Messages from Manu. |
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Please note - this is no gap yah: lost in parahh Gen Z blog. This is rather a platform to document the next 12 weeks of my off-grid existence, 200km east of Cusco at the neo-tropical buffer of Manu National Park. One of the last places in the world with totally isolated and uncontacted tribes, known as the Mashco-Piro people, unaware of modern life and the extent of human civilisation. A landscape frozen in time. South America is a treasure chest of evolutionary stories, with the early Cenozoic era boasting species cool enough to rival even the coolest of dinosaurs. My favourite being the Phorusrhacids, colloquially known as "terror birds" which, prior to the Great American Interchange, dominated the jungle scene. A 100% carnivore, 10ft tall ostrich (of sorts) capable of running 60km/hr is definitely the stuff of nightmares. I feel oddly prepared for the vigour and demands of the rainforest; to be honest I think months behind the tills of John Lewis could prepare you for any demand going. Seriously though, the tropical rainforest is truly a risky place. Rafting the croc-infested waters of the Zambezi last summer now seems like an afternoon punting on the Cam in comparison to the upcoming challenges of Amazonia. "Ants are found everywhere. Be warned that many are arboreal (including the nasty bullet ant) and may literally drop from the trees and attack." I think it's fair to say that most neotropical resources don't sugarcoat, after all blissful ignorance is perhaps your greatest enemy in the jungle. Despite having the most painful sting known to man, the bullet ant is the least of your worries when venturing into the unknown. Highly hemotoxic and cytotoxic snakes, disease-carrying mosquitos and prowling jaguars lurk behind every corner. Exciting. The importance of neotropical research in this corner of the world cannot be understated. With a 50% decline in global biodiversity over the last 40 years I cannot stress more the need for direct, frontline conservation. I needn't go into this any further at present, but I hope that over the next 3 months you will follow my blog, with interest, to learn more about the wonders of this unique biome - its issues, and the solutions needed to secure a better future for our planet.
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