New Trip Report: Bolivia, Peru and Chile
Another report from Lennart Verheuvel.
Chile, Bolivia and Peru, 2019: Lennart Verheuvel, 3 months & 15 species in Chile including Kodkod, Darwin’s Fox and Lesser Grison; 20 species in Bolivia including Giant Anteater and Bolivian Grey Titi; and 18 species in Peru including Giant Otter.
Jon
9 Comments
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vnsankar
I agree on the armadillo. The bat looks more like a Saccopteryx sp. I doesn’t have the whitish tufts along its arms that Proboscis Bat has. Also, the thatch roof is a common roosting situation for that species. The mouse opossum and small fruit-eating bat are probably unidentifiable from photos alone.
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Mattia from Italy
In Torres del Paine area there are now two more private estancias (Lazo and Cerro Guido, it seems) that stopped to kill Pumas.
And this only because a lot of “no smart” people, like Lennart calls us, payed Estancia Laguna Amarga 300 USD per day. In 6-8 years (the process of taming Pumas is very long and difficult), there will be more choice and maybe lower prices.
THIS is the only way for protecting such big predators: to give locals an income, jobs and create a market. In Chile, Brazil, India, Africa… everywhere in the world. If big cats are more valuable alive, they will survive. If not, they will be killed. No other realistic options (unless you have an entire army to deploy 24/7 in huge areas).
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Lennartv
Thanks for the input on bats and armadillo! I only just got back from a couple of weeks bad internet yet good mammals in Borneo!
Regarding Mattia’s comments, after the rude email he sent me earlier apparently he still can’t let go. I don’t like it that he puts words into my mouth, but I’m not going to start a big discussion on a public forum. I have tried to help people with a smaller wallet with my tripreport, I hope that judging from my photo’s it’s clear that the park is still a good place to go to to have great sightings of puma’s. I anyone wants to know more feel free to contact me through the emailadress I put in the tripreport.
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Richard Webb
Lennart, I totally agree with you. People need to appreciate that not everyone can afford high end trips but those that cannot have just as much right to see Pumas or any other mammals as those that can. If you can afford to support expensive projects some of which have more to do with making money for the rich owner than they do about conservation that’s great but if you can’t it shouldn’t stop you from seeing the animals if other options are available. I have always tried to support both markets, I lead tours for Wildwings for people who want to pay to have guides showing them the mammals, but equally unlike many guides I know have posted lots of private reports on here with details of how to see key species more cheaply as I remember only too well when I was starting out and had to do all my trips on a shoestring. Someone should not be criticised just because they cannot afford the expensive prices of some lodges. Congratulations on the great report and your subsequent amazing trip to Borneo. That should be another extremely gripping report. Richard
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Lennartv
Oh and by the way, I asked about the short-eared dog location I mentioned in my report. The location is called Secret Forest and it’s in Tambopata National Park. There were regular sightings there of Short-eared Dogs coming to eat fruit. If you contact Fauna Forever I have no doubt they can help you getting it, although that probably also depends on the season.
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Lennartv
I have looked at again at the primates I have seen and realized I had been a bit too careless in lumping everything together. There were also some things I identified only correctly later.
I I’m not mistaken I should make the following corrections:
Bolivia:
Brown Capuchin (Sapajus apella) -> Hooded Capuchin (Sapajus cay)
Amazon Black Howler (Alouatta nigerrima) -> Paraguayan Howler (Alouatta caraya)
Southern Amazon Red Squirrel (Sciurus spadiceus) -> (Bolivian Squirrel (Sciurus ignitus)Peru:
Brown Capuchin (Sapajus apella) -> Large-headed Capuchin (Sapajus macrocephalus)
Red Howler Monkey (Aolouatta seniculus) -> Juruá Red Howler (Alouatta juara)
I also have a picture of what I say is a Kinkajou but in hindsight should be an Eastern Lowland Olingo (Bassaricyon alleni), I was able to compare them much better in Ecuador.I hope this clears things up. In any case I always appreciate comments on identification/taxonomy.
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Michael Kessler
Hi Lennart,
great report! Some id points: The “seven-banded armadillo” is actually six-banded armadillo (Euphractus sexcinctus). The first bat is Proboscis Bat (Rhynchonycteris naso).
Cheers,
Michael