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The jagged peaks of the Maya Mountains rise to the west of the Southern Highway, their lower slopes covered in dense rainforest. The tallest summits are those of the Cockscomb range, which includes Victoria Peak (1120m), the second highest mountain in Belize. Beneath the ridges is a vast bowl of rainforest, over four hundred square kilometres of which is protected by the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary - better known as the Jaguar Reserve . The basin's luxuriant vegetation is home to a sizeable percentage of Belize's plant and animal species, including tapirs, otters, anteaters, armadillos and, of course, jaguars. Over 290 species of bird have also been recorded, including the endangered scarlet macaw, the great curassow and the king vulture, and there's an abundance of amphibians and reptiles, including the red-eyed tree frog and the deadly fer-de-lance. The sanctuary is reached via a rough ten-kilometre track that branches off the main highway at the village of Maya Center , running through towering forest and fording a couple of fresh, clear streams before crossing the Cabbage Hall Gap and entering the Cockscomb Basin. This area was inhabited in Maya times, and the ruins of Kuchil Balam , a small Classic-period ceremonial centre, still lie hidden in the forest. Trails have been cut to give visitors a taste of the forest's diversity, leading along the riverbanks, through the forest and even, if you're suitably prepared, on a three-day hike to Victoria Peak . The basin could be home to as many as fifty of Belize's 600-strong jaguar population , but though you'll almost certainly come across their tracks, your chances of actually seeing one are very slim.
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