The Tambopata National Reserve Experience
28 April 2018 (2263 visits)Tambopata National Reserve was created by the Peruvian state with the aim of protecting the wild flora and fauna and scenic beauty of a typical area of subtropical humid forest, where conservation processes could be introduced with the involvement of local people, through which it would be possible to sustainably harvest natural resources such as brazil nuts, and offer tourism activities designed to benefit the sustainable development of the region as a whole.
Tambopata Ecolodge emerged within this context.
Tambopata National Reserve is situated to the south of the Madre de Dios River, in the districts of Tambopata and Inambari, in the province of Tambopata. It occupies an area of 278,284 hectares. The Reserve is bordered to the east by Bolivia, to the south by the Bahuaja Sonene National Park, and to the west by the Kotsimba Native Community.
Here it is possible to observe many rare species, such as the giant otter, peccary, tapir, anaconda, jaguar, ocelot and –for bird lovers- the wattled curassow. In fact, Tambopata is a birdwatchers’ paradise: some 590 bird species have been recorded within the territory of the National Reserve. That is more species than have been recorded within the entire continental United States.
In Tambopata, studies have also identified 103 species of amphibian, 169 mammals, 103 reptiles and 205 species of fish, as well as huge numbers of invertebrates, including 112 species of diurnal butterflies and 151 species of dragonflies and damselflies.
Threatened species sheltered by the National Reserve include the giant river otter, pacarana, giant armadillo and Harpy eagle.
The climate of Tambopata National Reserve is typical of that found in humid subtropical forest ecosystems, with an average annual temperature of 26ºC, ranging from 10ºC to 38ºC. The low temperatures experienced on occasion are associated with cold winds arriving from the Antarctic. These sudden drops in temperature are known locally as “friajes”, events characterized by overcast skies and drizzle which may continue for two or three days at a time in the summer months of June or July. Maximum temperatures of up to 38ºC occur frequently between September and October. Annual precipitation varies from 1600 to 2400 millimeters; the driest season runs from April to December, while the heaviest rains tend to fall in January and February, although of course in subtropical forests rain may fall at any time of year.
