It has been interesting to paddle our way out of the depths of Pacaya-Samiria. The closer we get to larger groups of people the less wildlife we encounter. This is due to a variety of factors, including hunting, disturbed habitat and general activity from which many animals tend to shy away. I will certainly miss the abundance of wildlife we have seen on this journey.

One animal, which has been a nearly constant companion on this expedition is the howler monkey. You have probably seen some of the cool pictures in the Notes From the Trail earlier in the trip. These monkeys are relatively common in Pacaya-Samiria.

While we would see them every once in a while, we would often hear these monkeys howling in the distance. It sounds like a deep roar more than an actual howl and it can be quite impressive to hear many of them in one area. Supposedly these howls can be heard up to four miles through the jungle. Scientists believe that the dominant male of the group uses his loud voice to keep the group spaced out enough so they don't have to compete for food.

We were hoping to see one of these monkeys while they were howling, but we only saw them when they were eating. One day, we were very lucky and got to see four howler monkeys eating in one cecropia tree. This was quite a treat! Dave took a bunch of cool pictures and the rest of us watched in awe as they made their way from limb to limb. It is truly amazing how they can reach, balance, and swing their way to food. We really enjoyed seeing one hang from its tail as its outstretched arm reached for some leaves!

Howlers live in small groups of about 12 individuals. They can grow to be about two feet in length, not including the 30-inch tail. Howlers weigh about 15 pounds when they reach adulthood and can live about 20 years. These monkeys eat mainly leaves, fruit and flowers.

Compared to other monkeys, howlers don't travel very much. They prefer to stay within their small communities. The spend their whole lives in the tree tops, making it difficult to spot them. The howler monkey is an endangered species throughout its entire range. Some scientists estimate that the howler monkey could become extinct in our lifetime. Hopefully, Pacaya Samiria will continue to have a healthy population of these creatures.

Jesse