Their wildlife encounter was just one of many that regularly occurs on the assorted foot paths through the refuge's primary and secondary rainforest.
I had time to wander through the onsite orchid gallery and butterfly garden before my morning zip-line canopy tour. Velvety wings flitted about as morphos and monarchs danced from one fragrant flower to the next. At the tour center, I joined a group of seven other travelers who, like me, were ready for a shot of adrenaline.
Never touted as the fastest or longest canopy tour, the Flight of the Toucan focused more on wildlife encounters. There was a fair amount of hiking between platforms, allowing our guides ample time to point out flora and fauna. 
Locally-raised, our guides knew the forest well and kept our interest piqued with their extensive knowledge. We followed a stream of leaf-cutter ants as they carried foliage back to their massive nests, where tenacious soldiers guarded the perimeter with piercing pincers. We walked beneath towering fig stranglers and spiny-cypress, its thorns an obvious adaptation against predators.
A few people in our group were also joining a tree-climbing tour later that day. Zip-lines I can handle, but scaling 117-foot trees with nothing more than a rope and harness demanded a certain level of aerial bravado I've yet to achieve. I instead chose to hike a few of the nature trails before returning to Baru beach in time for a stellar sunset.
