efore we
leave,
Mashpi resident
biologist
Carlos Flores
wants to show me
one of his
most promising
research projects.
A series of
camera traps
around the reserve
that capture
the forest’s
nocturnal activity.
Since we’re here,
they work with
an infrared sensor,
so they sense
the heat
and the movement
of the animal.
Before
and this site
we used to have just
mostly rodents
at the beginning.
For the first year.
And now we’ve
been getting
interesting
insights.
Oh, come on
let’s do it.
Okay, Armadillo.
And it’s in
the shot.
Yeah,
I mean, look at it.
Oh, wow.
You have all the
Wow, look,
that’s an agouti.
Agouti, agouti.
It´s a rodent.
And that’s a big rat.
Twice
the size of
a guinea pig.
That has amazing.
Very nice.
Under Roque´s
protection,
there’s been
a huge increase
in smaller mammals
that were previously
hunted for food.
But there’s
been some bigger
surprises, too.
I want to show you
something
very interesting
that we saw
last year.
Look at that.
We have a
puma beauty.
Wild Puma.
Have been pushed
to the brink
of extinction
here in Ecuador.
So to see
these individuals
thriving alongside
the lodge
is a real success.
Look at this video.
let’s go, baby.
Two cups.
Three. my word.
So this is so.
This is very,
very rare.
Yeah.
Tells you also that
the forest
is in good shape.
The sighting of
species thought
extinct provides yet
more proof
of the success
of Roque’s vision.
We have found,
for instance,
birds
that haven’t been
seen since 1936,
and that happened
just six months ago.
That gives us
a lot of hope
that we can recover
many,
many forms of life.
And that’s
the good news.
Roque’s work
is not
just benefiting
the natural world.
Mashpi Lodge
is on the verge
of making a profit,
and he’s offering
the local community
a share of the
financial rewards
from the hotel.
They’ve helped
make a success.
The objective
is that the people
live in the area
will be our partners
I feel I´m very lucky
to have had
the opportunity
to develop this.
The help of
the people
has been invaluable
and they’re
part of it now.
A place like
this could
never be arrived at,
comitte.
It’s just it’s
too crazy.
It requires
one person
with a very rooted
feeling about
his country
and the land
and a lot of money.
He feels it
offers great hope
for the
ecological future
of places like this.
And it may do.
But it also does
offer you
the slightly
scary vision
that none of
this is going to be
repeated anywhere
unless there are
lots of rocks.
And I slightly
wonder whether
there are
Look at that one.
The colors are
stunning
when you get in
the light.
Don’t you think?
Mashpi Lodge
has basically
in terms
of the wild
versus comfort
balanced anything.
They’ve nailed it.
Absolutely.
Five star luxury.
Yet also
the huge emphasis
on getting
out of the hotel
and seeing
the real reason
it’s there.
And that’s to
to to reserve this
this little bit of
paradise that
we have left.
