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THE SCARLET MACAWS OF TAMBOPATAwritten by Colin O'Haraphotos by Steve Brookes
Tambopata Research Centre is a place of two parts, each playing an important role to ensure a future for the macaws that live around this beautiful area. The project started by Dr Don Brightsmith as a scientific research centre, to study the complete life cycle of the macaws that resided in this remote area of Peru and has now been expanded into an Eco tourist resort to allow visitors to experience this area of the Peruvian jungle and watch the birds that reside there, the revenue raised helps fund the continuing research program, The reason that this area of the Tambopata region was chosen was that it has a five hundred meter long Clay lick that many species of macaws and parrot visit throughout the year. So the research centre for this project was built in a jungle clearing about 1 km. away.  For me the one thing I will always remember from my visit to this unique area was the Scarlet Macaws that lived around the camp itself. Back in 1993/4, thirty four chicks were taken from nests around the area; in previous years of study it had been established that although 3-4 eggs were laid and often 3 chicks would hatch only one or two would survive to fly, so the young birds that were doomed were removed to hand rear. This experiment was to compare the development difference between hand reared and wild reared young macaws and how artificially reared birds would fair when reintroduced back into the wild. . Perhaps released is not totally correct as they were never caged but reared in the open sided rooms of the research centre. So reintroduction was a natural progression. Of the thirty-four chicks that were hand reared and reintroduced back into the wild all those years ago, ten of these Macaws still visit the centre frequently almost twenty years later
 Of the ten Scarlet Macaws that still visit the lodge, five of these visit on a daily basis and their antics have to be seen to be believed. Allow me to describe the lodge itself; the whole building is half open sided. Instead of windows to the bedrooms each has an open side that looks out into the forest. (Mosquito nets essential.)
 The macaws know exactly when the meals for the visitors are about to be served, with the chink of the plates from the Kitchen the macaws move in. they fly into the dining area and sit high in the rafters waiting for the food to be placed on the buffet tables. As soon as the food is placed they wait their chance to help themselves to a meal, to the amusement of the guests. The chef stood water squirter at the ready to drive them away.  
I am sure the macaws look on this as a game, they are more then aware that no harm will come to them, as we watched, a true spectacle of team work unfolded as the first macaw moved in and the chef chased it off, the second macaw immediately dropped from the rafters made for the pancakes and before the chef can do anything helped himself, flying only as far as the open side of the dining room to sit and enjoy his prize. This cat and mouse game continued to the delight of the visitors through out the whole meal until all the macaws had a prize I would have never believed what I witnessed next; a macaw flew into the kitchen area, opened the door, of what can only be described as an old fashioned meat safe where the bananas were kept and helped himself and was quite happy to sit amongst the visitors to eat his ill gotten gain.
We were warned when we arrived not to leave any food laying around in our rooms as the macaws would pinch it, as they would fly in through the open side and look to see what they can find, one of our party left a packet of biscuits on view only to find when she returned to her room a macaw having a feast.
Some of these macaws have taken wild partners and while the tame birds were occupied stealing pancakes their wild partners sat in the trees close by. Two of the chicos (as they were christened all those years ago) had paired together and had taken up home in a natural cavity about 30 meters high in a large Brazil nut tree, just at the end of the dinning room. The records show that this pair had successfully reared young on a number of occasions. I can only image that these young birds were reared on a diet of stolen pancakes and banana. Another one of these tame birds, paired to a wild mate had successfully bred in an artificial nest box some 500 meters from the main camp. No doubt that some conservationists would frown on these tame birds but for me I think it must be the perfect life for these macaws, totally free and visiting the lodge only because they want to. 
Tambopata research centre is only accessible by boat, a long 8 hour ride in a motorised canoe up river from puerto maldonardo. But for those that endure the long journey and all the biting and stinging insects that seem totally oblivious and immune to all forms of insect repellents it is an experience that will never be forgotten.
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