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| Ecotourism |  |
| Tambopata | |
Located in the Rainforest of the Amazon Basin, near the foothills of the Andes Mountains in Peru, Tambopata is a research facility established by Dr. Charles Munn and Eduardo Nycander. Dr. Munn, a research zoologist with the Wildlife Conservation Society, wanted to study Macaws in the wild before they are all gone. Nycander, a Peruvian architect and wildlife photographer who worked for the Macaw Project in Manu, began directing this project from this wonderful site.
Very little information was available about these great parrots from the wild, nearly all of the research available was from domestic Macaws. What do they eat? Where do they nest? How many eggs do they lay? What is the survival rate of the chicks? How long do the fledglings stay with the parents? These were but a few of the questions that were to be answered at the facility.
Within ten minutes of arriving at the research facility, after an eight hour canoe ride up the Tambopata River with a knowledgeable river guide from Puerto Maldonada, a Green Wing Macaw flew in and landed on my shoulder. This was going to be one of the many opportunities I would have to play with these magnificent parrots. Chicos, as they are called, are Macaws that have been hand raised by the researchers at the facility and remain dependent on the researchers for their food long after they have grown up. This brings them into the research facility daily from the Rainforest to get fed, which makes the Tambopata Research Facility a great tourist attraction for parrot lovers.
Kurt Holle and Nycander, former volunteers at the Research Facility, now head up Rainforest Expeditions, a tour company specializing in Rainforest tours. The research facility has been enlarged to accommodate tourists and provide the creature comforts for tourists not to feel uncomfortable; however, it is still rustic enough not to cause any impact on the area. The water on the showers and toilets comes from the river, lights are oil lamps and candles. During your stay you will take canoe rides to view the Macaws at the clay lick (featured in the January 1994 issue of National Geographic Magazine), where you will see hundreds of Scarlet, Blue and gold, Green Winged, Severs and, if you're lucky, one of the most endangered Macaws, the Blue Headed Macaw.
For the more adventurous, during nesting season, which is also the rainy season December through March, you can buckle up in a tree climbing harness and climb your way a hundred plus feet into the canopy of the Rainforest. There you can view a baby Macaw in the nest, or climb a twenty story tower to view Blue and Gold nests. Or you can just stay at the research facility and play with the Chicos as they come flying in.
If you don't mind spending your days in damp clothes and boots, due to the extreme humidity, a few insect bites, and of course a long plane ride to Cuzco or Lima, Peru, this would be the trip of a lifetime. It was for me!
Rainforest
Expeditions
Galeon 120, Lima 41, Peru
Phone: 011-51-1-421-8347 or 011-51-1-221-4182
Fax: 011-51-1-421-8183
E-mail: rainfore@amauta.rcp.net.pe
Wildland
Adventures, Seattle, WA
Phone: 1-800-345-4453
E-mail: wildadv@aol.com
Tambopata Research Facility 1993
Tambopata Research Facility 1993
