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Iquitos Travel Guide
- Pacaya Samiria National Reserve
Pacaya Samiria National Reserve
“The Mirrored Jungle”
 With
2 million hectares, it is the biggest National Reserve of Peru, also it is the
largest protected flooded forest of the world and one of the richest places in
biological wealth on the planet. Between its biological diversity we find 449 of
tropical bird species, 102 of mammals, 256 known species of freshwater fish, 69
of reptiles and more than 1000 varieties of plants, as well as species in danger
of extinction like the giant otter, the black lizard, the manatee and the pink
dolphin of the Amazon. The place's beauty, as well as its biological wealth
makes the reserve a particularly important destination for scientific
investigators, nature lovers and bird watchers.
The Pacaya Samiria National Reserve stands out
among Peru's natural protected areas. Located in
the Department of
Loreto, in the provinces of Loreto, Requena,
Ucayali and Alto Amazonas, with an extension of
more than 8000 square miles, it is considered
one of the largest of South America, holding an
spectacular diversity of flora and fauna
including endangered species as the black spider
monkey (Ateles paniscus), the wooly
monkey (Lagothrix lagoticha) and the
giant river otter (Pteronura brasiliensis).
So far it has been possible to identified 132
mammal species, among these many primates and
rodents; 330 bird species, including 23
migrating species. It is estimated that there
are over 70 reptile species and a similar number
of amphibian species; 220 fish species prove
that aqua-fauna is the most important source of
the reserve which includes the paiche (Arapaima
giga), considered the largest fresh water
fish in the world.
Flora is equally one of the most diverse of the
wet tropical forest. It has been determined so
far that there are 847 vegetable species,
grouped in 118 families, being 22 of them
orchids. It should be remarked that there are
also within the reserve great extensions of palm
trees and among these the most common is the
aguaje (Mauritia flexuosa).
 There are also timber tree species in
Pacaya Samiria such as cedar (Cederia odorata)
and mahogany (Maena capimori) very much
appreciated in the Peruvian and international
market; it is this the reason why occasionally
these are threaten by unscrupulous loggers.
People from the communities within the perimeter
of the reserve have organized themselves to help
government forest rangers in an effort to
protect the natural resources in this area.
The Pacaya Samiria National Reserve main
objectives are:
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To conserve low-jungle representative
ecosystems.
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To encourage the study of the area's flora
and fauna.
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To improve and extend education about the
area.
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To interest the local population on the
benefits of conservation and good management
of fauna.
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To encourage and promote the use of natural
resources according to the principles of
proper ecological development.
See also:
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