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Donation A recent study of rock art in the Colombian Amazon provides new insights into the complex relationships between the region’s earliest settlers and the animals they encountered published in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology focuses on the Cerro Azul site in the Serranía de la Lindosa a region adorned with thousands of ochre paintings on rocky outcrops represents some of the earliest evidence of human presence in western Amazonia “These rock art sites include the earliest evidence of humans in western Amazonia,” said Dr an Associate Professor of Archaeology at the University of Exeter The research team cataloged 3,223 images using drone photogrammetry and traditional photography at least 22 different animal species were identified the proportions of animal bones found in nearby excavations do not align with the frequency of animals depicted in the art This suggests that the ancient artists did not simply paint the animals they commonly ate The animal bones revealed a varied diet including fish “The context demonstrates the complexity of Amazonian relationships with animals both as a food source but also as revered beings which had supernatural connections and demanded complex negotiations from ritual specialists,” Dr The art also reveals a rich mythology that guided generations of indigenous Amazonians Some images depict transformations between humans and animals “Though we cannot be certain what meaning these images have they certainly do offer greater nuance to our understanding of the power of myths in indigenous communities,” noted Professor José Iriarte of the University of Exeter “They are particularly revealing when it comes to more cosmological aspects of Amazonian life and how negotiations with the supernatural were conducted.” Among the 16 ‘panels’ of ochre drawings at Cerro Azul These ranged from the expansive 40-meter-by-10-meter El Más Largo to the smaller 10-meter-by-6-meter Principal Many of these images are well-preserved and vividly red Despite the abundance of fish remains found in archaeological sites appearing in just two panels in what seem to be fishing scenes despite their significance as apex predators in the region This absence might indicate a cultural restriction on depicting such powerful animals Javier Aceituno of Universidad de Antioquia said: “The Indigenous people of Cerro Azul and the surrounding lands hunted and depicted a diverse array of animals from different ecologies – from aquatic fish to arboreal monkeys; terrestrial deer to aerial birds both nocturnal and diurnal.” This broad subsistence strategy involved tracking and hunting animals and harvesting plants from various habitats By comparing the depicted animals with the remains found the researchers concluded that rock art was not merely a record of daily life but also a representation of the settlers’ spiritual and cultural beliefs “Our approach reveals differences between what indigenous communities exploited for food and what is conceptually important to represent – and not represent – in art,” Professor Iriarte concluded University of Exeter The single most important art on this set of rocks and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()) Learn how to describe the purpose of the image (opens in a new tab) Leave empty if the image is purely decorative Learn how to describe the purpose of the image (opens in a new tab). 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Read our Privacy notice Archaeologists have uncovered a giant rock in the Colombian Amazon bearing extensive ochre paintings of animals dating back to 12,500 years ago a discovery that sheds light on the mythologies and diet of the continent’s first humans Cerro Azul hill in Colombia’s Serranía de la Lindosa hosts a stunning array of paintings depicting a range of creatures including animals and humans transforming into one another The free-standing tabletop hill hosts 16 “panels” of ochre drawings several of which could only be accessed by researchers after strenuous climbing These spectacular rock paintings, likely to have served as a grand gallery for an ancient people for thousands of years, demonstrate the rich mythology guiding generations of Indigenous Amazonians, according to a new study published in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology. “These rock art sites include the earliest evidence of humans in western Amazonia, dating back 12,500 years ago,” study co-author Mark Robinson from the University of Exeter said. Researchers assessed animal remains recovered from nearby sites and cross-referenced them with the creatures depicted in the rock art. Scientists particularly focused on six panels in detail, ranging from one that was 40m by 10m and containing over 1,000 images to a much smaller 60 square metre panel with 244 well-preserved red paintings. Overall, using drones and traditional photography, researchers documented more than 3,200 images painted on the rock, most of which are related to animals such as deer, birds, peccary, lizards, turtles, and tapir. They found that the ancient Amazonians had a diverse diet that included fish, a range of small to large mammals, as well as reptiles, including turtles, snakes and crocodiles. While fish were found abundantly in the archaeological remains, their appearance in the art was limited to just two panels. Since the proportions of animal bones do not match the representation of animals in the rock art, scientists suspect the artists did not just paint what they ate. There was also a noted absence of big cats in the paintings despite their position as apex predators in the region. “The context demonstrates the complexity of Amazonian relationships with animals, both as a food source but also as revered beings, which had supernatural connections and demanded complex negotiations from ritual specialists,” Dr Robinson said. Some figures combining human and animal characteristics hint at a complex mythology of transformation between animal and human states, a belief still present in modern Amazonian communities. The paintings highlight the ancient people’s broad understanding of a range of habitats in the region, including savannah, flooded forests and rivers. “They had intimate knowledge of the various habitats in the region and possessed the relevant skills to track and hunt animals and harvest plants from each, as part of a broad subsistence strategy,” Javier Aceituno, another author of the study from Medellín, Colombia said. “Though we cannot be certain what meaning these images have, they certainly do offer greater nuance to our understanding of the power of myths in indigenous communities,” Jose Iriarte, a study co-author from Exeter said. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies {"adUnitPath":"71347885/_main_independent/gallery","autoGallery":true,"disableAds":false,"gallery":[{"data":{"title":"One of the panels studied as part of the Amazonian rock art project","description":"One of the panels studied as part of the Amazonian rock art project","caption":"One of the panels studied as part of the Amazonian rock art project One of the panels studied as part of the Amazonian rock art project from mythology to diet","description":"Rock art is earliest evidence of humans in western Amazonia The rock art contains an array of subject matter e) hunting; (d) a monkey leaping; and (f) an unknown animal with circular feat and curved head elements. including images of humans and animals morphing into one another offer a striking glimpse at early life in the Amazon A gallery of striking ochre paintings drawn onto massive rock faces offers insight into the close relationship between humans and animals living in the Amazon thousands of years ago Although the researchers have not formally dated the canvas of art they estimated that it has been around since 10500 B.C "These rock art sites include the earliest evidence of humans in western Amazonia, dating back 12,500 years," lead author Mark Robinson an associate professor in the Department of Archaeology and History at the University of Exeter Related: 9,000-year-old rock art discovered among dinosaur footprints in Brazil The team found at least 22 species of animals After comparing the animal drawings with ancient butchered animal bones found in nearby excavations the archaeologists found that the proportional representation of drawings by species did not match the proportion of animal bones indicating that the Indigenous people didn't just paint what they ate The butchered bones included a diverse diet Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox "The art is an amazing insight into how these first settlers understood their place in the world and how they formed relationships with animals," Robinson said "The context demonstrates the complexity of Amazonian relationships with animals which had supernatural connections and demanded complex negotiations from ritual specialists." the researchers opted to focus on six panels including the 131-foot-long (40 meters) El Más Largo and the much smaller 33-foot-long (10 m) panel known as Principal —Severe drought reveals more than 100 rock carvings in Amazonian tributary that may be up to 2,000 years old —3,500-year-old rock art of wild sheep and double-humped camels revealed in Kazakhstan —Ancient rock art in Argentinian cave may have transmitted information across 100 generations researchers found that 58% of the drawings were figurative They also noticed scenes depicting people fishing. Researchers can only speculate about the purpose and significance of the rock art a professor of archaeology at the University of Exeter "They are particularly revealing when it comes to more cosmological aspects of Amazonian life and how negotiations with the supernatural were conducted." Jennifer Nalewicki is former Live Science staff writer and Salt Lake City-based journalist whose work has been featured in The New York Times She covers several science topics from planet Earth to paleontology and archaeology to health and culture Jennifer has a bachelor's degree in Journalism from The University of Texas at Austin Mysterious Tikal altar that wasn't Maya after all includes at least 4 skeletons — and 1 was a child Ancient jawbone dredged off Taiwan seafloor belongs to mysterious Denisovan Digital 'resurrection' of the Titanic sheds light on fateful night the ship tore apart Millie Turner Senior Technology & Science ReporterPublished: Invalid Date PREHISTORIC wall paintings uncovered deep inside the Amazon rainforest depict animal-human hybrids and alien-like creatures Instead of pointing to the existence of paranormal beings researchers believe the eyebrow-raising drawings highlight how ancient Amazonians "made sense of their world" The Colombian Amazon contains some of the "richest" collections of rock art in the world, according to a new study from the University of Exeter is thought to have been drawn as far back as 10,500 BC However, the art is yet to be formally dated "Penises, which are frequently depicted on human figures, are all but absent from animal figures," researchers noted in their study. "However, the only examples of penises on animal figures are on potential therianthropes that incorporate both human and animal components." Therianthropes refer to human-animal shapeshifters, which are common concepts in mythology and folklore. Images of avian-humans were found nearby at Las Dantas as well as lizards with human-like heads at Currunchos Drawings of bird-plant-human hybrids and deer-humans were also discovered at Principal While etchings of sloth-humans were uncovered at Demoledores and an unknown four-legged creature with a tail and penis was found at Reserva “They certainly do offer greater nuance to our understanding of the power of myths in indigenous communities,” Jose Iriarte a professor at Exeter who worked on the study “They are particularly revealing when it comes to more cosmological aspects of Amazonian life and how negotiations with the supernatural were conducted.” Researchers found remains of animals nearby and compared them to the drawings finding that the artists did not just paint what they ate which would have been abundant in the rainforest Although researchers assume these ancient humans did not get close enough to the predators to depict them regularly The art is an amazing insight into how these first settlers understood their place in the world and how they formed relationships with animals Researchers noted that the shamans and elders of local communities, whose job it was the classify and catalogue flora and fauna, had 'ambiguous' and 'fluid' categorisations of animals and people. It's this that may have led to supernatural morphs of humans and animals in art “These rock art sites include the earliest evidence of humans in western Amazonia dating back 12,500 years ago,” added Dr Mark Robinson Associate Professor of Archaeology in Exeter’s Department of Archaeology and History the art is an amazing insight into how these first settlers understood their place in the world and how they formed relationships with animals "The context demonstrates the complexity of Amazonian relationships with animals which had supernatural connections and demanded complex negotiations from ritual specialists.” Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/ Galápagos Conservancy In collaboration with the Galápagos National Park Directorate we have achieved a remarkable milestone by conducting the first-ever comprehensive population census of giant tortoises specifically Chelonoidis vicina and Chelonoidis guntheri species residing in the southern volcanoes of Isabela Island were thoroughly surveyed in this groundbreaking census marking a significant achievement in our conservation efforts a team of brave park rangers and scientists from Galápagos Conservancy embarked on an immense task Their goal was to count tortoises across the areas inhabited by the nine populations on Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul volcanoes These regions in question are known for their rough terrain and challenging access the team dedicated themselves to understanding the lives of these magnificent creatures Their efforts have shed light on the mysteries and challenges these unique species face yielding valuable scientific data crucial for developing optimal conservation strategies Our Conservation Director, scientist Jorge Carrión stated that this survey is the first complete census of tortoises ever conducted in the southern region of the archipelago Made possible thanks to passionate advocates for Galápagos conservation this monumental effort provides detailed and updated insights into the conservation status of the tortoises and the ecosystems of Southern Isabela “It is a significant milestone,” he stated we have updated the population data for two tortoise species We located and carefully monitored a total of 4,146 C Their morphometric measurements were recorded and their location were meticulously documented to understand their distribution and territory usage pointed out that these findings revise the estimate for C vicina on Cerro Azul volcano to approximately 5,275 individuals and 704 for Sierra Negra Scientist Washington Tapia “Following the completion of this rigorous scientific endeavor and the subsequent data analysis we now possess not only updated information on population status and seasonal distribution but also a comprehensive understanding of the challenges confronting the two tortoise species inhabiting this area This insight will enable us to formulate management recommendations and implement specific actions to conserve these endangered species and their respective ecosystems.” Our research team has identified the threats tortoises are facing guntheri tortoises are in constant struggle against invasive species and even invasive plants like blackberry and guava have emerged as formidable foes for these reptiles The impact of feral pigs is particularly concerning as they voraciously consume tortoise eggs and hatchlings posing a critical threat to the future of these iconic creatures and it is time to amplify our efforts and unite in safeguarding these emblematic species as the vulnerability of the tortoises demands our immediate attention and decisive action,” emphasized Washington Tapia Through our flagship program, Iniciativa Galápagos developed in collaboration with the Galápagos National Park Directorate supported by the generous contributions of dedicated friends committed to conserving this unique biodiversity focuses on restoring degraded ecosystems through the recovery of ecologically essential species Our organization’s conservation efforts for C guntheri populations are a testament to the resilience and commitment of the park rangers and our scientists leading the conservation efforts this year The generous contributions from our donors have played a crucial role in protecting these iconic creatures and sustaining this vital endeavor The Galápagos giant tortoises are critical to the ecosystem’s equilibrium Galápagos Conservancy is dedicated to conducting scientific expeditions to effectively manage the islands’ populations Our work is made possible by generous donations from our supporters which allow us to quickly address the conservation needs of these unique species We hope to continue making significant contributions to conservation with the help of our dedicated supporters Galápagos Conservancy donors are the driving force behind our efforts to conserve this magical place Join the fight to save it by becoming a member Follow Galápagos Conservancy on social media to get the latest conservation updates and alerts in real time Inc.® is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with EIN Tax ID # 13-3281486 Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law in your country Latest UpdatesCountries Why Join?IL Magazine Free Daily E-Letter Video Our Experts Testimonials FAQsTopics and on the water—exploring Panama and the wide world beyond She also hosted and produced IL bestseller Panama 101 and she is the author of Escape to Panama Captivating Mountain Views in Cerro Azul, PanamaUpdated May 29, 2016By Jessica Ramesch To sit on a porch in the tiny mountain town of Cerro Azul is to experience true serenity That's how I feel as I relax in an old Adirondack-style chair A single pick-up truck is the only vehicle that trundles past Earlier in the day I took a mini-hike to a hilltop mirador (lookout point) and caught far-off glimpses of both the Pacific and the Caribbean Now I sit sipping my coffee and watching a pretty blue tanager swoop around the garden Cerro Azul boasts breathtaking views from just about any vantage point. In the distance are Panama City's shiny towers But I can't hear any traffic or see any smog The air is crisp and cool and as clean as can be The town and the adjacent Chagres National Park are filled with rivers and streams that sustain some of the world's most beautiful birds You'll see many a cottage here with feeders and flowers planted specifically to attract jewel-bright hummingbirds The best properties are within the gates of Altos del Cerro Azul tree-filled community with a clubhouse/restaurant Residents zip into Panama City a few times a week to visit malls The city's scintillating nightlife is a stark contrast to Cerro Azul where the lack of light pollution makes the stars seem extra bright It reminds me of being at the planetarium as a kid Evenings in this mountain hamlet are quiet with social activities consisting of dinner or drinks at a friend's place Daytime may bring a casual lunch at the clubhouse followed by a game of tennis or dip at the pool There's a small community of expats that live here full time—just over 100 households Most work in the city and come up on weekends and holidays to enjoy the cool mountain air If you like the idea of being surrounded by nature—yet close to an exciting cosmopolitan capital—then Cerro Azul may be for you A couple could easily live here for as little as $2,100 a month and you could run a single or two-person household here on less than $1,500 a month In Altos del Cerro Azul a basic one-bedroom one-bathroom cottage is on offer for $80,000 The two-level home is close to the community clubhouse Total construction is about 1,000 square feet and the lot is nearly a quarter acre A more upscale home just went down in price from about $140,000 to $120,000 the Swiss-style house features massive windows that overlook a lot filled with bougainvillea and an array of plants You'll find plenty more to choose from here in the under-$200,000 range…homes of all sizes with lots of nearly a quarter acre or more One chalet listed at $161,000 is about 2,700 square feet in size you're near hiking trails and surrounded by trees and flowers There are expats and locals living here who wouldn't trade the cool weather and expansive views for anything It's the very antithesis of rat-race living Instead of traffic-clogged streets lined with fast food joints and strip malls you have meandering lanes lined with evergreens and gabled cottages There are never any stressed-out executives rushing past Archaeologists on the ERC project LASTJOURNEY have discovered spectacular rock pictographs in three separate rock shelters in the Guaviare Department of Colombia provide proof the Amazon rainforest’s earliest inhabitants lived alongside now-extinct Ice Age animals such as giant sloths and mastodons Professor Iriarte at the archaeological site of Cerro Azul in the Serranía La Lindosa “These really are incredible images, produced by the earliest people to live in western Amazonia,” said Dr. Mark Robinson an archaeologist in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Exeter “They moved into the region at a time of extreme climate change which was leading to changes in vegetation and the make-up of the forest.” “The Amazon was still transforming into the tropical forest we recognize today.” “The paintings give a vivid and exciting glimpse in to the lives of these communities,” he said “It is unbelievable to us today to think they lived among Example of Cerro Azul rock paintings showing several motifs: (a) anthropomorphic Dr. Robinson and his colleagues from the LASTJOURNEY project found the ancient paintings in three rock shelters at Cerro Azul Limoncillos and Cerro Montoya archaeological sites in the Serranía La Lindosa on the northern edge of the Colombian Amazon The vibrant red pictures were drawn using mineral pigments which provides them with their characteristic reddish-terracotta color They were produced over a period of hundreds The most abundant motifs recorded by the team are anthropomorphic Many of them depict hunting and ritual scenes Among the most abundant zoomorphic figures are deer the rock paintings depict what appear to be extinct Ice Age megafauna They include images that appear to resemble giant sloth Ice-Age megafauna displayed in the pictographs of the Serranía La Lindosa including: (a) giant sloth At the time the drawings were made temperatures were rising starting the transformation of the area from a mosaic landscape of patchy savannahs gallery forests and tropical forest with montane elements into the broadleaf tropical Amazon forest of today Limoncillos and Cerro Montoya rock shelters are far from modern settlements and trails “These rock paintings are spectacular evidence of how humans reconstructed the land, and how they hunted, farmed and fished,” said Professor José Iriarte also from the Department of Archaeology at the University of Exeter “It is likely art was a powerful part of culture and a way for people to connect socially.” “The pictures show how people would have lived amongst giant The discovery is described in a paper published in the journal Quaternary International. Gaspar Morcote-Ríos et al. Colonisation and early peopling of the Colombian Amazon during the Late Pleistocene and the Early Holocene: New evidence from La Serranía La Lindosa. Quaternary International, published online April 29, 2020; doi: 10.1016/j.quaint.2020.04.026 Embed on your websiteClose×Copy the code below to embed the WBUR audio player on your site<iframe width="100%" height="124" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://player.wbur.org/hereandnow/2020/12/08/ancient-cliff-art-amazon"></iframe> View of rock art at the Cerro Azul hill in Serrania La Lindosa in the Amazonian jungle department of Guaviare (Guillermo Legaria/AFP via Getty Images)A team of British and Colombian archaeologists has made a spectacular discovery deep in the Amazon rainforest: tens of thousands of paintings strewn across nearly eight miles of cliff faces that date back to the last Ice Age The find is being described as “the Sistine Chapel of the ancients” — a trove of ancient paintings made in red ochre that offer a glimpse of a lost civilization a research fellow in the department of archaeology at the University of Exeter was one of the members of the expedition in Colombia He says archaeologists descended from the Bogotá plateau into the Amazon forest’s thick vegetation to observe an outcrop of painted rocks depicting people dancing Handprints and drawings of Ice Age megafauna also were sprawled on the rocks The expedition team knew rock art existed far into the tropical forest but Robinson says social unrest in Colombia made the area inaccessible to researchers Local Colombians had previously found some rock art in the region and did their own excavations years back decided to undergo the long trek and zero in on the large rock outcrops a place where no researchers have been before “We were hoping and praying that they would actually have some rock art on them,” he says Although the discovery was made in 2019, the Guardian reports it was kept under wraps as the team filmed for a series premiering this month called “Jungle Mystery: Lost Kingdoms of the Amazon.” Robinson says archeologists excavated the base of the rocks to find out when these paintings were drawn. Using radiocarbon dating and context from the images, such as drawings of now-extinct animals, the team determined inhabitants painted the rocks some 12,500 years ago. an anthropologist from the French Institute of Andean Studies (IFEA) director of the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History look at rock art on the Raudal de Guayabero hill in the Serrania La Lindosa in the Amazonian department of Guaviare (Guillermo Legaria/AFP via Getty Images)The exciting part considering they were some of the very first humans to reach the Amazon at the end of the last Ice Age humans were still coming out of the Ice Age and the Amazon forest wasn’t as full as it is today People who migrated down through the Americas traversed a variety of landscapes meaning they were likely hunter-gatherers who lived off the land “But as they start to interact with this environment they're starting to build their own conceptions of the world their social interactions and then their subsistence as well as all interacting in one,” he says “And then they choose to depict some of this on the walls of these rock shelters.” He says these people were motivated by “the fundamental aspect of what humanity is” — expressing ourselves through culture The sheer scale of this discovery means that it will likely take archaeologists years Some of these paintings are painted so high up in the cliff that they can only be viewed using drones researchers free climbed and used vines to swing onto higher platforms How did these ancient people paint up so high Robinson says depictions of ladders and scaffolding may hold the answers “We assume that they were making some kind of construction using the forest products around there,” he says “But what is interesting is the amount of effort they went into to actually get to these locations to put art on there — art we can't even see from the ground.” Archaeologists are hoping to dive deeper into why these Amazonian people used higher elevations for their art and who they meant the paintings to be for Being a part of the historic discovery was a dream for Robinson He says archaeologists like himself are “so used to looking at the dirt itself,” digging for micro remains that it can be easy to forget the human aspects of archaeology “It's hard for us sometimes to maintain that human element to our work,” he says “To see something which is so closely related to the people — with depictions of people and how they interact — it really does bring the context of life for us.” Chris Bentley produced and edited this interview for broadcast with Jill Ryan. Serena McMahon adapted it for the web. Tonya Mosley Correspondent, Here & NowTonya Mosley was the LA-based co-host of Here & Now. Serena McMahon Digital ProducerSerena McMahon was a digital producer for Here & Now Best in Travel is here! Discover 2025’s destinations The 30 best countries, cities and regions to visit in 2025 Plan your trip with Elsewhere, by Lonely Planet See where a Lonely Planet Membership takes you Subscribe to our weekly newsletters to get the latest travel news, expert advice, and insider recommendations Explore the world with our detailed, insightful guidebooks Stay ahead of the curve with our guidebooks Uncover exciting new ways to explore iconic destinations Every month, we release new books into the wild Search Search Close search menu Explore Best in Travel 2024 Africa Close menu Countries Antarctica Antarctica Close menu Regions Asia Asia Close menu Countries Australia & the Pacific Australia & the Pacific Close menu Countries The Caribbean The Caribbean Close menu Countries Central America Central America Close menu Countries Europe Europe Close menu Countries Middle East Middle East Close menu Countries North America North America Close menu Countries South America South America Close menu Countries the world-renowned diving on the islands of Utila and Roatán – Honduras is a country with so much to enjoy the coastal cities and the tucked away street vendors that truly make this Central American country a place to wander And there's no better way to experience it than on a trip on the Honduran roads less traveled It’s about a four-and-a-half-hour drive from Copán to Parque Nacional Cerro Azul Mèambar (aka PaNaCAM) hiking trails reach elevations of 1,600 to 6,500 feet (500 to 2,000 m) you may notice a few of the hundreds of species of wildlife (if you’re not already distracted snapping photos of the occasional waterfall) Despite going by the moniker cerro azul, literally translating to 'blue hill,' the national park has a very green landscape, so lush it might be easy to get lost in. Fortunately, there’s the PANACAM Lodge a small eco-resort which serves as the base of all activities in the park It’s a great place to base yourself for a day or two be it in their cabin-like rooms or in your own tent on the campground Just down the blue hill is another blue natural wonder: Lago de Yojoa Honduras’ largest lake is a volcanic depression between Cerro Azul Méambar and the Santa Barbara Mountains it’s an oasis for those with or without a canoe Boat tours can take you to the middle of the lake where tilapia are raised in pens the rims of which are frequented by birds hoping to score a free meal Speaking of meals, there are many lakeshore restaurants where the regional plato típico (typical plate) consists of a whole fried fish garnished with curtido (a pickled slaw), rice and beans, a tortilla, and of course, fried plantains. It can all be washed down with a beer, like the ones from D&D Brewery a watering hole located near the northwestern lakeshore that also arranges boat rentals and excursions in the area The brewery is also a restaurant and lodge – a nice place to spend the night after a few drinking a few pints A short drive in Tela will lead you to one of the largest botanical gardens in all of Latin America. Lancetilla Jardín Botánico is named after the lancetilla mango tree of northern Honduras Originally a private biological research center to study optimal tropical fruit production the gardens are now open to the public with walking trails Beyond the gardens’ impressive bamboo tunnel there are hundreds of flora species to admire – some medicinal and some potentially deadly Just under two hours eastbound and you’ll arrive at Honduras’ third largest city, La Ceiba nicknamed la novia de Honduras (the girlfriend of Honduras) for its seaside charm but it too has a legacy of banana production But bananas aren’t the iconic food in town the unofficial national street food found all over the country meat and/or eggs (and optional avocado) was the perfect quick bite for banana plantation workers is where you’ll find the famed rows of baleada stalls all lined up along 'La Línea,' the former rail line used to transport bananas About 30 minutes off the coast of La Ceiba via motorboat, you'll find the Cayos Cochinos, the 'hog islands' located between Roatán and the mainland There are two main islands in the archipelago but one cay – Cayo Chachahuate – is home to Caribbean locals It’s a nice place to lunch on fish and observe The protected Mesoamerican Barrier Reef – one of the largest coral reef systems in the world and an ideal place to spot wildlife such as nurse shares and spotted eagle rays – is big draw for scuba divers. Dives can be arranged at the Turtle Bay Eco Resort on Cayo Grande. https://shop.lonelyplanet.com/categories/honduras?utf8=%E2%9C%93&category=honduras successfully repatriated 136 juvenile tortoises to the Cinco Cerros area on Isabela Island’s Cerro Azul volcano the only place where populations from Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul volcanoes coexist Their journey begins at the Arnaldo Tupiza Chamaidan Breeding and Rearing Center in Captivity on Isabela Island where dedicated park rangers ensured their well-being and development from birth These tortoises have reached optimal conditions to take a crucial step in the exciting journey back to their home where they can enjoy a life in their natural state 136 tortoises were transported via helicopter to their destination in the picturesque south of Isabela Island under strict safety standards The financial support provided by passionate advocates of conservation made it possible to safely move these tortoises via helicopter which is a crucial tool that has enhanced our transport capacity for this species the only alternative would be to transport them by sea and then carry them on shoulders across several kilometers of lava fields and challenging terrain This would be an immensely challenging task that would take a long time and multiple expeditions that funded this means of transportation have played a crucial role in overcoming these challenges ensuring the ongoing success of our conservation initiative The repatriation of tortoises to Isabela Island plays a crucial part in restoring the ecological balance Tortoises are primary herbivores that actively participate in shaping the landscape and dispersing seeds These are crucial factors in maintaining ecosystem stability emphasized that “we need to remain vigilant because this species is under threat from invasive species we will continue to closely monitor the situation” The successful repatriation of this new group of 136 juvenile turtles to their home in Isabela marks a crucial milestone in our conservation mission in Galápagos The collaboration between the Galápagos National Park Directorate and Galápagos Conservancy has played a crucial role in overcoming logistical challenges and ensuring the safe transportation of these valuable species by helicopter This accomplishment highlights the significance of being vigilant towards any threats to biodiversity We would like to express our gratitude towards all the passionate supporters of conservation who have actively contributed to this campaign Your ongoing commitment and financial support are essential in creating a secure and well-balanced future for the giant tortoises 2008 12:16 AMCurrent Cerro Azul eruption overThe latest reports from Cerro Azul in the Galapagos indicate that the current eruption that started last week is over The volcano erupted from Thursday to Sunday and produced lava flows that travelled 10 km from the vent It is hard to tell from the report if this is the […]Save this storySaveSave this storySave It is the essential source of information and ideas that make sense of a world in constant transformation The WIRED conversation illuminates how technology is changing every aspect of our lives—from culture to business The breakthroughs and innovations that we uncover lead to new ways of thinking The alpha male arrived in 1933 as part of an effort to help preserve the giant tortoises that live on Cerro Azul Volcano on Isabela Island At more than 150 years old, San Diego’s oldest resident – a Galápagos tortoise called Speed – died on Friday, according to the San Diego Zoo Speed arrived at the San Diego Zoo in 1933 as part of an effort to help preserve the giant tortoises that live on Cerro Azul volcano on Isabela Island the zoo has struggled to keep Speed alive through hydrotherapy “He had some severe arthritis, and it just came down to a quality of life question,” Jonny Carlson, who has taken care of Speed for the past two and a half years, told The San Diego Union-Tribune “We’ve been wrestling with that for a couple months now [Euthanization] was what we decided on because there was no fixing the problem Speed, described as an alpha male who would butt heads with other males in dominance skirmishes, was part of a breeding program that produced 90 tortoises. With Speed gone, 13 Galápagos tortoises remain at the zoo. Read moreProbably the most famous Galápagos tortoise was Lonesome George a male Pinta Island tortoise who passed away in 2012 Since all attempts to get George to mate with other giant tortoises failed And while scientists were not able to preserve the Pinta Island tortoises they have managed to save other giant tortoises – like the subspecies from the Española Island – from extinction “We saved a species from the brink of extinction and now can step back out of the process. The tortoises can care for themselves,” said James Gibbs a vertebrate conservation biology professor at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry in partnership with the Galápagos National Park Directorate (GNPD) is undertaking an ambitious project in which the first comprehensive census was conducted of two populations of Cerro Azul Giant Tortoises (Chelonoidis vicina) on Isabela Island A total of 2,222 tortoises endemic to Cerro Azul Volcano were marked and evaluated over a 10-day period Director of Conservation for Galápagos Conservancy and its partner Conservando Galápagos stated that although the population status of this species has been affected by the presence of invasive species “the results of the expedition have been positive and provide valuable information about the number and physical condition of the tortoises General Director of Galápagos Conservancy and its partner Conservando Galápagos said that the team used the mark-recapture method took measurements and weights of the tortoises and attached satellite tracking devices to learn about aspects of their natural history Blood samples were taken to determine the phylogenetic relationships among the different tortoise populations on the volcano and feces samples were taken to study their diet and contribution to seed dispersal Galápagos Conservancy is committed to strengthening conservation efforts for this species and protecting it from the threats posed by invasive species Conducting scientific expeditions to remote locations like Cerro Azul Volcano is crucial to understanding the population status of Giant Tortoises and ensuring the conservation of this species found nowhere else in the world Tortugas gigantes de Galápagos: Primer censo integral de poblaciones poco conocidas en Isabela en conjunto con la Dirección del Parque Nacional Galápagos llevan a cabo un ambicioso proyecto en el que se realizó el primer censo integral de dos poblaciones de tortugas gigantes de la especie Chelonoidis vicina endémica del volcán Cerro Azul en la isla Isabela Un total de 2222 tortugas fueron marcadas y evaluadas en un periodo de 10 días Director de Conservación de Galápagos Conservancy y su filial Conservando Galápagos indicó que el estado poblacional de esta especie ha sido afectado por la presencia de especies invasoras como la guayaba y los cerdos ferales pero asegura que “los resultados de la expedición han sido positivos y permiten tener información valiosa sobre el número y condición física de los quelonios el Director General de Galápagos Conservancy y su filial Conservando Galápagos dijo que la metodología utilizada por la expedición fue la marcación recaptura se tomaron medidas morfométricas y peso de las tortugas y se colocaron dispositivos de rastreo satelital para conocer aspectos de su historia natural y se tomaron muestras de sangre para determinar las relaciones filogenéticas entre las diferentes poblaciones de tortugas en el volcán y de heces para estudiar su dieta y contribución a la dispersión de semillas” Galápagos Conservancy está comprometido a fortalecer los esfuerzos de conservación de esta especie y protegerla de las amenazas que representan las especies invasoras La realización de expediciones científicas a lugares remotos como este es fundamental para conocer el estado de la población de las tortugas y así garantizar la conservación de esta especie única en el mundo in Serrania La Lindosa -which had been declared Protected Archaeological Site of Colombia last May-in the Amazonian jungle department of Guaviare Deep inside the lush green and humid Amazonia jungle a sinewing path stops abruptly in front of a giant rock face decorated with ancient paintings of anacondas indigenous Colombians have been illustrating their mythology in rock art but these national treasures laid hidden -- and preserved -- during decades of war between government forces and Marxist rebels a strategic area that armed groups continue to fight over lies a UNESCO World Heritage site national park in which the Serrania de Chiribiquete table top mountains stand tall like giant drums The rock frescoes adorning their sides occupy an invaluable place in the understanding of Amazonian settlement "It was very difficult to work in the Guaviare because it was the epicenter.. of the war these last 50 years," Ernesto Montenegro general manager at Colombia's Anthropology and History Institute (ICANH) "Although there were exploration missions at the start of the 20th century they stopped because of the (precarious) situation." Since the 2016 peace accord that ended the war with FARC guerillas adventurers have ventured forth once again to try to decipher the secrets of the ritual drawings some of which date back at least 12,000 years The area is sacred to the indigenous people of the jungle and not everyone has the right to even approach the rock art "Only wise men are worthy of entering sacred sites The common mortals should not even allow their thoughts to wander in," said Andres Lopez as he traipsed through mud to a rock painting spanning 30 meters (100 feet) in height and 100 meters in length That site lies an hour by jeep away from the village of Raudal in the Guaviare department an area known for coca plantations and cocaine production that once marked the front line between government soldiers and FARC rebels where military vessels mounted with machine guns still patrol surrounded by right-wing paramilitaries until 2000 remains the stronghold of the First Front -- former FARC dissidents who refuse to disarm Montenegro says that doesn't stop archeologists returning to Guaviare insisting they are "benefitting from the peace process" that ended the decades-long guerrilla war impose territorial limits -- but seem unopposed to the study of cultural relics that remain little-known in the country This area was declared a "protected archeological site" by the culture ministry at the end of May which also organized the first international mission to the site alongside the French Institute for Andean Studies (IFEA) There's still a lot to discover," said IFEA anthropologist Celine Valadeau for which "there is photographic evidence.. but it hasn't been possible to find them because back then there wasn't any GPS" and the existing maps are imprecise she says while displaying pictures of dancers Even carbon dating cannot shed light on when the drawings created with a mineral mixture rich in manganese that turns orange once oxidized The only indications come from the ashes of fires burned by the artists in front of the rock faces this area was declared a World Heritage Site at the start of this month -- the ninth such listing in Colombia Spanning an area of 2.7 million hectares (6.7 million acres) Chiribiquete is Colombia's largest natural park and the UNESCO listing was vital to protect the area from oil and mineral prospectors It is the home to some 70,000 pictograms but just as importantly to the Chiribiquete emerald hummingbird seen as the only endemic species in the Colombian Amazon the big cat only found in the Americas that is threatened by the loss of its habitat due to deforestation The artwork is made up of thousands of pictures painted towards the end of the last Ice Age and even now-extinct animals like giant sloths This amazing site was first discovered by archeologists in 2017 but the discovery was kept generally under wraps for a long time because the researchers at the site were working to make a documentary on the find titled Jungle Mystery: Lost Kingdoms of the Amazon with the BBC’s Channel 4 There has also been a long struggle accessing the site and others like it due to political unrest and armed conflicts in Colombia This is not the first such discovery of this nature in the Colombian Amazon Many of these newly-revealed are near to or part of Cerro Azul (pictured above) which was made a world heritage site in May of 2018 an archaeologist on the project told the Guardian: “The new site is so new they haven’t even given it a name yet.” Many of the friezes are in incredibly remote locations only reachable on foot and in a jungle full of snakes and other predators The discovery of these amazing ancient works was made by a joint team of British and Colombian archeologists funded by the European Research Council professor of archaeology at Exeter University “and a leading expert on the Amazon and pre-Columbian history,” according to The Guardian Iriarte explained the extent of the work and how much they are discovering: your emotions flow … We’re talking about several tens of thousands of paintings It’s going to take generations to record them … Every turn you do it’s a new wall of paintings … We started seeing animals that are now extinct The pictures are so natural and so well made that we have few doubts that you’re looking at a horse At the time these were created, the Amazon was changing and looked much different than the lush, dense forest we know today. Millenia ago when these artists used red ochre (a substance used across the globe by paleolithic and neolithic people) to adorn these rock walls the Amazon was likely comprised of savannah Researchers have a good idea of how these paintings were made The rock on which they were painted was probably “exfoliated” by fire and many of the paintings are so high up that the artists would have needed ladders to get to the area But so many of the paintings were made in areas with rocky overhangs that they have been protected and preserved for thousands of years The art also may show how these ancients viewed nature and what role the spirits of these plants and animals played in their belief systems “It’s interesting to see that many of these large animals appear surrounded by small men with their arms raised almost worshipping these animals … For Amazonian people non-humans like animals and plants have souls and they communicate and engage with people in cooperative or hostile ways through the rituals and shamanic practices that we see depicted in the rock art.” If you wish to see more about this ancient art the docuseries on the discovery of this art and site Jungle Mystery: Lost Kingdoms of the Amazon will hit the BBC this Friday but the rock art won’t be covered until the second episode (images: DIANA SANCHEZ/AFP via Getty Images) Want more stories like this? 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