After several months absence due to staffing and permit issues, we again have two members of the Macaw Project Team at Refugio Amazonas. Vilma (from Lima) and Evelien (from Holland) have just arrived after some time at Posada to continue the legacy of work that was conducted last year.
News from Refugio Amazonas Compiled by Correspondent Evelien Spijkman * The catamaran for trips around Sachavacayoc lake has improved. Instead of seats on only one side of the boat, the boat now has doubled the amount of seats by making extra seats on the right side of the catamaran as well. This way bigger groups of tourists are able to go on the lake. * Also the trail to the clay lick has improved.
Breaking news from our local correspondent, edited by Alan Lee In the latest version of the dog ate my homework, the staff of Refugio Amazonas blame army ants for being unable to deliver supplies. It was feared that visitors may have had to go hungry as the Red Army rampages through the winch used to bring supplies from the boats to the lodge. However, supplies were carried in pack-horse style by the staff and no-one has had to skip dinner so far.
Chris Murray aka the sloth hugger, who served as a volunteer during 2006, has returned to the project to direct research until August 2007. We wish him well with the new position, although apparantly he will be keeping his distance from sloths in the near future - one was reported at the overlook peering longingly downriver by Susan and Maaike at Refugio... so we wait to see how that story unfolds.
Fond farewell to Refugio's leading couple Ursula, accompanied by faithful partner, Liam Howley, have finally said goodbye to their adopted rainforest project - Refugio Amazonas. Ursula has been in charge of overseeing operations since the construction of the lodge towards the end of 2005. They were good friends of the project, always recieving researchers with open arms, a cold beer when needed, and a place to stay. A perfect couple, they will be sorely missed.
Within the last two weeks an access trail to Colpa El Gato has now been created, allowing researchers better access to one of the only colpas of the region that has so far escaped regular long term monitoring. However, the 2 hour walk to get there means the team may well be fit enough to run a marathon by the end of this! We hope Julie Shapiro is able to shed some light on one of the only clay licks in the region that has no disturbance due to boat traffic. The photo here is of a cloud of Cobalt-winged parakeets flushed from El Gato last year.
The Tambopata Macaw Project based at Refugio Amazonas would like to cordially thank the Tambopata Reserve Society (TReeS) for their financial contribution to the project. The money has been used to buy the items shown in the photo, namely a laptop, telescope, binoculars, tripod, digital camera, gps, dry bag and compass.
Clay lick monitoring and some census work has had to be put on hold at TRC due to the unusually high levels of the river for this time of year. A few weeks ago visitors were having to push their way up the almost dry river, and this week it is in flood, with heavy rains brought on by the latest in a series of winter friajes. So any visitors from the UK hoping to get away from the floods, wet and cold that have characterised their summer will probably feel right at home!
We would like to extend our warmest sympathies to the people of the coast of Peru who have been so badly affected by the terrible Earthquakes that hit the areas around Chincha and Ica last week – 15 August. The Earthquakes, the major one registering 8.0 on the Richter scale, have claimed over 500 lives and created havoc that will take a long time to repair. These Earthquakes were not felt in the areas around Puerto Maldonado.
August saw some exciting sightings from Refugio Amazonas - including Tapir (Tapirus terrestris), Jaguar (Panthera onca), Sloth (Bradypus variegatus), the return of the White-lipped Peccaries (Tayassu pecari)
