The monastery was built in 1773 and has a educational past as it was used a boarding school for boys where past Brazilian presidents once studied, but today its emphasis is on environmental education. There is a wealth of history about the site found in the ruin of the old school where an interesting museum and library are found.
The protected area is about 43 square miles and is a natural ecotone where the two habitats of cerrado and Atlantic rainforest meet. The reserve is also within the 1 billion year old Serra Do Mar mountain range which stretches along the eastern edge of Brazil and home to many endemics. The monastery is among the mountains and at an altitude of 1,250 m.
The biggest highlight of the reserve is the maned wolf. In 1982 the priests noticed regular damage to the rubbish bins and began to leave out food to stop animals from causing a mess. This then lead to one of the priests leaving a tray of chicken out to watch the wolves coming to feed, and it has now become a nightly ritual. Over the 2 nights we spent on the patio outside 2 different wolves came to feed on the chicken sometimes less than a meter away from us. They give onlookers a good look up and down before grabbing a mouth-full and disappearing back into the darkness.
Maned wolves
A short trail leading through Atlantic forest called the Tanque Grande trail was the trail we did most as this is the best location for seeing the masked titi monkey. In the mornings they are vocalising to other troops and the sound can travel a long distance making them easier to locate. We found 3 different troops showing extremely well.
Masked titi monkey
Caraca has a good population of the guianan squirrel which we saw quite easily on the trails and around the car park.
Guianan squirrel
We also decided to try a few night drives but because the forest is so close to the road it is very difficult to spotlight, but we did see crab-eating fox, Brazilian tapir and a juvenile Brazilian porcupine at night.
Crab-eating fox
Brazilian porcupine
Brazilian tapir
The birdlife at Caraca is also very exciting as there are many range-restricted species present. In the forest around Tanque Grande we found highlights including: white-bibbed antbird, pin-tailed and blue manakins, serra-do mar tyrant manakin, rufous gnateater, white-rimmed warbler, golden-crowned warbler, white-bellied warbler, crested oropendola, chestnut-headed tanager, gilt-edged tanager, hepatic tanager, swallow tanager, yellow-legged thrush, surucua trogon, lineated woodpecker and green-winged saltator.
In the higher areas and cerrado habitats we found hyacinth visorbearer, sapphire-spangled emerald, scaly headed parrot, highland elenia, mottle-cheeked tyrannulet, hangnest tody tyrant, velvety black tyrant, sooty-fronted spinetail, pale-throated pampa finch and around the vegetable garden and pond slaty breasted wood-rail, blackish rail and dusky legged guan.
Beautiful!!!
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