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Manu National Park, located in southeastern Peru, is one of the largest parks in South America. The area of the park encompasses parts of the Andean department of Cusco and the jungle department of Madre de Dios. Manu protects over 2 million hectares (4.5 million acres) of territory rich in flora and fauna species in a variety of habitats including high Andes, cloud forests, and lowland tropical rain forests.
Manu also contains 10% of the world’s vascular plant species, including several species of figs and palms, as well as countless species of medicinal plants that scientists are currently cataloguing. A single hectare of forest in Manu can have up to 220 species of trees, while a hectare of temperate forest in Europe or North America may only have 20 tree species.
Manu National Park may be the most biologically diverse and protected park on the planet.
Flora
More than 20,000 species. 40% of the park is Amazonian lowland tropical rainforest, including varzea, oxbow lakes, Mauritia palm swamps, and upland forest types.
Fauna
The Manú Biosphere Reserve has a very rich wildlife. Larger species of the lowland forests include jaguar, puma, ocelot, giant otter, giant anteater, southern tamandua, giant armadillo, nine-banded armadillo, brown-throated sloth, Hoffmann's two-toed sloth, Brazilian tapir, capybara, pacarana, lowland paca, collared peccary, white-lipped peccary and several deer species, like South American red brocket, and South American brown brocket. The marsh deer, actually rather a savannna animal, has also been confirmed. There are 14 species of monkeys. These are Goeldi's marmoset, pygmy marmoset, shock-headed capuchin (Cebus albifrons cuscinus), tufted capuchin (Cebus apella peruanus), Brown-mantled tamarin, emperor tamarin, moustached tamarin, black-capped squirrel monkey, black-headed night monkey, brown titi, Rio Tapajós saki, Bolivian red howler, Peruvian spider monkey, and gray woolly monkey. Confined to the mountainous areas above ca. 2000 m are Peruvian white-tailed deer, dwarf brocket, culpeo, mountain paca and spectacled bear. The puma also reaches very high elevations of up to 3450 m.
*Mammals : 222 species
*Reptiles : 99 species
*Amphibians : 140 species
*Birds : 1000 species
*Fish : 210 species
*Insects (numerous undescribed species not included)
- Butterflies : 1307 species
- Ants : 300 species
- Dragonflies : 136 species
- Beetles : 650 species
Is one of the largest parks in South America
Manu protects over 2 million hectares (4.5 million acres)
Manu, located in the southern orient of Peru, is one of the largest parks in South America. The area of the park encompasses parts of the Andean department of Cusco and the jungle department of Madre de Dios. Manu protects over 2 million hectares (4.5 million acres) of territory rich in flora and fauna species in a variety of habitats including high Andes, cloud forests, and lowland tropical rain forests.
This natural paradise is officially recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site. In 1977 they designated Manu as a World Biosphere Reserve because it contains the best existing example of biodiversity in protected areas of rain forest, as well as endemic areas of cloud forest. The majority of forests in the world have been altered by humans. Fortunately, Manu has remained intact and untouched by civilization.
Thus, we can observe a variety of animals in their natural habitats, including: Giant Otters (Pteronura brasilensis), Black Caiman (Melanosuchus niger), the majestic Jaguar (Panthera onca), the strange Spectacled Bear (Tremarctos ornatus), the Tapir (Tapirus terrestris), the Ocelot (Felis pardalis), 13 species of primates, and an estimated one thousand species of birds including seven Macaws (Ara spp.).
Manu also contains 10% of the world's vascular plant species, including several species of figs and palms, as well as countless species of medicinal plants that scientists are currently cataloguing. A single hectare of forest in Manu can have up to 220 species of trees, while a hectare of temperate forest in Europe or North America may only have 20 tree species. The Manu National Park may be the most biological diverse and protected park on the planet.
Secondary Forest
(Manu Cloud Forest)
The Cultural Zone is one of the three zones from Manu National Park which covers high mountains, cloud forest and low jungle. In this area there are small villages, setlers and native comunities working in productive activities such as agriculture and lumber at a low scale, since these activities are controled by the Ministery of Agriculture and Park Authorities. One of the porpouses of this controled area is act as a buffer zone to the Reserved and Intangible Zones.
Cloud Forest:
Crossing over the eastern edge of the Andes, travelers to Manu National Park, often encounters a thick blanket of clouds.
This is the beginning of the Cloud Forest, this mysterious, ghostly forest live the spectacular Cook of the Rock, Spectacled bear and scores of dripping tree ferns, bromeliads and Orchids. Ranging in elevation from 11,500 to 4,500 feet (3,500 to 1,500m.a.s.l.), the Cloud Forest is one of the least studied of environments, at least 50% of its plant species are found nowhere else on earth.
Heavy mists and frequent rains (up to 23 feet, or 6 meters annually) support the cloud forest's dense, stunted canopy of evergreen trees. In a process called "cloud stripping", the leaves cause the condensation of the moisture from the clouds. Water is therefore continually forming on the plant surfaces and dripping towards the ground.
The perpetual humidity of the Cloud forest makes an ideal home for epiphytes-plants that live on other plants and take their moisture and nutrients from their surroundings, not the ground. As a dirt accumulate on branches, lichens and mosses begin a colonization process that soon followed by ferns, bromeliads and orchids.
