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INFORMATION ABOUT MANU NATIONAL PARK
Quite possible the only accessible piece of virgin rainforest left in the word Manu National Park is located in a beautiful and a completely unspoiled corner of southeaster of Peru . The area of the park encompasses parts of the Andean department of Cusco and the jungle department of Madre de Dios Jungle. Manu protects 18,811 sq km. of territory rich in flora and fauna species in a variety of habitats including high Andes, Cloud forest and low land tropical rain Forest.
This natural paradise is officially recognized by UNESCO as word heritage site. In 1977 they designated Manu as world Biosphere Reserve, because it contains the best existing example of Bio diversity in protected areas of rain forest, as well as endemic areas of the cloud forest. Manu is internationally acclaimed as one of the most biodiversity area on earth.
The majority of forest in the world have been altered by humans, fortunately Manu has remained intact and untouched by civilization, it is therefore possible to observe a variety of animals in their natural habitats as:
Giant Otters, Black Caiman, the majestic Jaguar, the estrange Spectacled Andean Bear, the Tapir,13 species of monkeys and more than one thousand species of birds, Manu also contains countless species of medical plants that the scientism are currently cataloguing.
A single hectare of forest in Manu can have up of 220 species of trees. Apart from wildlife, the journey into the park itself is spectacular. The trip is an adventure in itself.
Geographical Location:
The park is located in the provinces of Manu and Paucartambo (Departments of Madre de Dios and Cusco respectively), comprising lands on the eastern slopes of the Andes and on the Peruvian Amazon. The limits to the north are the watershed separating the catchments basins of Manu and de Amigos river; to the south the area where the road from Paucartambo to the north-west turns to Tres Cruces (71° 30'W, 13° 11'S); to the east the region on the left margin of the Alto Madre de Dios River to the Pilcopata River, Department of Cusco (71° 10'W, 12° 18'S); and to the west the watershed separating the catchments basins of the Manu and Camisea Rivers - also the limit between the Departments of Cusco and Madre de Dios (72° 22'W, 11° 45'S).
Intangible area, protection of the fauna and flora, and of the Andean oriental and Amazon scenic beauties, it embraces territories from the Andean puna and yunga in the department of Cusco to the low jungle in the department of Madre de Dios, furrowed by the Manu river, Alto Madre de Dios river and affluent.
Most of its extension is located in the area of low jungle, between the 200 and 400 meters above sea level (656 and 1,312.01 feet). The rivers of the wild area can be navigated in small crafts in any time of the year.
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