Mammal Conservation in Costa Rica

DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN COSTA RICA

Arrival at the International Airport Juan Santamaria. Private transfer to your city Hotel in San Jose.

• Lodging: Hotel Don Carlos or similar

DAY 2: SAN JOSE-QUEPOS-MANUEL ANTONIO NATIONAL PARK

Seat-in bus transfer from San Jose to Atenas where you will begin descending the Aguacate Mountains on your way to Orotina. From here continuation along the Central Pacific Coast to arrive at Manuel Antonio.

This is a perfect combination for nature lovers. Discover the rain forest of this unique National Park and enjoy the beautiful beaches of Manuel Antonio. There are four especially interesting features of the park, which can be visited. The first is the "tombolo" on Cathedral Point, which joins the ancient Cathedral Island to the mainland and where Espadilla Sur and Manuel Antonio Beaches are located. The second is the blow-hole at Escondido Port, which is best viewed when the tide comes in. The third is Serrucho Point, an awesome, deeply eroded cliff that looks like a saw and that is honeycombed with sea caves. The fourth is the pre-Columbian under water turtle trap on the western tip of Manuel Antonio Beach, which is also the best place to observe innumerable tiny fish at low tide.

The main habitats of this park are primary forest, also found Secondary forest areas, mangrove swamps, marshes, and littoral woodland, lagoons and herbaceous swamps. Some of the predominant species in the primary forest are the contonron (Luebea seemannii), bully tree (Hieronyma oblonge), Santa Maria (Calophyllum brasiliense), etc. To date, 350 species of vascular plants have been identified in the park. The mammals identified come to 109 species and an variety of 184 species of birds. Some of the resident avian species are the brown pelican, laughing falcon, black-collared hawk, white ibis, white-bellied chachalaca, white-collared cuejo, fiery-billed aracari, green kingfisher and northern jacana.

• Lodging: Hotel Si como No or similar

DAY 3: QUEPOS - FILA CHONTA

Manuel Antonio Park is the crown jewel of the Costa Rican National Park system. Some would say that it is the birthplace of Eco Tourism. Manuel Antonio Park is also one of the two restricted habitats of the highly endangered Mono Titi squirrel monkey.

Among the smallest of all primates, weighing in at around one and half pounds, the Mono Titi is as endearing as any creature in nature. Known as the "peaceful primates", their social structure is unique in the egalitarian nature of their interactions. Both male and female nurture their young and they enjoy equal status within their troops. They live, they play and they love with the youthful exuberance of a band of mischievous teenagers on a holiday bash.

Prior to the middle of the twenty-century, the Pacific Coast of Central America was a sparsely inhabited frontier of wild coastal jungle. The Mono Titi had a range that extended hundreds of miles along the Pacific Coasts of Panama and Costa Rica. During the 1950's Costa Rica emerged from third-world impoverishment through a nation wide effort to develop large-scale agricultural capacity across the country. The Pacific Coast region experienced widespread deforestation with the introduction of banana and cattle. This trend has played itself out to a degree where the habitat of the Mono Titi has now become so fragmented that their long-term survivability is in jeopardy.

Today Mono Titi's habitat has been reduced to two restricted areas. There is a population in and around the Manuel Antonio National Park and there is another population in Corcovado National Park to the south. The Manuel Antonio habitat is an area that is less than 3000 acres in total. It is estimated that only around 1,700 of the animals are left in existence.

• HIGHLIGHT: Short conference with the experts of the Conservation Program and explanation of how can you help save the fauna (Squirrel Monkey).

RAIN MAKER TOUR

Rainmaker is an approximately 1500-acre private rainforest retreat located within the 40.000-acre area known as the Fila Chonta mountain range.

Fila Chonta is very unique in that it climbs 5600 feet above sea level and is home to approximately 2500 plant species within four different life zones and is the largest non-protected area of vast biodiversity an virgin rainforest in the Central Pacific Region of Costa Rica. This mountain is very important part of the Quepos a Biological Corridor for the myriad of birds and animals that migrant north and south through Costa Rica, between Manuel Antonio and Carara reserve and East and West between the Damas estuary system and the Talamanca mountain range. Fila Chonta is home to Jagamundis and other wild cats, wild bores and at least two species of monkeys. Rainmaker hosts toucans and a multitude of other species of flora and fauna including a subspecies of a poisonous dart frog, which may be indigenous solely to this very delicate area.

The tour is a comfortable walk along trails that weave up beside a mountain river with waterfalls cascading through the lush undercover of the jungle. A professional nature interpreter who will explain and highlight the importance of the biodiviersity of this rainforest sanctuary will accompany you. The canopy walk is the area's only user-friendly suspension bridge system, that allows with minimal impact to the forest below provide an opportunity to explore the majesty of the canopy from a bird's eye.

