Planning trip to Ecuador
Hi everyone!
We are planning to go to Ecuador on February and decided to certainly go to Bellavista and Cayembe-Coca but we need some help deciding where to stay further east in the Amazonas.
We are interested in all mammals but in carnivores and cats in particular, which means that we usually sleep middays and stay awake basically all night 😉
It seems that the lodges there are not that flexible in terms of deviating of the program they suggest. You can do some spotlighting with a private guide but the hours and the area are quiet limited I think… Do you know if there is a lodge where we could go outside during the night on our own to spotlight a little bit? Or maybe where we could stay somewhere near the lodge in a hide?
Thank you very much for your help.
Sophie and Manuel
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geomalia
Carnivores are difficult in Ecuador, as in most Amazonian sites. Generally, they are easier at sites with lower hunting pressure but are still quite shy and difficult to locate. The fewer people walking, the better. I had two on-foot encounters with Jaguars in a week last summer in Manu, and an ecologist I know saw four Ocelots and a Margay in three weeks of night walks at Los Amigos (plus a couple Pumas and Jaguarundis over a few years).
If you want to spotlight on your own without a guide at night, I’d look into Tiputini Biodiversity Station. There are regular sightings of Salvin’s Cuarassow there, which is indicative of low hunting pressure. If you want a guided trip I’d look into Shiripuno Lodge. It also has lower hunting pressure, and offers mammal-specific tours.
Ben