enjoyed seeing some new species of birds but perhaps the most fascinating aspect of this visit was the fact that in such a short time we were able to visit a transition forest in Manuel Antonio and three other life zones in Curu: mangrove swamps, littoral woodland, semideciduous and deciduous forests.
