Caldas Cloud Forest: Orchids, Bears & Condors
The cloud forests of Caldas above Manizales are among the world's most biodiverse — the orchid diversity, the spectacled bears, and the Andean condor all inhabit the forests and páramo accessible from the city
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Caldas Orchid Diversity
The department of Caldas has over 1,200 orchid species — the cloud forest above Manizales is one of the richest orchid habitats in the world; the combination of high rainfall, different substrates and the altitude gradient create the conditions for extraordinary orchid diversity
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Spectacled Bear in Caldas Cloud Forest
The spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus) — South America's only bear — lives in the cloud forests above 2,000 m in Caldas; the bears are tracked by researchers from the University of Manizales; images from camera traps regularly capture them as they forage in the cloud forest
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Andean Condor Soaring
The Andean condor - with a wingspan of up to 3.2 m - soars in the warmth above the Caldas mountains; the condors released as part of the national recovery program are sometimes visible from the Manizales Cyprus viewpoint as they ride the thermal currents
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Bromeliads and Epiphytes
The cloud forest above Manizales has an extraordinary density of epiphytes - bromeliads, mosses, ferns and orchids cover every surface; the accumulation of water in bromeliad tanks creates micro-ecosystems of frogs, insects and invertebrates
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Mountain Tapir
The mountain tapir (Tapirus pinchaque) — the smallest and most endangered tapir species — lives in the cloud forest-páramo transition zone above Manizales; the animal's thick woolly fur (for the cold at high altitude), the tapir tribe and its rarity make it an extraordinary wildlife encounter
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HUMBOLDT RESEARCH
The Humboldt Institute – Colombia's biodiversity research organization – has a program in the Caldas cloud forest documenting the effects of climate change on the cloud forest's species distribution; the research from above Manizales is internationally cited in climate biology