SUMMARY
Manu National Park
Manu National Park– One of the largest tropical parks in South America. Located in the Southeast region of Peru, nestled in recent Andean buttresses department of Cusco and Madre de Dios jungle. It covers an area of 2 million square hectares of a territory rich in flora and fauna with a variety of habitats Andean, high Andean, tropical and subtropical.
This natural paradise recognized by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve; houses the largest biodiversity in protected areas of rainforest and several endemic species of the cloud forest. Given that many of these forests around the globe are being impacted by human actions, we are fortunate to have an almost Manu intact, untouched by civilization, where we can still observe in their habitat native species in imminent danger of extinction such as the Giant River Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), Black Caiman (Melanosuchus niger), the majestic Jaguar (Panthera onca), the strange Spectacled Bear (Tremarctos ornatus), and other animals like Tapir , Ocelot, thirteen species of primates, and over a thousand species of birds, including 7 species of macaws (Ara Sp.)
To this we should add that this reserve is home to 10% of the species vegetable world.
including fine wood trees and countless species of medicinal plants that are being newly cataloged and placed at service science. In one hectare of forest in Manu can have up to 220 species of trees, while one the same size in Europe or America, there are only 20. Without a mistake Manu National Park is probably the area protected richest biodiversity around the globe.
COUNTRY: Peru
NAME: Manú National Park
NATURAL WORLD HERITAGE SITE -Park – Nature Park, Wilderness Area, Protected Area
- 1987: Inscribed on the World Heritage List under Natural Criteria ix and x.
- 2009: Extended slightly under the same criteria to include the National Park.
INTERNATIONAL DESIGNATION –
- 1977: Designated a Biosphere Reserve under the UNESCO Man & Biosphere Programme (1,881,200 ha).
IUCN MANAGEMENT CATEGORY: II National Park
BIOGEOGRAPHICAL PROVINCE: Amazonia / Yungas / Puna (8.5.1 / 8.35.12 / 8.36.12)
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION:Reserve – Sanctuary, Wildlife Reserve, Conservation Area
The Park lies in the southeastern Peruvian Andes 70 km directly northeast of Cusco, covering most of the Manú River catchment from the crest of the Cordillera de Carabaya to the rainforests of the Amazon basin, between 71o
10’ to 72o 22’W and 11 o 17’ to 13 o 11’S.
DATES AND HISTORY OF ESTABLISHMENT:
- 1968: The Manú area first declared a Nature Reserve.
- 1973: The National Park established by Supreme Decree No 644-73-AG;
- 1977: Designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve with surrounding protected areas;
- 1980: The Manu Reserved Zone established by Supreme Resolution No.151-1980;
- 2002: The National Park enlarged by the Manu and Amarakaeri Reserves to 215,537.74 ha;
- 2009: The site boundary in the east slightly amended to include the whole of the National Park.
ITINERARY
Reserve – Sanctuary, Wildlife Reserve, Conservation Area
Park – Nature Park, Wilderness Area, Protected Area
Manu – (This is a proper noun, but you might refer to it in context as “Amazon,” “Peruvian rainforest,” or “Biodiversity hotspot.”)