COCKSCOMB BASIN WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

Scarlet Macaws and Jaguars we wish but Tapirs yes oh my!!!! That was the order of the week as the CCSP crew made there way through Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary. The wildlife was rich and student’s spirits were high. Lead by Eric Lindquist of Messiah College we had a successful go of Forest Ecology. We spent three days having our eyes opened to God’s creation. Lectures and mini investigations were the order of the days while the nights allowed the students, staff and professor to unleash their inner child and look with utter amazement at the things that go bump in the night. Jaguars were high on the list, especially after Bart Harmsen gave us stunning look into jaguar research that is spanning the Americas. Though none were seen we know they have a powerful presence in the basin as their footprints dotted every trail. Our hopes remained high throughout our time and our commitment paid off, as we were all able to at least see the majestic mountain cow on three separate occasions. Though this is a 400 lbs creature its ability to evade and disappear silently into the lush Broadleaf Forest astounded us all. No trip to Cockscomb would be complete without a visit to Tiger Fern. Here is a picture of students enjoying the cool waters after a long hike up.