Caura National Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Caura National Park Parque nacional Caura
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Caura National Park Parque nacional Caura Location in Venezuela
Location	Venezuela
Area	75,340 km2 (29,090 sq mi)
Established	2017 (2017)

The Caura National Park (in Spanish: Parque nacional Caura) is a very large protected area in Venezuela. It's like a huge natural treasure! It covers about 7,534,000 hectares, which is 75,340 square kilometers. This makes it the biggest national park in Venezuela. It was also the newest park created in the country, established in 2017.

The park is named after the Caura River. This river is a big branch of the famous Orinoco River. The Caura River flows through a special area called the Guianan Highlands moist forests.

History of Caura National Park

The idea to protect the Caura area started a long time ago.

• In 1968, the government of Raúl Leoni created several protected areas. These included forest reserves in the Caura region.
• Later, in 2008, the government of Hugo Chávez launched the "Caura Plan." This plan aimed to protect the natural resources of the Caura river basin.
• Finally, in March 2017, the government of Nicolás Maduro officially created the Caura National Park. This was done to protect this huge region. It stretches across two Venezuelan states: Bolívar and Amazonas.
• The first plan for managing the park was presented in March 2018.

Nature in Caura National Park

Caura National Park is home to an amazing variety of plants and animals. It's located in a tropical rainforest, which means it gets a lot of rain and is very warm. The average temperature is about 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit). The park gets around 2,271 millimeters (about 89 inches) of rain each year.

Plants of Caura

This huge park is filled with many important plant species. Some of the most well-known trees include:

• Cabimo oil trees
• Carob trees
• The beautiful araguaney (Venezuela's national tree)
• Mahogany trees
• Carapa trees

These are just a few examples of the rich plant life you can find here.

Animals of Caura

The Caura National Park is a safe home for many different animals. You can find large mammals, birds, and even big cats!

• Mammals: Some of the animals living here are tapirs, white-cheeked peccaries (which are like wild pigs), and collared peccaries. You might also spot anteaters, pacas (a type of rodent), and spider monkeys. Other animals include opossums, armadillos, and different kinds of deer.
• Birds: The park is also home to various birds, such as white-tailed turkeys and red-tailed turkeys. You can also find cranes and other galliform birds (like chickens or pheasants).
• Big Cats: Large predators like the powerful jaguar and the sleek puma also live in the park. Another interesting animal is the tayra, which is a type of weasel.

It's important to protect these animals. Some animal populations need special care because of human activities nearby.

The main river

See also

• In Spanish: Parque nacional Caura para niños
• List of national parks of Venezuela
• Canaima National Park