Hi, my name is Paul Rosolie. I'm a naturalist based out of southern Peru. Today, I'm headed into the jungle to show you a place that very few people have gotten to see. I'm in the Madre de Dios region of Peru. This is the far western Amazon and some of the deepest jungle on earth. I've come to check a set of remote camera traps that we put in the jungle nearly four weeks ago. But what the cameras recorded surprises even me. The videos instantly showed diversity of life. Here, razor-billed curassows chase Spix's guans off the lick. Both birds are indicator species—proof that this forest has not been hunted. This great brocket deer makes a fast break as howler monkeys come down to feed on the salt-rich clay of the colpa. The dominant male gives a suspicious look towards our camera before allowing his troop to join him. In the wake of the howlers, a white capuchin monkey visits the colpa briefly. And here, a giant armadillo makes a very rare daylight appearance. Ocelots are frequent visitors to the colpa. Their diet includes squirrels, rabbits, opossums, porcupines, and even prey as large as this paca. In this still image, you can see an ocelot lining up his prey from across the colpa. In the video, they travel on the same trajectory out of the frame. They're always hunting. A photographer in my team snapped this broad daylight image of an ocelot with a small squirrel monkey in his jaws. Both white-lipped and collared peccaries visit the colpa. Their sharp hooves and strong snouts break up the mud which makes the salt more accessible for other species. None larger than the massive Brazilian tapirs visit every day. In this video, you can see a female approaching the colpa at night with her baby. But tapirs aren't the only giants to visit. Nearby, a mother giant anteater inspects the camera with her long nose. As she walks by, you can see the baby on her back. This red brocket deer also brings her young. But as every mother in the jungle knows danger is everywhere. The gaping scar on the side of this deer is evidence of a constant threat of predators. Pumas patrol the colpa each night. But even they have to be on guard. Jaguars hunt you, too. The west Amazon supports some of the strongest remaining populations of these near-threatened cats. At the colpa, it's possible to see several different individuals. This one stops to have a drink before moving on. With so many big cats in this part of the forest, the reality is you're always being watched. Halfway through the study, I visited the cameras. I changed the batteries and made sure everything was working. By 8:12 p.m., I left the colpa. Weeks later, I learned that just two minutes later, there was a visitor. This is not the smaller male that I'd seen in the videos coming for a drink. This is a massive, mature male. You can see him here, stalking the trails nearby at night. In this one spot in the forest, over a four-week period, the cameras had recorded over 2,000 videos of dozens of species. If so much life is visible in just one location, it's not too difficult to imagine what else is out there. All footage recorded on the Rio Piedras Madre de Dios, Peru. Video footage by: Paul Rosolie at Tamandua Expeditions and Lucy Dablin at Fauna Forever - www.FaunaForever.org. Ocelot photograph by Mohsin Kazmi - www.mohsinkazmi.com. www.PaulRosolie.com
Diverse Ecosystem Recorded by Camera Traps: Over a four-week period, the remote camera traps set up by Rosolie and his team recorded over 2,000 videos, capturing dozens of species in just one spot of the forest. This high level of biodiversity captured in such a small area underscores the incredible richness of life in the Amazon.
Rare Daylight Appearance of a Giant Armadillo: Giant armadillos are typically nocturnal and elusive creatures, making a daytime appearance extremely rare. The fact that one made a daylight appearance in front of the cameras is a testament to the secluded and undisturbed nature of the area, allowing for such unusual wildlife behavior to be observed.
Predator and Prey Dynamics at the Colpa: The detailed observations of predator and prey interactions at the salt-rich clay lick (colpa) are remarkable. For instance, ocelots, known for their elusive nature, were frequently recorded visiting the colpa, with their diet capturing a wide range of prey, including a sighting of an ocelot with a small squirrel monkey in its jaws in broad daylight. This highlights the raw and unfiltered realities of life in the jungle.
Evidence of Unhunted Forests: The presence of indicator species such as razor-billed curassows and Spix's guans, which have not been chased off the lick, serves as proof that the forest has not been hunted. This is a significant indicator of a healthy, untouched ecosystem, which is increasingly rare in today's world.
Constant Threat of Predators: The account of a red brocket deer bringing her young to the colpa, with a visible gaping scar as evidence of surviving predator attacks, illustrates the constant presence of danger in the jungle. The narrative of pumas patrolling the night and jaguars also hunting in the area provides a vivid picture of the perilous balance between predators and prey in this dense ecosystem.