In the cultural Zone we have two lodges: Orquídeas de San Pedro Lodge (Cloud Forest) AND Erika Lodge (Low Forest)
Primary Forest
The Amazon Rainforest is a moist broadleaf forest in the Amazon Basin of South America, which encompasses seven million square kilometers (1.7 billion acres)
Our Orquídeas de San Pedro LodgeThis zone which runs along both sides of the Manu River, covers a vast extension of primary forest is dedicated for only two activities: tourism and research.
Being the river the only possible access to this area it is relatively easy to control and protect it from no authorized visitors and poachers. Scientists consider this area as a living laboratory because of the mega-diversity in flora and fauna.
Tropical rainforests are rainforests generally found near the equator. They are common in Asia, Africa, South America, Central America, and on many of the Pacific Islands. Mean monthly temperatures exceed 18 °C (64 °F) during all months of the year.
The Amazon Rainforest is a moist broadleaf forest in the Amazon Basin of South America, which encompasses seven million square kilometers (1.7 billion acres), though the forest itself occupies some 5.5 million square kilometers (1.4 billion acres), located within nine nations: Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana.
The Amazon represents over half of the planet's remaining rain forests and comprises the largest and most species-rich tract of tropical rainforest in the world and have unparalleled biodiversity.
The region is home to about 2.5 million insect species, tens of thousands of plants, and some 2000 birds and mammals. To date, at least 40,000 plant species, 3,000 fish, 1,294 birds (one in five of all the birds in the world live in the rainforests of the Amazon), 427 mammals, 428 amphibians, and 378 reptiles have been scientifically classified in the region, with many more remaining to be discovered or catalogued.
Reserved Zone Description:
This zone which runs along both sides of the Manu River, covers a vast extension of primary forest is dedicated for only two activities: tourism and research.
Being the river the only possible access to this area it is relatively easy to control and protect it from no authorized visitors and poachers. Scientists consider this area as a living laboratory because of the mega-diversity in flora and fauna.
Manu River Description:
This warm and chocolate color river has its origins in the eastern chain of the Andes at the Fitzcarrald Pass and ends at Boca Manu where it joins the Alto Madre de Dios River, forming at this point the Madre de Dios River, which is the main water way of the South-Eastern peruvian jungle.
One of the most important characteristics of the river is that on its turns oxbow-lakes have formed along the time.
Oxbow - Lakes Information
Oxbow-lakes are old remnant river courses, cut-off from the main river by the effects of erosion and the constant shifting of river canals. On the Manu river we can find several Oxbow-lakes, two of them are frequently visited by us: Salvador being the largest one and Otorongo which allows a relaxing view of the forest and marshland from a catamaran.
A lot of interesting animals live in and around these lakes: Black Caiman, Boa, a multitude of bird life, monkeys and the endangered Giant Otter. Beneath the surface live many hundreds of fish species, many small and colorful, others large and whiskered. Several species of piranhas also live in these lakes.
Giant Otter: Occupying a top position in the food pyramid among Manu's lakes is the Giant Otter (Pteronura brasilensis), an aquatic mammal that can measure up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) in length and weight up to 70 pounds (32 Kilos). Giant otters are highly social animals, living in closely-knit family groups. They often hunt communally using their whiskers to detect fish in the murky lake depths. Adult otters commonly eat up to 10 pounds (4 kilos) of fish a day.
Giant Otters have been heavily hunted in the last decades, for that reason is an endangered specie with not many individuals left in the world. Nevertheless on the Manu River and the Oxbow-lakes of the Reserved Zone we have the biggest population of otters in the rainforest.
Giant Otters are a very territorial animals, specially if their habitat is a fairly extended lake such as Salvador and Otorongo, for that reason the chances of spotting them are quite high.
If a group is spotted try not to make any noise or hasty movements. They are usually very inquisitive creatures and will often approach the catamaran to within 30 or 40 meters.
Trails Information
There is a trail system around Salvador Lake, which also allows to do night walks, and it is usually combined with the catamaran observation of the lake. Crossing the Manu River, there is another trail that leads to Otorongo Lake, where there is an observation tower. One of the special features of these trails is the observation of gigantic trees.
In the Reserved zone we have one lodge: Sajino Safari Campsite (Primary Forest)
covering an extension of (1'800, 000 hectares of pristine forest)
This is the biggest part of the Park, covering an extension of 1'800, 000 hectares of pristine forest.
A few protected areas in the world are as large as this Intangible Zone and non of them is as pristine as rich in wildlife species.
In this area, tourism is not permitted and for that matter any other activity, except Scientific researchers at the Biological Station of Cocha Cashu where for the last 25 years peruvian and international scientists have been conducting investigation projects on flora and fauna.
There are several ethnic groups such as Matshiguenkas / Kugapacoris, Yoras/Yaminahuas, Mashco Piros, Amahuacas and others, some of this groups don't have any contact with the outside world.
Excellent guides and staff. As a course instructor, I really appreciated their attention to detail, their professionalism and their warmth. I am happy to do this course again with this group. Gracias!!...
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Cusco´s Office
Portal Comercio 181 - Plaza de Armas - Cusco - Perú
+51 984 770 032 -
+51 984 890 970
reservas@manuadventures.com -
www.manuadventures.com
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