Animals of Manu National Park

Animals of Manu National Park Animals of Manu National Park, considered one of the largest protected areas in the world, containing much of the Peruvian Amazon’s greatest flora and fauna.
Almost 25,000 rare and endemic species reside here, with its inaccessibility playing a crucial role in preserving Manu before it was declared a Peruvian National Park, UNESCO World Heritage Site and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Many adventurous travelers seek out unusual places like the Manu Rainforest where they can find and observe exotic birds, a variety of rainforest-dwelling monkeys and, if they are lucky, a mix of other rare mammals.
Here is everything travelers need to know about the remarkable Manu National Park in Peru and why it should be at the top of your travel list.

Description of the Manu National Park

Manu National Park The largest national park in Peru, Manu covers an impressive area of 15,328 square kilometers, with an additional 914 square kilometers included the Cultural Zone. This includes the entire basin of the Manú River, from its tributaries in the Andes Mountains to its mouth in the Madre de Dios River.

The protected area is 18,811 square kilometers containing several ecological zones and such a variety of species that Manu National Park is considered to have one of the highest levels of biodiversity of any park in the world.

Permanent human habitation within the boundaries of Manu National Park is restricted to several small Matsigenga tribal communities, although parts of the broader Manu Biosphere Reserve include some areas designated for controlled tourism and collecting.

Manu National Park Animals and Birds

Manu National Park Animals and Birds The records of animals, birds, reptiles, beetles and others in the Manu National Park is one of the most diverse in the world, see the records below.

1025 Species of Bird
221 Species of Mammals
1307 Species of Butterflies
8 Species of Wildcats
15 Species of Primates
27 Species of Macaws
132 Species of Reptiles
155 Species of Amphibians
300 Species of Ants
650 Species of Beetles

The Animals highlights are:

Giant Otter in Manu national Park The Giant Otter, the world’s largest otter that can be found in family groups on the lakes of the par. The top predator on Amazonian lakes, they are very active and social making them highly entertaining to watch.

The Jaguar is the largest cat of the Americas and a treat for any lucky enough to see it. Manu is now proving the most reliable rainforest location to find this species with nearly 70% of visitors in the dry season (July to September). Now getting to see one of these magnificent cats, usually on the beaches or banks of the Manu River.

Flora and Landscape

With a range of ecological zones contained within the Manu National Park, the terrain varies from Amazon forests at 150 meters above sea level, to portions of Peruvian Yungas at middle elevations, to the Central Andean wet grasslands at the highest elevations of 4,200 meters.

This variety leads to an incredible level of biodiversity, which includes more than 15,000 species of plants in all of Manu National Park (that’s 10% of the world’s vascular plant species). As many as 250 varieties of trees have been found in a single hectare here, and potentially more remain waiting to be discovered.

With 35% of Manu classified as Amazonian lowland tropical rainforest, travelers can count on seeing Mauritia palm swamps, seasonal floodplain forests, and oxbow lakes (river bends that have been cut off from the rest of the flowing river). Dense foliage mixes with the open and vast grasslands (much easier for animal sightings), as colorful and unusual plants big and small dot the landscape.

Many medicinal plants long used by native people can be found here, with a variety of uses that have enabled human habitation for centuries.

How to Get To Manu National Park

How to Get To Manu National Park Located in the Madre de Dios and Cusco regions of Peru, the closest city to Manu National Park is Cusco. Considered the Capital of Inca culture, Cusco is the most popular tourist destination in the country, making Manu National Park conveniently located for those who wish to see both the Amazon and the Wonder of the World, Machu Picchu.

Manu National Park can be accessed by road from Cusco, although the only access to the lowlands is by boat up the Manu River. The bus from Cusco to Atalaya takes about 7-8 hours, then requires another 6 hours by boat to Boca Manu. From here, it’s another 2 hour journey to reach the entrance of the reserved zone of the Manu National Park.

For those on a shorter timeframe, it is also possible to fly to Patria and Boca Manu from Cusco (or elsewhere in the country), and then all that remains is the 6-hour drive to the Manu National Park Entrance. All-encompassing tours are recommended to make this journey as comfortable and easy as possible, with minimal time wasted traveling.