Animals in Ecuador

Be prepared to find animals almost everywhere with the exception of cats. While there are a few cats here and there, dogs are everywhere. There are many rumors why there are so few cats but it is clear that they are not popular. Many dogs are without homes and wander in packs yet stay in their own neighborhood. They don’t appear dangerous and people feed them and grow to accept their presence. Domestic dogs are predominately Golden Retrievers and small poodle types. In town, we often see a person walking his goats on long rope leashes right on the city sidewalks. Shepherds, often young children around ten years old or so, herd three to five cows, prodding them forward with switches along the median of the Autopista, or into the grassy parks, or along the side of the road so the cattle can forage for tall grass. Sheep, goats and chickens wander around the yards near the city and around almost every home in the mountains. Here in the Sierra, there are beautiful wild birds though not as plentiful as we are used to. Humming birds are a national treasure with dozens of varieties and if you have some grounds, sugar feeders are the way to keep them visiting. Only a few hours away, a visit to the Amazon region or the coast will reveal completely different species than we have here in the mountains. Ecuador has the reputation of having the most animal and plant diversity per square mile of any country on Earth.