2007 UICN Red List

Manu

Manu has been called many names: the last refuge, the last jungle without men, the living edens, the paradise, etc.

I want to go there. In fact, I'm thinking about it very hard... I WANT TO GO THERE.

Since I was a kid, I heard about the amazing stories in our Amazon Jungle, saw breathtaking pictures, documentaries, read books, magazines, and lately, websites and blogs that keep up my curiosity and intensify the desire.

You may have heard of it, it is the best kept tropical forest in Peru, of almost 2 million hectares (half the surface of Switzerland!) protected since 1973 from the greed of civilization. Now, it is considered one of the best preserved territories on the planet! It shelters more than 1300 species of butterflies, 1000 types of different birds, 2000 species of vascular plants, 13 of primates and more than 100 bats (although that last fact/figure is not my favorite!).
There is not an acurate report about the insects population, but if you consider that in just one tree of these forests, more species of ants than the total found in all the British islands were registered, well... it makes you wonder!


In these large populations of flora and fauna we can also find endangered species or under threat of extinction like the black caiman, the giant otter, the happy eagle and some species of macaws.

According to specialists, it is the most diverse on Earth! And that's why UNESCO declared it as Natural Patrimony of Humanity.

Entrance is restricted to a small number of visitors a day, in order to preserve the habitats of all species. Some native communities living in the Reserve keep their traditions alive and share their knowledge with the respectful visitors. Just a few companies are allowed to operate within the area developing ecotourism projects with a strong conservation component.

The perfect place to be...

... And I want to be there!!!

Maybe it is because I miss home...


Less than a couple of months ago, Promperu, the Government Office that should promote all the wonders of my homeland, changed the old microsite dedicated to birding they used to have on their website for a brand new one, that can be accessed from Peru Birding Routes and has details on birding routes (printed screen here shows the map of the country divided in North, Center and South), they also have a multimedia section with pictures, audios and videos and a section they call utilities, with their publications, bird listings, links, forum, postcards, etc.

Last September 2007, Peru organized its very first International Birdwatching Fair (International Nature Bird Fair), trying to promote its wonders, in an effort to place the country among the favorite destinations, specially for extreme birders, as many services to make the regions "visitor's friendly" are not yet adecuate.

Anyway, it's great to know that finally someone saw the potential of the region, let's just hope that it grows without damaging the enviroment and involving the native communities in the development of projects and education for conservation.