Manú National Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Manu National Park
IUCN Category II (National Park)
View of a riverbank in Manu National Park
Manu National Park Location in Peru
Location	Peru Madre de Dios Region, Cusco Region
Nearest city	Cusco
Area	17,162.95 km2 (6,626.65 sq mi)
Established	May 29, 1973 (by 644-73-AG)
Governing body	SERNANP
Website	Parque Nacional del Manu
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Criteria	Natural: (ix), (x)
Inscription	1987 (11th Session)
Extensions	2009

Manú National Park is a special protected area in Peru. It is known as a biosphere reserve. This means it is a place where nature is carefully protected.

For a long time, Manú National Park was hard to reach. This helped keep it safe and wild. Even today, it is still quite difficult to get there by road. In 1977, UNESCO called it a Biosphere Reserve. Later, in 1987, it became a World Heritage Site. This means it is a very important natural place for everyone in the world.

About Manú National Park

Manú National Park is the biggest national park in Peru. It covers a huge area of about 15,328 square kilometers. The total protected area, including the Biosphere Reserve and a "Cultural Zone," is even larger. It reaches about 18,811 square kilometers.

Different Environments in the Park

The park has many different natural environments. These are called ecological zones. They range from low areas, only 150 meters above sea level, in the Amazon Basin. They also go up to high Puna grassland areas, as high as 4200 meters. Because of these different heights, Manú has an amazing variety of life. It has one of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world. This means many different kinds of plants and animals live there.

Amazing Plants of Manú

Manú National Park is home to over 15,000 different kinds of plants. That's a lot of plants! In just one hectare (about the size of a sports field), you can find up to 250 different types of trees. This shows how rich and diverse the plant life is in the park.

Wonderful Animals of Manú

Manú National Park is a paradise for animals. It has a huge variety of creatures.

Birds of Manú

Birdwatchers from all over the world love to visit Manú. The park is home to more than 1,000 different bird species. This is over 10% of all bird species on Earth! It's even more birds than you can find in all of North America.

Other Animals in the Park

The park also has many different land vertebrates. Vertebrates are animals with backbones. Manú has one of the most varied collections of these animals found in the tropical forests of Latin America. This includes many types of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians.

See also

In Spanish: Parque nacional del Manu para niños