National
Parks include extensive and intangible areas which
are designated to protect and preserve the animals
and plant wildlife, and other aspects of the scenery
surrounding them.
The National Parks concentrate the most diverse
and varied ecological systems. Human Settlements
and the direct use of Natural Resources are forbidden.
Cutervo National Park
Located in San Andres district, province of Cutervo
in Cajamarca, northern Peru, between 2,200 and
3,500 mts above sea level.
It was created in 1961 for the protection of a
group of caves where a special bird in South America
lives, Guācharo (Steatornis Caripensis).
Cutervo was the first Peruvian National Park,
and it has an extension of 2500 hectares. A great
variety of animals can be found here, such as:
Spectacled bears (Tremarctos ornatus), pumas,
bats, spiders, frogs, and many species of mammals,
such as huanganas and birds like Guans among others.
There is also a large amount of plants such as
orchids, timber trees, etc.
Manu National Park
In 1997 UNESCO declared Manu a World Natural Heritage
Site and Biosphere Reserve. It is located in Cusco
and Madre de Dios Departments, in Paucartambo
and Manu Provinces (1400 km. South East Lima)
in the rain forest.
Manu has 1,532,806 hectares as National Park and
the Reserved zone (or visitor's area) has 348,394
hectares. It was established in 1973, and the
altitude is between 228 to 4000 meters above sea
level.
Manu is the largest National Park in Peru, and
it is a very significant park in the world. It
includes 10 of Peru's 34 ecological regions.
The Manu National Park and Biosphere Reserve is
located in the upper Amazon basin in South east
of the country. Presents an almost unbroken sequence
of unaltered natural habitats, ranging from high
Andean grasslands more than 400 m. above sea level
down to extensive areas of the lowland tropical
rain forest (228m. above sea level).
Around 10 % of the world's bird species can be
found in Manu. There are more than 1000 species
of birds in the park's ecosystems. This high numbers
come from Manu's location on the eastern slopes
and foothill forest of the tropical Andes, in
the extreme western Amazon basin. The Reserved
Zone contains seven out of the twelve glistering,
200 yard wide oxbow lakes created by the meandering
Manu River.
Macaws are the largest and gaudiest of the world's
species of parrots , such as blue and yellow macaw
(Ara ararauna ), scarlet macaw (Ara macao), red
and green macaw (Ara chloroptera), green and blue
macaw (Ara couloni).
There is a great number of species of birds in
the area specially surrounding the Biological
Station of Cocha Cashu in Manu.
There are thousands of species of insects, greatest
varieties of butterflies, hundreds of species
of fish (zungaro or giant catfish), unknown number
of reptiles (white caiman - caiman crocodilus),
(endangered black caiman - Melanosuchus niger),
unknown number of Amphibians, two hundred kinds
of mammals, thirteen species of monkeys (cebuella
pygmaea) smallest marmoset, (Aotus trivirgatus)
night monkey, (cebus apella) capuchin monkey,
(sanguinus imperator) emperor tamarin, among others.
In Manu the following feline can be found: (Panthera
onca) jaguar, (Tremarctos ornatus) Andean bear
or spectacled bear, (Hippocamelus antisensis )
Andean dear, etc.
Manu has an incredible diversity of flora, a great
number of orchids, different types of palm trees,
and around 5,000 species of flowering plants.
Huascaran National Park
Huascaran National Park was created in 1975. It
has 340,000 hectares, that include the entire
Cordillera Blanca and the area around Mount Huascaran.
UNESCO declared the Huascaran National Park as
a Biosphere Reserve and it was declared a World
Natural and Cultural Heritage site in 1985.
Huascaran is located in the Department of Ancash,
in Recuay, Huaraz, Carhuaz, Yungay and Huaylas
Provinces, 346 km. North of Lima at 6,770 mts.
Mountain Huascaran, the highest snow-capped peak
in Peru gave name to this National Park.
