Wildlife
The Playa de Oro Reserva de Tigrillos is the only reserve in the world which has as its focus the protection of the smaller species of jungle cats: ocelots, margays, oncillas, and jaguarundi. Except for jaguarundi, who love swimming in the river, these small cats are nocturnal and rarely seen in the wild. However, as the Playa de Oro reserve functions as a release site for small wildcats rescued from exotic animal traffickers, there is almost always one or more in care at the reserve, regaining its health and/or getting old enough for release back into the wild.
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Exotic cats are not the only wildlife in the reserve. There are also river otters, sloths, anteaters, picaries, guanta, monkeys, and many other mammals indigenous to the Ecuadorian rainforest. However, because the forests of Playa de Oro are dense and many of these animals (like the cats) are nocturnal, they are rarely sighted.
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Birds and butterflies are simply everywhere. The Chocó rainforest has birds similar to those found in the Ecuadorian Amazon; for example, a species of umbrellabird. The reserve also has many species found in southern Columbia. One can observe hummingbirds, parrots, toucans, hawks, even the rare scarlet-breasted dacnis, from the veranda of the lodge. Kingfishers regularly "race" boats travelling up and down the river. |
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