Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WILDLIFE IN THE PARQUE NACIONAL DARIÉN
The biodiversity present in the Parque Nacional Darién is staggering even as it is shrink-
ing. Over 450 bird species have been recorded, including an array of vibrantly coloured
macaws and parrots and strange-named rarities such as the beautiful treerunner, scale-cres-
ted pygmy tyrant and Chuck-will's-widow. Mammal species top 168, with numerous en-
demics and endangered animals lurking in the lush vegetation; the park offers the best
chance, albeit slender, of glimpsing any of the big-five cats, or a Baird's tapir - though
spotting their footprints in the early morning mud is more likely - and even the occasional
spectacled bear has been sighted. Yet the arboreal richness of the rainforest in the Darién
demands just as much attention, with tracts of primary and secondary growth and a tower-
ing canopy of barrigón, spiny cedar and graceful platypodium. A visit in March or April
is rewarded with the golden crown of the guayacán, heralding the start of the rains, and
the russet bloom of the silvery cuipo trees looking down on the already lofty forest can-
opy, favourite nesting site of the world's largest concentration of harpy eagles . Most of
this can only truly be appreciated from the air, or from breaks in the tree line when ascend-
ing the region's peaks. On the forest floor, the scene is very different: dark and dank, and
dominated by gnarled tree trunks entwined with vines or studded with vicious spines, vast
buttress roots, dangling lianas, ferns and rotting leaf litter.
Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 and a Biosphere Reserve in 1983, the
protection offered the park in practice is worth little more than the paper it's written on,
as illegal hunting, logging, extraction of rare plants and animals, and slash-and-burn agri-
culture continue unchecked. Ironically, the long list of undesirables that have taken refuge
in the rainforest - FARC guerrillas, right-wing paramilitaries, drug traffickers, smugglers
and bandits - have acted as unwitting conservationists by frightening off most settlers and
major developments, though the fighting over the border in Colombia has also resulted in
an influx of refugees, who themselves are clearing land to cultivate.
PARQUE NACIONAL DARIÉN ESSENTIALS
Fees The park entry fee ($10) is payable at the ANAM office in Yaviza. Even if you are on an
organized tour from Panama City, the park fee may not be included in the package but your
guide may collect the fee on behalf of ANAM.
Guides To visit the ANAM refuge at Rancho Frío - currently the only place to stay in the
park - you need to hire a guide. ANAM-recommended guides are Isaac Pizarro ( 6242
5220, ipizarro.3003@hotmail.com ) and Luis Pacheco ( 67041486). Pizarro charges $50/
day per person plus transport costs. However, it is much cheaper to ask ANAM to contact one
of the park wardens ( guardaparque ) to meet you in El Real and guide you up to the refuge.
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