Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
directly into the hands of locals, thus encouraging communities in the area to protect wild-
life.
THE WEEPING FOREST
Extensive deforestation of the Caño Negro area began in the 1970s in response to in-
creased population density and the subsequent need for more farmland. Although log-
ging was allowed to proceed in the area for almost 20 years, the government took action
in 1991 with the creation of the Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Caño Negro. Since its
creation, Caño Negro has served as a safe habitat for the region's aquatic and terrestrial
birds, and has acted as a refuge for numerous migratory birds.
However, illegal logging and poaching have continued around the perimeter of the park,
and wildlife has suffered. In the last two decades, one-time residents of the park including
ocelots, manatees, sharks and macaws have vanished. Tarpon and caiman populations
are decreasing, and fewer migratory birds are returning to the park each year. Addition-
ally, anglers are reporting record lows in both the size and number of their catches.
Satellite images show that the lake is shrinking each year, and that water levels in the
Río Frío are dropping rapidly. It's difficult to say with certainty what is causing these
changes, though the farms surrounding Caño Negro require extensive irrigation, and sug-
arcane is nearly 10 times as water-intensive as wheat.
Locals are extremely worried about the stability of the park, as entire communities are
dependent on fishing and tourism for their survival. In response to the growing need to
regulate development in the region, residents have formed a number of organizations
aimed at controlling development in the northern lowlands. If you want to support the
Caño Negro community, book your tour in town and spend your tourist dollar locally.
Activities
Caño Negro is regarded among bird-watchers as one of the premier destinations in Central
America. During the dry season, the sheer density of birds in the park is astounding, but
the the variety of species is also impressive. At last count, more than 300 species of bird
live here at least part of the year. In the winter months, there are huge congregations of mi-
gratory ducks, as well as six species of kingfisher, herons, cormorants, three types of egret,
ibises, rails, anhingas, roseate spoonbills, toucans and storks. The refuge is also the only
reliable site in Costa Rica for olivaceous cormorants, Nicaraguan grackles and lesser
yellow-headed vultures.
