Manu National Reserve
Manu is the most biologically diverse region of the Amazon for terrestrial life. It provides unforgettable opportunities for a nature and birding experience.
Manu consists of the area surrounding the Manu Biosphere Reserve and extends eastward through the Manu Lowlands (Peru).
Neither tourism nor tourist lodges are allowed in the park itself. In 1980 the area to the east of the park was designated as a Reserve Zone, reserved for tourist and commercial activities.
History
Manu is one of the most biologically diverse places on earth. Manu showcases life at its most prolific. But deep within Manu's rain forest also lie stories and histories of Indians and foreign explorers of centuries past. Though their footprints have disappeared over time, these inhabitants and travelers have made deep impressions that have shaped Manu into what it is today.
Home to numerous indigenous Indian tribes, the Peruvian rain forest's most recognized Indian inhabitants were the Incas whose capital was in the Andes but whose empire extended into the cloud forest. With their large empire, the Incas had many contacts with the jungle Indians of Manu. At its height, the Inca empire spanned 3,000 miles (4,800 km) across South America. Inca territory was divided into quarters, with Cuzco, the city where the Inca Sun King resided, at the center. Communication between cities was facilitated by "chaskis," couriers who ran between locations carrying information.
During the 1500s, the Inca's hold on the region began to wane. Spurred by discoveries in the new world, Spanish conquistadors began exploring South America and claiming these newly-found areas for Spain. By 1532, Peru was conquered by Spaniard Francisco Pizarro, and in 1567, Alvarez Maldonado claimed the Manu river and surrounding regions for Spain.
Even though the Spanish ruled the territory, they knew little of the rain forest's natural resources and waterways. Renewed interest in exploring Manu developed after the rubber boom. In 1839, Charles Goodyear heated rubber sap with sulfur, producing the first commercially viable, heat-resistant rubber. After this discovery, demand for rubber trees ran high, and Manu, with its rich bounty of rubber trees, became the perfect source for satisfying this need.
Manu's landscape has changed since its pristine early years, and several animal and plant species have become endangered since the rubber boom. In 1967, the Peruvian government signed an agreement with other American countries to establish national parks to promote conservation of regional flora and fauna. This agreement specified that the park "covered more than half the country... contained the greatest number of Peru's wide range of animals and birds...be in a virgin state, uninhabited and unaffected by the operations of hunters, lumbers, or colonists, included every biotope from the riverside forests of the Amazon's main tributaries." In 1968, Manu was declared a National Reserve, and five years later, it was upgraded to a National Park.
Today, the entire region of Manu with 7200 square miles (1,881,200 hectares) is considered a Biosphere Reserve. The Manu Biosphere Reserve is composed of three parts: the Manu National Park, a region protecting the natural flora and fauna; the Manu Reserved Zone, an area reserved for research and tourism; and the Manu Cultural Zone, a place used for human settlement. With these recent conservation efforts, life in Manu flourishes. Presently, scientists and researchers are learning more about the indigenous Indians that still inhabit Manu, as well as of the regional flora and fauna.
Join us for the best Wildlife and Birding experience with accommodation at Manu Wildlife Center in Manu. Finally if you are planning a trip to Manu (Peru), you shouldn't miss the opportunity to visit Cuzco and Machu Picchu. We also prepare scientific student tours or tailor-made programs.
Location
Inhabited by Machiguenga, native people of the Manu, it is located in Manu wilderness of Southeastern Peru, east of the Manu River on the north bank of Madre de Dios River, Manu Wildlife Center is incredibly remote and wild. Amidst spectacular forest and incredible scenery, the density and diversity of animal and plant species reach a peak in the extreme western Amazon, near the foot of the Andes
Flora y fauna
The reserve offers you an opportunity to see a diverse range of our native flora and fauna in just one visit. The list of flora and fauna includes 1,000 species of birds, more than 200 species of mammals, 13 species of monkey, a great variety of butterflies and 15,000 species of flowering plants.
Birds, mammals, insects, reptiles and rodents live in the national reserve of Manu and it has a diversity of plants, trees and formations.
Some of fauna that Manu shows and some of them are protected by Peruvian laws:
- Harpy Tagle
- Yellow-tufted Woodpecker
- Macaw
- Black Skimmer
- Hoatzin
