EXPERIENCE THE THRILL OF A PERUVIAN SAFARI
You’re here to get fired up for a Peruvian safari. So, why are we kicking things off with Paddington, the Bear? This loveable character, as author Michael Bond describes him in his 1958 classic, hails from ‘darkest Peru’ and opted to travel by boat to the UK with a tattered red hat, the oldest of suitcases and many, many stories. Our Paddy is, in fact, a true Andean spectacled bear – its name derives from the white circles around the eyes, resembling spectacles. Back to the wildlife angle, this species is the last remaining short-faced bear species native to South America – the fallout of deforestation and logging have led to a loss of its habitat. So, you’ll only spot them whilst on safari in Peru. The Peruvian government has created projects like, wait for it, the ‘Spectacled Bear Conservation Society,’ which works with private landowners and locals to promote the conservation of the bear’s habitat. Incredible strides have been made, and it’s you, the safari-goer who ultimately benefits. OVER TO YOU, PERU Let’s zoom in. Peru is nestled in western South America. To the north sit Ecuador and Colombia, in the east, Brazil, Bolivia is to the southeast, to the south, Chile, and in the west, the glorious Pacific Ocean. Peru is unbelievably diverse – arid plains of the Pacific coastal region wait to be discovered in the west, the peaks of the Andes mountains reign supreme from the north to the southeast of the country, then there’s the tropical and mystical Amazon Basin rainforest in the east with the grand Amazon River, the main artery. The landscape is categorized by a trio of regions. The costa (coast) in the west is a thinnish plain, mostly arid except for valleys sculpted by seasonal rivers. The sierra (highlands) is the Andes – basically the Altiplano plateau, including the highest peak in all of Peru, the 6 768 m (22 205 ft) Huascarán. To wrap it up, there is the selva (jungle), a broad expanse of flat terrain with the Amazon rainforest on top. A chunky 60% of the country's area is located within this region. WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE… There are a ridiculous number of hydrographic basins – 52 pull their plugs into the Pacific Ocean. Then there are two more – the Amazon basin, which heads straight to the Atlantic Ocean, and the endorheic basin (a limited drainage basin that retains water and allows no outflow to rivers or oceans) of Lake Titicaca. This duo is delimited by the Andes mountain range. It’s from the latter that the majestic Amazon River begins, at 6 872 km (4 270 mi), the longest river on Planet Earth. How is this for bragging rights: Peru contains 4% of our planet's freshwater. Peru also has a monumental 1 800 species of birds (120 endemics), 500 species of mammals and over 300 species of reptiles. Does this get your safari boots stomping? Rare species are aplenty – puma, jaguar and all of Paddy, our spectacled bear’s, relatives. MEET THE SECOND LARGEST FELINE IN THE AMERICAS By far, the rarest species of wildlife in Peru, the puma (or Andean lion) are historically revered in the country. So much so that the ancient Inca city of Cusco was formed in this stealthy animal’s profile. Nowadays, they are to be found in the highland Andes, roundabout Cusco, Arequipa, and a handful of reserves like Tambopata. One of the few mammals that can adapt to almost any ecosystem, it prefers areas of thick vegetation – better to go unnoticed by its unsuspecting prey. It claims fourth place in the global feline stakes, after the lion, tiger, and the jaguar. Agile, elusive, one can almost say, “The strong, silent type,” it’s not big on confrontation. Males can weigh up to 100 kg (220 lb.), while females tip the scale at 63.5 kg (140 lb.). PUMA POINTS This Andean puma can jump distances of up to 6 m (20 ft) and up to 10 m (33 ft) high, thanks to its massive hind legs. It doesn’t roar, what you’ll hear instead is a sound very similar to a purr. Its front paws have five toes each, while its hind paws have only four. Now you know… Newborns are blind and have spots on their fur – these disappear once they reach adulthood. The Andean puma is categorized as ‘Near Threatened’ – so, it is indeed a rare privilege to see them in the wild. THE JAGUAR: A MODEL OF A MAMMAL For once, we’re not referring to the performance SUV with its maximum driving exhilaration. Instead, we focus on the camera-shy, cunning, and extremely elusive ‘big cat’ of the mighty Amazon. You’ll want to head towards the phenomenal wildlife destination of Manu Biosphere Reserve, considered one of the world’s best wildlife-viewing platforms to see these beauties. Once you’ve reached this destination, scan the riverbanks, it’s here where you can spot them. BACK TO PADDY Called jukumari by the locals, the