The National Park, formed by a large part of the
Cordillera Blanca, protects the high mountain
ecosystems, the abundant and diverse plant and
animal wildlife (Flora and Fauna), geological
formations, and the pre-Inca archaeological sites
(33 sites). It has a wide range of microclimates
and habitats.
Six hundred and sixty three glaciers, forty one
rivers, and more than two hundred lakes are protected
in this National Park.
Eight hundred species of plants, including the
quishuar (Budleia incana), quenua shrub (Polylepis
spp.), giant rosettes, cryptofrutices, tussock
grasses, orchids, cacti, and the world's largest
inflorescent of the giant bromeliad Puya (Puya
Raymondi that reaches 11meters can be found in
this Park. The Puya Raimondi flowers only once
in its life cycle.
One hundred and twelve species of birds (thirty
three families) are found in Huascaran, such as
the Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus), giant hummingbird
(Patagona gigas), Black-chested buzzard eagle
(Geranoaetus melanoleucus), Andean Gull (Larus
serranus), Puna ibis (Plegadis ridwayii), some
ducks like the yellow-billed pintail (Anas georgica),
crested duck (Anas specularioides), etc. Also,
ten species of mammals: Vicuņas (Vicugna vicugna),
an endangered specie of bear, spectacled bear
(Tremarctos ornatus), Andean fox (Dusicyon culpaeus),
Andean deer (Hippocamelus antisensis), white-tailed
deer (Odocoileus virginianus), mountain cat (Oreailurus
jacobita), puma (Puma concolor), vizcacha (Lagidium
peruanum).
Rio Abiseo National Park:
This National Park is located in the Department
of San Martín, in Mariscal Caceres Province. It
was created in 1983 with 274,520 hectares.
Abiseo National Park is a Natural Heritage of
Humankind. This recognition was given for its
natural and archaeological richness. There are
36 archaeological sites. The most important being
The Gran Pajaten.
Rio Abiseo National Park protects the cloud forests
ecosystem and the Yellow tailed woolly monkey
(Lagothrix flavicauda).
More than one thousand species of flora are found
here. There are around one hundred thirty two
species of birds, fifteen species of amphibians,
and also many species of mammals.
Tingo Maria National Park:
Tingo Maria National Park is located in the Province
of Leoncio Prado in the Department of Huanuco
at an altitude between 650 to 800 meters above
sea level.
This National Park was created over a land surface
of 18,000 hectares, to protect the community of
Guacharos (Steatornis caripensis), and the sleeping
Beauty's hill which is located near the Huallaga
River .
In the National Park there is a 40 m. high cave
with owls. Stalactite and stalagmite are found
inside the cave and a river flows from it.
Bahuaja Sonene National Park :
Bahuaja Sonene is a National Park created in 1996
in the Departments of Puno and Madre de Dios over
a land surface of 573, 053 hectares. This name
is given by the Ese`eja ethnic group to the Tambopata
and Ene rivers, respectively.
Bahuaja Sonene was created to protect the Tropical
forests. Thousands species of plants, one thousand
species of birds, hundreds of mammals, unknown
species of reptiles, amphibians, 1200 species
of butterfly and fishes are found in this National
Park. This rain forests shelter more plant and
animal species that elsewhere in the world, being
one of the most biodiverse zones in the planet.
Yanachaga - Chemillen National Park:
This National Park is located in Oxapampa Province
in the Department of Pasco. It has an altitude
between 200 to 4000 meters above sea level.
It was created over a land surface of 122,000
hectares to protect the ecosystem of the eastern
Andes Slopes, and preserve the high basins of
rivers Huancabamba-Pozuzo and Palcazu.
The cloud forest is the richest area of this National
Park. There are cat's claw (Uncaria tormentosa)
, orchids, sangre de grado among others. Also,
there are about one hundred species of mammals
such as the spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus),
and four hundred fifty six species of birds.
There is Yanesha Communal Reserve near the Park,
where the native community Yaheshas or Amueshas
have been protected.
