Wildlife at Iguazú Falls: Coatis, Toucans and Why You Must Not Feed Them
4 min read
You will probably meet coatis on the walkways, you may hear toucans, and you should not count on seeing anything else. The one firm rule is the same everywhere: do not feed the animals. The forest around the falls is a protected area, and the animals there are wild, however used to visitors some of them look.
What lives here
Argentina’s national parks administration lists, for the Argentine park, caí monkeys, coatis, serelepe squirrels, toucans, colourful fruit-eating birds, noisy jays and an occasional margay, plus agoutis, brocket deer and caimans (Parque Nacional Iguazú, biodiversity). The page says about 450 bird species have been recorded, and that a jaguar can be guessed at from its tracks. That last line is about tracks, not about sightings.
What the Brazilian park asks of you
The Brazilian park’s rules page says not to feed the animals and to observe them from a distance. It adds a warning about coatis: they are used to people, but they may advance toward you looking for food while you eat. It also asks you to stay on the marked trails, keep the noise down, take no animals, plants, rocks or seeds out of the park, and put rubbish in the bins or take it with you. (Cataratas do Iguaçu, rules). The Argentine park’s visitor advice says the same: do not touch or feed wild animals, and use only the open walkways and trails (Iguazú Argentina, times and advice). Its FAQ adds that feeding them is prohibited and names the places set aside for eating, in the Patio de Servicios and at the train stations (Iguazú Argentina, FAQ). The sensible habits follow from that: keep snacks zipped in a bag, eat in those places, and do not hold food out.
Where you are most likely to see animals
The Bird Park tour from Foz do Iguaçu takes 6 hours and costs €37.44, rated 4.9 out of 5 from 189 reviews. Its page says the park shows mainly Atlantic Forest birds in spacious enclosures built to resemble their habitat, and it is frank about the national park: many animals live there, but the thick forest can make them hard to spot. Our guide to the Parque das Aves explains how to fit it into a day, and the Bird Park and Brazilian falls tour from Puerto Iguazú costs €41.
On the Argentine side, the page of the Argentine falls day tour from Puerto Iguazú describes the Macuco trail as a self-guided walk into the jungle, to the territory of caí monkeys and a 23-metre waterfall at the Arrechea stream. The tour costs €22.28 and takes 12 hours. The park itself gives the trail as 7,600 metres there and back and about 180 minutes. It is open from 8 am to 3 pm, park rangers open or close it depending on the weather, so ask when you arrive, and it is not wheelchair accessible (Sendero Macuco).
The full-day tour with a safari ride and boat lasts 9 hours and costs €155.99, rated 4.3 out of 5 from 20 reviews. Its page says the guide helps you spot toucans, parrots and coatis, and its inclusions list a safari truck ride, the boat, a dry bag and the park entrance fee, although the itinerary marks the falls stop “extra fee”, so ask which is right. It lists children under 12, pregnant women, people with back, heart or mobility problems, wheelchair users and people with vertigo under “not suitable for”.
The four tours side by side:
| Tour | Starts | Duration | Price | Wildlife, according to the page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bird Park tour from Foz do Iguaçu | Foz do Iguaçu | 6 hours | €37.44 | Mainly Atlantic Forest birds at the Bird Park; animals in the national park are hard to spot |
| Bird Park and Brazilian falls from Puerto Iguazú | Puerto Iguazú | 7 hours | €41 | Toucans, macaws, red corocoros and flamingos at the Bird Park |
| Argentine falls day tour | Puerto Iguazú | 12 hours | €22.28 | Macuco trail on your own, into the caí monkeys’ territory |
| Full day with safari ride and boat | Puerto Iguazú | 9 hours | €155.99 | The guide helps you spot toucans, parrots and coatis |
Our advice
Treat wildlife as a bonus. If animals are the reason for the trip, book the Bird Park, where birds are on show; if you walk the falls on your own, take the Macuco trail if the rangers have it open (it closes at 3 pm) and keep your voice down. On any route, the best thing you can do for a coati is to leave your lunch in the bag. The Gran Aventura or Macuco Safari guide covers the forest ride and boat options.
