Napo Wildlife Centre
Activities
Visitors will be divided up into small groups, and lead by a native Añangu guide together with an excellent bilingual naturalist guide. The native guide is an expert on the forest's medicinal plants and other secrets of the rain forest. The naturalist guide has a great deal of knowledge in tropical forest biology. Both guides will make daily excursions both educational and fun. Group excursions are tailored to take advantage of the best times to see the wildlife and weather conditions in the forest. Some outings take place before sunrise. The level of activity is decided in advance with the guide. Some excursions are at night, when the sounds of the forest will impress you. Among the things to enjoy are:
- On the forest trails, monkeys, tamarins, lizards, tortoises, frogs and army ants plus myriad colourful birds, including toucans, parrots, manakins and hummingbirds.
- Exploring the lake and creeks in a dugout canoe, views of black caiman, Paichi (huge Amazonian fish) colonies of hoatzins (primitive birds), blue-and-yellow macaws, turtles and butterflies. Sometimes the giant otters will appear.
- From a tree platform you can experience the unseen world of the canopy. The 120 foot platform offers spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife, such as monkeys, toucans aracaris, macaws, colourful tanagers, and the red-rumped cacique.
- From two special hides (blinds) you will see parrots and parakeets within yards. They arrive by the hundreds to eat the clay that aids in digestion of seeds and fruit. The first hide, is populated by mealy, yellow-crowned, orange-winged and blue-headed Parrots, as well as dusky-headed and, rarely, cobalt-winged parakeets. A second hide, reached by a half-hour hike through the forest, is typically visited by cobalt-winged Parakeets, with orange-cheeked parrots joining them October through April. Sometimes Scarlet Macaws stop in for a visit.
