Bioparque Los Ocarros

Los Ocarros keeps only species from the Orinoquia, the vast plains and river systems that cover eastern Colombia, which makes it far more useful than a general zoo if you are travelling in the llanos and want to know what you might see. The collection runs to jaguars, pumas, ocelots, tapirs, capybaras, giant anteaters, caiman, anacondas, river turtles and a long list of llanos birds, laid out along a shaded circuit with ponds and open enclosures. The park takes its name from the ocarro, the giant armadillo, which is rarely seen in the wild and is one of the animals kept here.

What you actually see

• The giant armadillo - the ocarro the park is named after, seldom seen in the wild.
• Llanos predators - jaguar, puma and ocelot in forested enclosures.
• River species - caiman, anaconda, turtles and otters around the ponds.
• Orinoquia birds - herons, storks, macaws and raptors of the plains.

When to go

Open year round; go early, since Villavicencio is hot and humid and both animals and visitors flag by midday. Weekends and Colombian school holidays fill it with family groups. The dry season from December to March keeps the paths in better condition, though rain here tends to be heavy and brief rather than all day.

Honest expectations

It is a regional zoo, not a large one, and two hours covers it. Enclosures vary in quality, with some of the cat and bird spaces noticeably small and dated. Signage is in Spanish only. The heat is heavy from mid morning, shade is uneven along the circuit, and many animals are asleep and out of sight through the middle of the day.

Nearby

Villavicencio, the llanos cattle plains and the mountain road down from Bogota.