Andean spectacled bears’ main habitats are the humid forests clasping to the sides of the Andes Mountains. They prefer to roam regions above 4 000 m (13 123 ft) in altitude, but now and again they’ll go grocery shopping as low as the coastal desert regions. The high-altitude border areas of northern Peru (near the border with Ecuador) is where you want to be though. In the Andean cloud forests, these bears are active day and night, but in the Peruvian desert, they hit the sack for some shut-eye under vegetative cover during the day. Their survival depends mostly on their ability to climb the tall Andes trees. Once up in the treetops, they’ll get to work on the construction of a platform, for camouflage purposes, to rest and store food on. Spectacled bears aren’t much into competition, they’re solitary creatures and tend to isolate themselves. If there is plenty of food though, they feed in small groups. The males have an average home range of 23 km2 (8.9 mi2) during the wet season and 27 km2 (10 mi2) during the dry season. Mama B has an average home range of 10 km2 (3.9 mi2) in the wet season and 7 km2 (2.7 mi2) in the dry season. If they become aware of your 4x4 vehicle, they will react in a docile but cautious manner, unless the mother feels her cubs are endangered. Like other bears, mothers are protective of their young and have attacked poachers. The only predators of cubs include cougars and possibly male spectacled bears. The bears steer clear of jaguars, but the jaguar prefers a different habitat, so they don’t overlap with the bears in altitude on any specific mountain slope. Their life span is believed to be 20 years or more. MUCH MORE TO PERU THAN LLAMAS AND ALPACAS Besides those animals, and while Peru is most often associated with llamas and alpacas, let’s not forget our feathered friends. It’s also a top birdwatching destination – the country gets silver in the global stakes of unique bird species. New species are still discovered to this present day. The splendidly colored Andean cock-of-the-rock is Peru’s national animal. The mighty Andean condor, one of the heaviest and largest flying birds in the skies, sports a wingspan of 3 m (9 ft) and is the aviary highlight of safaris to the Colca Canyon and the adjacent Cutahuasi Canyon. Imagine witnessing it taking flight as the sun rises over the canyon… Alongside the handsome Humboldt penguins, a visit to the Ballestas Islands with its calm waters (just a stone’s throw from the capital, Lima) will bring you into contact with Peruvian pelicans, sea lions, cormorants, Inca terns with their dark gray bodies, white mustache on both sides of their heads, and red-orange beaks and feet, as well as flights of migrating birds. THE SHY TYPE Travel to the center of the Peruvian Amazon basin from the town of Iquitos to see the splendid ‘pink dolphin.’ It literally has a translucent skin with capillaries close to the surface, so the more excited the dolphin gets, the more it blushes – how delightful! The Peruvian Amazon has wildlife in droves – brightly-colored macaws, tufted Capuchins, and woolly monkeys, sloths and humongous river otters. Don’t underestimate these otters… they’re formidable jungle predators, known to take on jaguars and caimans. TIMELESS AND MYSTICAL MACHU PICCHU Undoubtedly, the jewel of Peru, Machu Picchu is a sight to behold by the safari-goer. Inca royalty set to work on building this awe-inspiring site in the Andes of Peru in the mid-fifteenth century. If you have four hours or four days to spend here, you’ll be equally rewarded by this awe-inspiring ancient city. Keep in mind that a limit of 5940 people is nowadays allowed in the complex (including the Inca Trail) on a given day. THE BEST TIME TO GO ON SAFARI IN PERU It’s the dry season between May and October. You’ll be charmed by sunny days and bright blue skies – keep in mind, this is the peak season. Rain falls between November and April – the wettest months are January and February. There will be fewer tourists if you’re not a fan of crowds and the scenery is a beautiful green. Climate-wise, Peru does vary slightly from one region to another. The coastal areas are wonderfully cool. The Amazon experiences warmer weather and has more rain between November and March, but there are always lovely breaks in the showers. We’ll leave you with this remark of the famous chef and traveler, Anthony Bourdain, “(Certain) places and events defy description. Machu Picchu, for instance, seems to demand silence, like a love affair you can never talk about. For a while after, you fumble for words, trying vainly to assemble a private narrative, an explanation, a comfortable way to frame where you’ve been and what’s happened. In the end, you’re just happy you were there – with your eyes open – and lived to see it.”
