A guide to Tambopata

Peccaries: White Lipped and Collared

Scientific Names: Tayassu pecari and Tayassu tajacu Distribution & Habitat White lipped (Tayassu pecari ) and collared peccaries are distributed throughout the neotropics. Both find their southern limits in northern Argentina, however the collared peccary extends further north than its counterpart inhabiting the south of the United States against a range that extends to southern Mexico. They inhabit a wide range of habitats from scrub desert to east Andean tropical rainforest.

The Bush Dog

by Yesenia Quispe Scientific name: Speothos venaticus Spanish names: Perro de monte, zorro o perro vinagre, perro venadero Distribution and Habitat: The bush dog belongs to the dog family and lives in rainforests below 1.500 metres above sea level, from Panama to Paraguay and the northern parts of Argentina. It is widely distributed in Central and South America. However, encounters with bush dogs are rare as they are very sensitive to disturbance and not found in populated areas and areas of deforestation.

The Importance of the Rainforest

Yesenia Quispe The rainforest as a generator of life has become the new focus of environmentalists and ecologist who, in times of irrational exploitation of rainforest resources like wood (especially mahogany), demand its protection and the sustainable use of its resources. The ecological, social and economic value of the Amazonian rainforest has not been appreciated in the past, which is why the new environmental philosophy is to develop the Amazon rainforest with a new sustainable vision.

Hotspots defined

Alan Lee Many readers will I am sure have heard that the Tambopata is part of a World Biodiversity Hotspot. But what actually is a hotspot? The simple answer is that Biodiversity hotspots are geographic areas that contain high levels of species diversity but are threatened with extinction. Norman Myers in 1988 first identified ten tropical forest “hotspots” characterized both by exceptional levels of plant endemism and by serious levels of habitat loss.

Eating out in Puerto Maldonado

Alan Lee The good thing about spending 2 weeks in Puerto Maldonado is that my wife and I have been able to try out all the new restaurants that have sprung up in town with the local boom in the economy. We have also been able to track the fall of some old favourites. For instance, El Chifa Sol Grande used to be a regular for lunch or dinner with a tasty and affordable range of Chinese dishes.

Places to stay in Puerto Maldonado

Alan Lee With its growing population and a migrant workforce from Cusco and a migrant consultant force from Lima, there are a number of accommodation options now to be found in the growing town of Puerto Maldonado. These range from some of the simpler versions catering for woodcutters and agricultural labourers on a tight budget just needing to spend the night in town to sell their wares, to those with hot-water and air-conditioned rooms.