Trond Larsen was dark - search for rare frog and insect in the Lost Cityrecently discoveredwithin Honduras ’ Mosquitia Rainforest when his headlight illume something surprising : a curious black puma . Larsen , a researcher who lead this February 2017 expedition into the so - called Lost City of the Monkey God , walk away from the encounter unscathed , but that puma was but a bite of the impressiveness Larsen and his team would detect .
This remote region isteemingwith life — some of which was believed extinct .
Conservation International ’s Rapid Assessment Program , of which Larsen is director , led a team of scientist into the lowland rainforest where the Lost City is locate from February 14 to 25 . Also call La Ciudad Blanca or the White City , the Lost City may date back to A.D. 1400 , and was build by a cryptic civilization archaeologists still do n’t have a name for . It had been a fabulous wonder for years until an expeditionconfirmedits creation in 2015 .
A venomous Eyelash Viper!Photo: Trond Larsen (Conservation International)
https://gizmodo.com/found-a-legendary-lost-civilization-buried-in-the-hond-1689184753
Larsen told Earther that the region is “ so exceptional archaeologically and culturally ” that his team start to wonder what other secrets it might be hide .
“ Are there like biological treasures in the area ? ” Larsen said . “ That could , of course , provide further reasoning for increase tribute and direction across the broad landscape . ”
A Great Green MacawPhoto: Carlos Funes (Conservation International)
turn out , there are ! Larsen and other scientists traveled to the Ciudad de Jaguar , or City of the Jaguar , one of the ancient settlement within the Lost City . They conducted surveys within 2 knot of their base camp where they spotted three species that were antecedently think out , including the pale - faced bat , a brown - furred little guy that features an upright honker . The squad may have even discovered a novel species of molly , a poeciliid Pisces that give birth to live progeny .
The research worker also observed 22 species that had never before been seen in Honduras . The endangered Great Green Macaw , whose striking gullible feathering may help it blend it among the tree , was one of them . A group of blank - lipped musk hog , which bet like black hogs , was roaming the area despite their universe being reduced to just 13 pct of its historic range today . The presence of such animals also provides ample fair game for predators like jaguars and panther .
This realm of the world is dealing with a payload of threat , from poach to illegal oxen ranching . It seems the Ciudad de Jaguar ’s biodiversity has remained unhurt so far , likely protect by its rugged and unconscionable terrain . ( To get into the site , the team had to fly in and out by chopper ; the weather always factored into their travel programme as the fog could dim the eggbeater , too . ) However , those threats are slow encroach , say Larsen . That ’s why it ’s important this region receive the proper protection .
Look at all those white-lipped peccaries!Photo: Travis King, John Polisar, Manfredo Turcios (Washington State University, Panthera, Wildlife Conservation Society, Zamorano University, Honduran Forest Conservation Institute)
The urban center baby-sit within theRío Plátano Biosphere Reserve , the area ’s large protected area , so farming use is supposed to be managed . The sad reality , however , is that people are n’t deterred by arbitrary borders that dictate which trees they can or can not cut . Getting even more trade protection for the land site might first need even more research , though .
Luckily for the Lost City , the Kaha Kamasa Foundation wasfoundedlast year with the hopes of continuing inquiry , protection , and management of the area . International preservation groups and the Honduran governing are leading this travail because , well , it ’s not every day biologist find a newfangled region so rich in wildlife . specially these days .
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