If you navigate a boat down Pᴇʀᴜ’s huge Madre De Dios River or one of its tributaries in the western Amazon basin, you might notice the river banks are speckled with vivid reds and blues: this is prime macaw habitat.
The rainbow-hued parrots congregate on these slopes with other bird species to sample the sodium-rich soil. Numerous tourists flock to see the colorful show, and one group of bird-watching enthusiasts was treated to a particularly rare glimpse at the beginning of the year.
During a visit to the Banquillo clay lick, the group marveled at a red-and-green macaw’s brilliant plumage from a hidden hide while they watched as an ocelot pounced on the parrot and pulled the flailing bird up the clay bank and into the dense jungle beyond.
Darwin Moscoso, a tour guide from Tambo Blanquillo Lodge, which is located outside of the renowned Manu National Park in the area, was fortunate enough to film the meeting. Ocelots are found throughout the world, from northern Aʀɢᴇɴᴛɪɴᴀ and Uʀᴜɢᴜᴀʏ to South Texas, but seeing one on the prowl is a rare treat due to the cat’s renown for eluding observers.