Parque Nacional Natural El Tuparro | |
---|---|
El Tuparro National Natural Park | |
IUCN category II (
national park) | |
Nearest city | Puerto Carreño, Colombia |
Coordinates | 5°17′N 68°4′W / 5.283°N 68.067°W |
Area | 5,480 km2 (2,120 sq mi) [1] |
Established | 1970 |
Governing body | SINAP |
El Tuparro National Natural Park ( Spanish: Parque Nacional Natural El Tuparro) is a national park located in the Vichada Department in the Orinoquía Region of Colombia. It is the only protected area in the Eastern Plains ( Llanos Orientales) under Colombia's Natural Parks System.
One of its main attractions is the mighty stream Raudal de Maypures (Maipures Rapids), called the " Eighth Wonder of the World" by German explorer Alexander von Humboldt in the 19th century. [2]
The flat area is bounded by the Orinoco River to the east, the Tomo River to the north and the Tuparro River to the south. [1] It was created in 1970 and covers an area of 548,000 hectares. In addition to the park's two broad types of natural ecosystems, flooded and non-flooded savannas, it also has five types of riparian forests. [3]
Average yearly rainfall is 2477 mm in the western region and 2939 mm in the eastern. Average temperature is 27 °C. [4] Savannas cover 75% of the area, and gallery forests covering the rest. [4] Predominating plants include the Moriche Palm and the tree Caraipa llanorum. [3] The dominant vegetation on the non-flooded savannas is grass. [4]
The park is home to 74 species of mammals, 320 birds (many of them marine), [2] 17 reptiles, 26 fish and five primate species. [5] Amphibians are significantly diverse due to the variety of ecosystems in the area. [3] Notable birds include guans, curassows, screamers, eagles and ducks. Mammals found on the savanna include white-tailed deer, giant armadillo, small savanna armadillo, and tapir. Peccaries, pumas, jaguars inhabit the woodlands. [1]