Playing with birds

[highlight]Leia em Português[/highlight]

A must-do for all ages, the Bird Park (Parque das Aves) in Foz do Iguaçu is a unique experience. You can see the birds at close quarters, or better yet, get in the huge aviaries and let them come near you.

A wildlife sanctuary in 16,5 acres of an area that has already been degraded and has been recovered since 1994, when the park was created. There are a thousand birds of 130 species from all continents, besides butterflies, tortoises, anacondas, boas and yellow-bellied alligators.

In Floresta Aviary there are over a hundred birds released and the animals that live in the area of the Falls. Next, there is the aviary with a representation of Pantanal, the Alligators Lake, African Savannah and other surprises, like the Butterfly House. Foz do Iguaçu has one of the biggest biodiversities of butterflies in the world, and here they live in perfect harmony with hummingbirds. A highlight is the Macaws Aviary, where they fly really low and we have to duck. To get into the aviaries you are caged for a few minutes and can only open one door when the other is closed.

Besides interacting with the animals, I found out that the park carries out educational activities about preservation along with the community. There are projects and research in Environmental Conservation and many birds are able to reproduce in captivity, especially the endangered ones. They have even innovated by creating a system of biological filter, that keeps the lakes always clean in a sustainable way.

The tour ended with the opportunity to take a picture with a macaw on my arm and an anaconda around my neck – near the trainer, of course.