We’re going to Peru! Tambopata National Reserve

As some of you know, I am traveling to Peru over Spring Break with an honors service learning course (HONOR 493H) through Penn State Harrisburg. We will be visiting for a total of ten days: four of them will be spent at an Ecotourism Lodge in the Rainforest, another three spent in a rural town called Puerto Maldonado where we will be doing research with National Geographic (my dream!), and the last three will be spent in the capital city of Lima. It’s going to be a whirlwind of a trip!

To mentally prepare and excite myself for the trip, as well as change the pace of my usual passion blog, I’ve decided to investigate Peru’s National Parks.

Peru has taken many actions over the years to protect its incredible biodiversity. Toady, this country in South America boasts 12 National Parks, 9 national sanctuaries, 4 historical sanctuaries, 15 national reserves, 3 wildlife refuges, 2 landscape reserves, 8 communal reserves, 6 protected forests, 2 hunting enclosed lands and 14 reserved zones. Visiting all of these area’s in your lifetime is a lofty goal, even for a native Peruvian, so I want to focus on one of the national reserves that I will be visiting on my trip: The Tambopata National Reserve.

 Tambopata National Reserve

Tambopata-Peru-Map

Location: Peru, Madre de Dios Region, Tambopata Reserve (Southern part of the Rainforest and Amazon Basin)

Established: 1977, expanded in 1990

Area: 5,000 hectares of lowland Rainforest, over 1 million hectares total

Why Visit? To experience the Rainforest!!


 

The Tambopata National Reserve is about as remote as it gets. The jungle here has been essentially untouched throughout history, and thus it harbors some of the most spectacular diversity throughout all of Peru. If you’re lucky, you may encounter some rare large mammals such as the Jaguar, Giant Anteater, and Amazon Tapir, pictured below.

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This area is also known for its wide distribution and abundance of bird species. I’m hoping to get some close interaction with a few Macaw species, and also possibly contribute to the Macaw Project while in Peru. This research focuses on the ecology and preservation of Macaws in the southeastern lowland Rainforests of Peru.

 

Macaws on a Clay Lick

Macaws at the Tambopata Clay Lick

Another unique aspect of the Tambopata National Reserve is that it contains a unique habitat- Oxbow Lakes. This water ecosystem is home to the Giant River Otters, social creatures that are often spotted by visitors. The Giant River Otters are one of many endangered species that live on this reserve, which only reiterates Tambopata National Reserve’s importance as an established protected area of Peru for visitors to enjoy and for biodiversity to thrive.

http://macawproject.org

http://www.perunature.com/bahuaja-sonene-national-park.html

http://www.perunature.com/tambopata-national-reserve.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_protected_areas_of_Peru

One thought on “We’re going to Peru! Tambopata National Reserve

  1. This sounds like a super exciting spring break, Maddie! It is nice to hear that countries like Peru are doing their best to protect the ecosystem for generations to come. and the Tambopata National Reserve appears to be doing an excellent job of preserving the natural beauty of Peru. There seems to be a unique range of wildlife in the area, as well as great sites to see. Hope you have a great time there and I look forward to you blogging about your adventures!

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