Peru’s Manu National Park

Manu National Park located in the provinces of Manu and Paucartambo, in the departments of Madre de Dios and Cuzco respectively.

The area is bounded on the north and east by the Divortium Aquarum, separating the catchment basins of the Rivers Piedras and the Camisea from the River Manu. It also includes the Manu National Forest, the left bank of the River Alto Madre de Dios and the Atalaya-Tres Cruces highway.

A core area of 15,328 sq. km is preserved in its natural state, an experimental zone of 2,570 sq. km serves as a buffer zone set aside for research and ecotourism and a cultural zone of 914 sq. km provides an area of permanent settlement when sustainable use of land an forest are promoted.

Manu National Park was elevated to the status of Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1977, and in 1987 was declared a World Heritage Site by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Peru's Manu National Park and Biosphere Reserve houses a variety of plant and animal life, including monkeys, reptiles, birds, and insects. As one of the largest, least touched reserves in the world, Manu offers its inhabitants ample room for sustained growth, but some species are still in danger due to human intrusion.
Peru’s Manu National Park