"Orchids’ Paradise"
- Monkey Forest is a resort located in the Canton of Archidona in the province
of Napo.
It is near Tena, and
just three hours from Quito.
Orchids' Paradise is a peaceful and
comfortable place that also helps to conserve the environment and biodiversity
of the Amazon rainforest.
Truly a unique space
designed for people who love nature.
The conservation of
flora and fauna are part of the facilities and you can observe several species
of monkeys in complete freedom along with native plants such as wayusa, ishpinku
and ayawaska.
The Amazing Plants and Animals
It is my son’s
favorite place for a swim during the hot days which we have too often.
I enjoy the beautiful
pools but also the gorgeous views and nature paths.
The trees and flowers
surrounding the facilities are amazing and I truly enjoy taking pictures of all
the life teeming in the forest.
There are many
different animal and plant species living on the grounds.
One of the monkey
species is chorongo or brown woolly monkey.
The chorongo is also
called Humbolt’s brown woolly monkey and it is the second biggest monkey of the
new world.
They live in groups
from two to 70 individuals.
One of them got a bit
too friendly but finally calmed down and wanted to play with us.
Brown Woolly Monkey
The woolly monkeys’
heads are rounded and large, the body is heavy and the tail is prehensile and
naked at the bottom
The brown woolly
monkeys have a highly developed thumb and short, thick fingers.
Their coat is short,
thick and woolly and the coloration of the head is darker than the rest of the
body.
They form family
groups, with a social hierarchy where the dominant male has priority access to
females and food.
They are fruit
eaters, their diet consists of fruit, leaves, seeds and some insects, which makes
them important seed disperser agents.
In Ecuador chorongos
are found in the Eastern Subtropical and Tropical planes.
You may find it around
the Napo and Aguarico rivers and is common in the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve and
the Yasuní National Park.
In general they live
in the Amazon region of Brazil and east of the Andes in Colombia, Venezuela,
Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.
Their natural
predators are the harpy eagle and jaguar.
If you ever come to
Tena – Ecuador, I recommend visiting "Orchids’ Paradise" - Monkey Forest
Resort.