• Lodging: Hotel Si como No or similar

DAY 4: MANUEL ANTONIO - OSA PENINSULA

Seat in bus transfer to the airstrip in Quepos for your flight to Palmar Sur. Upon arrival, transfer by road to Sierpe where you will board the small boat that will take you Drake Bay on the Osa Peninsula. Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica. Within the park is the drainage of Corcovado Basin, a broad sediment-filled oceanic embayment between Punta Llorona and Punta R??o Claro (near Sirena), which extends inland from the Pacific Ocean 2-10 km eastward. The basin's low plain is dominated by creeks and meandering rivers, and is rimmed except to the west by uplands, which increase in altitude and irregular relief from an undulating plateau in the northwest part of the park (north of Llorona), to 2,444 feet in the southeast on the peninsula's highest cerros, Rincon and Mueller.

The rugged uplands, produced by intensive tectonic activity and weathering (including frequent landslides), are dominated almost throughout by eroded narrow ridges and long steep slopes, with dense drainage networks.

Corcovado National Park Costa Rica. A virtually uninterrupted sandy beach extends for 20 km, with cliffs and pocket beaches at the northern and southern park headlands; there is a marine cave near the southern point. Up to ten tremors a day sometimes occurs in the region, and crusted elevations have been observed.

• Lodging: Casa Corcovado or similar

DAY 5: OSA PENINSULA - CORCOVADO NATIONAL PARK

Corcovado National Park Costa Rica. The park protects various threatened plant and animal species, and is known to have about 124 species of mammals (over 50 bats); 375 species of birds (perhaps 5-8 endemics); 117 species of reptiles and amphibians (2 crocodilians, 4 sea turtles); 66 freshwater fish species; and 70 species of marine crabs. Among the mammals are 4 monkey species (e.g. Central American squirrel monkey, white-faced capuchin), anteaters, sloths, southern river otter, crab-eating raccoon, 5-6 cat species (e.g. ocelot, margay, jaguar), peccaries and Baird's tapir. Other nearby Costa Rica Parks include Piedras Blancas National Park, Carate Wildlife Refuge, Donald Peters Hayes Wildlife Refuge, and Terraba - Sierpe Wetlands.

The jaguar or tiger is the largest predator of the neotropical region. It is a large and powerful animal, can weigh between 70 and 10 k. Is golden yellow to brown and sandy spots with rosettes or black and circulars. Originally the jaguar was from the southern United States to northern Argentina. However, due to the disappearance of forests and hunting pressure, has disappeared in places like El Salvador and the southern United States. Currently, the jaguar is considered an endangered animal and small populations. These are solitary animals and active both night and day, depending on the activity submit their prey. It moves primarily in the soil, although well climbs to trees and is a good swimmer. The Jaguar usually likes to transit on trails and roads made by man. In some studies by researchers at the Regional Program in Wildlife Management from the National University has determined that in Costa Rica jaguars feed mainly Wild boar and sea turtles, although they may consume any animal they encounter. In Costa Rica jaguars are hunted because sometimes kill dogs and cattle and pigs to the need for food. In many cases, illegal hunting is occurring protected areas.

Since 1999 The Wildlife Conservation Society has a program for the conservation of jaguars in four strategic areas: (1) carrying out ecological studies of the species to allow its subsequent handling, (2) promoting genetic studies, (3) working with the conflict jaguar - won through workshops with experts jaguars and ranchers and (4) develop a plan for environmental education for the region for the conservation of the jaguar there is an urgent need to start working to prevent the populations of jaguars and other wild cats disappear in the forests of our country. This can be possible by educating people and preventing illegal hunting in protected areas.

• HIGHLIGHT: Guided tour with a member of the Dr. Carrillo's Team and short conference with the experts of the Conservation Program and explanation of how can you help save the Jaguar.
• Lodging: Casa Corcovado or similar

DAY 6: OSA PENINSULE - NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE CANO ISLAND

Tour to Cano Island Biological Reserve. This reserve is located 16.5 km off the western coast of Osa Peninsula in the Pacific Ocean. It consists of 300 hectares of sea.

Despite its proximity to the mainland, Cano Island has barely 158 species of superior plants and ferns and provides shelter for just 13 species of seabirds, a small number of insects and 7 species of freshwater fish.

The existence of stone spheres, tombs with stone statues, golden votive offerings and polychrome ceramics gave raise to the theory that the island was used only as a cemetery for important persons during the pre-Columbian period.

Discover the extraordinary marine world of dolphins and whales. Immerse yourself in the phenomenal experience of observing large groups of different species come together in warm, clear tropical waters. Witness their natural behaviors in their natural habitat.

• Lodging: Casa Corcovado or similar

DAY 7: OSA PENINSULA - SAN JOSE

Boat transfer from your lodge to Sierpe and continuation by road to Palmar Sur. Return flight to San Jose. Upon arrival private transfer to your city Hotel .

• Lodging:Hotel Don Carlos or similar

DAY 8: SAN JOSE - INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Private transfer to the International Airport Juan Santamaria for your return flight.

DAY 9: ARRIVE HOME