The elusive cat in the Bolivian jungle
by Kate
Being such a lover of wildlife, naturally a visit to the jungle was one of my six experiences. And seeing a wild cat was at the top of my list of jungle-dwellers to see. I even bought Richard a ring in La Paz decorated with a circle of pumas to bring us luck. I was determined.
As Richard had enjoyed his last visit four years ago to the jungle at the Chalalan Lodge in the Madidi National Park, we found their office in La Paz with ten days to fill. As ten days was quite a substantial time for the jungle the guy in the office suggested that we spend four of those days in the pampas, an environment far less populated by forest but with more swampland.
So, we started with Bala Tours in the pampas, and after a long dusty journey in a 4×4 from Rurrenabaque, followed by a boat ride a few minutes upriver, we arrived at the lodge located right on the edge of the river. After having a lucky sighting of a beautiful sloth en route from Rurrenabaque and riding in the boat alongside the pink river dolphins….
….we were then welcomed by two black cats at the lodge. Although not wild, they were nevertheless cats and I saw this as a good omen. We were one step closer to seeing these black cats wild cousins.
Each day consisted of cruising up and down the river at different times of the day to catch sight of the various animals living in the trees, river and swampland. Our excellent guide, Yad, ensured us a medley of sights and the four cameras on the boat were snapping away 15 to the dozen.
We saw so many different types of birds, large and small. Two of the larger ones we saw were the elegant cocoi heron and the owl:
In and at the side of the river were caiman and the world’s largest rodent, the capybara:
In the trees there were various different types of monkeys, the most sociable (and cheeky!) were the yellow squirrel monkeys:
Yad told us that until a few years ago the guides would feed the monkeys encouraging them to get close to the tourists. Some of the older monkeys remember this and still jump on board hoping for a handout. Richard wasn’t obliging!
The lodge was excellent and I was particularly impressed with the delicious vegetarian meals they prepared for me each day. The showers were brief and cold, but we had comfy flushing toilets. Ever since being warned in Australia that snakes like to coil themselves around toilet rims, I always checked under the toilet seat before sitting down. Until one time, I had been safe. I finished my business and turned round to flush the loo. At this point I saw a small hand, with little sucker ends to the fingers, grapple its way from within the toilet over the toilet seat! The frog must have been resting within the toilet rim, only to be disturbed when I flushed the loo! I let out a scream of shock, the horror that I had been sharing the toilet with a frog!!! From that experience on, not only did I check under the seat but I would give the toilet a quick flush to wake any resting animals! (and I had to scout the way in the bathroom at 2am to give the all clear 
– Richard )
Toilet frogs, birds, caiman, rodents, cheeky monkeys, but still no wild cats…..
Six days deep in the jungle was next on our agenda. I was surely going to catch sight of a jaguar or a puma there.
I can see why Richard was keen to return to the Chalalan Lodge. It was beautiful. Set right on the edge of a lake it was half an hour’s walk from the Tuichi River.
The buildings were beautiful, made from local wood by local workers, and there were hammocks and chairs dotted around. Our own private lodge was luxurious, with a four poster bed (for the mosquito netting) and an en suite bathroom. The bathroom even employed its own personal “housekeepers” to keep away the more unwanted visitors:
Left – our bathroom housekeeper.
Many different paths had been mapped out in the surrounding jungle and we explored at least one every day. Rigoberto, our guide, had eyes and ears that missed nothing. As the jungle is so much denser than the pampas I was surprised at what we saw. Rigoberto even spotted a spectacled owl for us, who he said are normally very difficult to catch sight of. Peccaries (jungle pigs) ran across the path in front of us, enormous socialist spider webs covered our way, leaf-cutter and army ants marched with us along the path, and monkeys leaped through the trees overhead.
On rather the creepier side, we did also see snakes in trees (OK, you can’t see them very well!) and tarantulas being coaxed out of their homes:
And then, one day as we were walking not far from the lodge, I thought my time had come to see a wild cat. Rigoberto excitedly proclaimed that we were on the path of a jaguar! We stepped up our pace, quietly, after we saw the footprint. My eyes were wide and my heart was racing. After a little way further we came across some jaguar excrement – it wasn’t quite steaming (!) but we were on the path of a jaguar!
Unfortunately excrement and footprints were as close as we were going to get to seeing a jaguar that day.
The following day there was quite a commotion at dinner. Apparently a puma had come up to within ten metres of the kitchen! This had never happened before! Rigoberto wanted to come and get us, but by the time he was on foot to reach our hut the puma had already left. It was exciting just to even think that a puma had been so close.
On our last day in the jungle we visited the local community that runs the Chalalan Lodge, San Jose de Uchupiamonas. We met the principal of the school and the doctor at the hospital (left). We also chatted with a few of the local artists selling their products to the tourists.
The villagers seemed very content and happy to talk to us, and many horses, cows and pigs were wandering through the village. You could tell that they were doing very well and that their business with the Chalalan Lodge was successful. It was, however a shame to see the donated computers at the school were untouched, as were the donated books from their American sponsoring school. (if anyone would like to volunteer to stay for a few months or a year to show the teachers how to use the computers they would be most grateful – Richard)
It was then time to leave this rather unforgiving environment. Even though I didn’t get to see a wild cat, I was certainly not disappointed with all the other incredible animals we spotted. And I did often wonder how many wild cats saw us over those six days….
I continue to be determined that Richard’s ring will bring us luck in India.
Right – Sergio and Rigoberto
Tags: amazon, Chalalan, madidi national park, Pampas, san jose