THREE ENDANGERED SPECIES: Spectacled Bear, Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey, Andean Night Monkey
Journey with us to the north of Peru, and plunge into a unique ecosystem, the Cloud Forest, a canopy that accumulates moisture from the fog to supply the water needed to grow the moss and fern species distinctive for that particular region. But as enticing as the landscape is, our focus is on three rarely seen mammal species: the Spectacled Bear, the Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey, and the Andean Night Monkey.
The Spectacled Bear is the last living representative in the subfamily Tremarctinae (that housed such species as the now extinct Giant Short-Faced Bears of the Americas). The Spectacled Bear is a stunning species about the size of an American Black Bear with distinctive beige markings across the face and chest. It has been listed as ‘vulnerable’ since 1982 when agriculture began to expand into the Cloud Forest ultimately resulting in the species being placed on the IUCN red list. Our tour is your chance to find and observe this wonderful creature.
Human expansion is putting an even greater strain on the two endemic monkey species found in the Cloud Forest: the critically endangered Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey and the vulnerable Andean Night Monkey.
The Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey is thought to be one of the rarest monkey species of the new world. Assumed to have been extinct until about 40 years ago, this monkey species is now believed to number less than a 1000 in the wild, and is again on the decline. Having the opportunity just to see this marvelous creature before it becomes extinct should have you lining up and arranging your flights! And especially for those who love to take wildlife photos the primate’s charisma and beautiful coloration of its yellow tufts is a photographer’s dream.
The Andean Night Monkey is the second endemic monkey species of the area, and although not as rare as the Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey, this species is spectacular in its own right.
Very few tour companies offer opportunities to see the Spectacled Bear and we know of none that offer tours to see these exceptional monkeys. Here at Wildcat Expeditions we are offering you a tour to see all three!
For the best chance to see the bears as they forage in the open pampas our trips are seasonally based. And as we work hand in hand with the local community and biologists who safeguard these species and their habitat our “one of a kind” tours allow you to take in the uniqueness of the Cloud Forest’s precious landscapes and its animal species, while also contributing to the protection of these animals.
So join us in the Cloud Forest of northern Peru, enjoy the splendor of these endangered and rare species and do your part for their survival!
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU!