In Search of the North Andean Deer (“La Taruka”) at Condor Valley
by Dr. Michael Wisdom, Research Biologist, USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, La Grande OR US and Dr. Ricardo Ojeda, Research Mammalogist, National Council for Science and Technology of Argentina, CONICET, Mendoza, Argentina Condor Valley supports one of the most elusive and unique species of wildlife in all of Argentina. The North Andean deer (Hippocamelus antisensis), better known as the “taruka,” is a rare and little-known deer species that occupies high-elevation mountain grasslands of the Andes in southern Peru, southwestern Bolivia, northeastern Chile, and...
Read MoreThe Condors of ‘Condor Valley’
It was our first day in the Condor Valley back-country (see Taruka Expedition timeline). After a four hour ride Gustavo and I were climbing the knife edge ridge that towers at the back of the Peusto to take in the land. The ridge had narrowed to a sheer band of rock that is about a meter wide and inclines steeply to the summit. I was concentrating on a bit of technical scrambling when Gustavo pointed upwards and whispered a warning, “Euell, cuidado”. Not five meters overhead circled two condors. With their dark heads tracking us even as they continued in their gyre, it was clear the...
Read MoreTaruka Expedition Timeline
6 October: Ride four hours from La Bodega to El Peusto on horseback with Martin, Bruno, Jose, Gustavo, and two pack horses. Chicken and beef Asado over a campfire for lunch with boxed wine. Climb a nearby peak in the afternoon to take in the landscape. Condors watch us overhead. Drink mate with coca and local herbs before turning in for the night. Sleep on leather bound cots with our horse blankets for padding. 7 October: Wake early to watch Jose round up the horses. After coffee and some leather repairs we ride from El Peusto to El Ojo de Agua. The trail is steep and difficult, choked...
Read MoreThe Birds of Condor Valley: Illustrations
A collections of sketches showing the birds of the region. A variety of hunting opportunities and a bird lovers dream.
Read MoreBird Sounds of Condor Valley
Recordings made by Andrew Scott Birds at the River Birds at Dawn There is an incredible diversity of bird life in the beautiful Condor Valley. Andrew Scott recorded these during his trip in January 2007.. Here we bring you the truly beautiful symphony of their song straight from the source. The first example was recorded at 6am when the dawn chorus is at its richest and most sonorous. The second was recorded along the banks of the river and the adjoining fields in the heat of the mid-morning. Close your eyes and bathe in the beauty of this natural music, and...
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