What a Month

Me next to a massive strangler fig 

I’ve been in Peru now for a month and what a month it’s been. The rainy season has officially arrived and wow does it come down still getting high temperatures of around 34⁰C with Humidity anything between 48-87% so very different to England temperatures. Jumpers are coming out when the temperatures drops to the 20s which is odd usually the t-shirts and shorts are out in true Brit style but not here. Everything is odd here even the moon is at odd angles, I use the word odd in a positive way.

Giant otters at Cocococha 

Days here vary some day’s full and busy helping researchers with collecting data for their Master’s degree. So far have helped in data collection for two different research projects going on in the reserve near Explorers Inn one involving a massive 10 year project on the productivity of the rainforest looking at the carbon cycle, root establishment, tree growth and the composition of carbon within leaf falls just to name a few of the components in the research investigation within this complex project. Another project is to do with the importance of termites within the rainforest ecosystem and how different food sources effects termite efficiency dependent on various factors one including the isotopes found within C3 and C4 plants for example.  Otherwise mornings can be spent trekking in the forest on the lookout for mammals, reptiles, birds ect include a bit of tree climbing or monitoring of the otters at the lake or birds at the claylick and you’ve got a good morning well spent then in after lunch when the temperature has cooled I like going back out into the jungle or the other week a few of us went to a nearby river beach for a cool down tip in the river. It was fun once you got over the conversion between sand under your feet to weird sludge feeling mud and what were swimming in the lake with you … caiman, piranha, giant catfish, parasites that can get up inside of you (so no peeing in the river) and sand flies on the sand that carry a flesh eating bacteria that if they carry the harmful protozoa and if bitten, can infect you with this disease…so once you block out that it’s a joyful experience with a gorgeous backdrop of the jungle and setting sun its real a stunning place to be.  

Cocococha lake 

Hannah and I also spent a night at Cocococha Lake a 5km hike from the lodge, it was awesome sleeping in hammocks under the stars then monitoring black caiman at night in a little tin boat. Although caiman aren’t aggressive like crocodiles these black caiman have been known to grow to lengths of 6meters! I haven’t seen any that big yet but they are incredibly primal looking and being up close to a 2.5meter caiman gets your pulse racing. Cocococha lake is also home to the largest family of the endangered giant river otters in the Tampobata area and on occasion have had the pleasure in sighting these amazing mammals. The group consists of 11 individuals who can be seen early in the mornings or in the late afternoon catching fish and socialising with one another around the lake. These are curious creatures who will cautiously approach the boat while bobing their heads up and down in the water combined with caution growls to warn you not to get to close in their territory but seen otherwise unfazed by human presence and will cruise on to the next patch of lake and continue catching fish.

Red howler monkey

After being out here for a month I have finally started on a couple of monitoring projects for my own fascination and experience. Firstly I am collecting data on different species of snakes in the area. Because I don’t a have research permit I means I can’t go out with intentions to capture mark and release this animals I have to just record statistics on the ones that I or the other RNs or the guides come across while out on the trails. Although there are great variety and numbers of snakes out there they are incredibly hard to come across because or there incredible stealth and camouflage and generally flee with any disturbance near them so this is going to be a 9 month project where I can interpret the data nearer the end of my time here. Meanwhile I have also decided to monitor the primate groups around Explorers inn.  Studies in the location of primate groups have taken place periodically over the last 21 years in the immediate area by four different Resident Naturalists. The last study to have taken place was in 2004 so I am going to collect my own data during the wet season then collect some more data during the dry season then using the old data going back to 1990 I will hopefully discover some patterns in group numbers, sizes and territories over the years.      

On top of learning as much about this incredible jungle as I can while staying in Peru you need a break or to do something different so I am also learning how to play chess and speak Spanish. I have also learnt to play a new game call Rumikub which apparently is massive in Europe apart from in England and the card game S**t head which is a great game to pass the time in the evenings.                

Beautiful humming bird found with two eggs in a nest on a trail close to the lodge

Left:toad infected by a fungus,Right poison dart frog found on a night walk. Right below: Amazon grass hopper and Below red and green macaws in the wild amazing!