Parque Municipal Summit facts for kids
.jpg)
The Parque Municipal Summit, also known as the Summit Municipal Park, is a special place in the country of Panama. It's a large botanical garden filled with incredible plants and also a rescue center for animals. Many animals that are hurt or cannot live in the wild on their own get a safe home here. Visitors can see these animals in the park's zoo.
The park covers a huge area of 250 hectares (620 acres). A large part of this, about 55 hectares (140 acres), is the botanical garden. It is located right next to the Soberania National Park and is less than an hour's drive from Panama City.
Contents
The Park's History
The park has a long and interesting history. It wasn't always a zoo and garden for the public.
An Experimental Farm
The park was started in 1923 by the company that ran the Panama Canal. It was called the Experimental Farm Summit. Its main job was to see if plants from all over the world could grow well in Panama's tropical climate. One of its biggest successes was introducing the teak tree to the Americas.
Becoming a Zoo
In the 1960s, a small zoo was added inside the botanical garden. Over the years, more and more animals came to live there. Today, the zoo is home to around 300 animals. One of the most famous residents is the harpy eagle, which is the national bird of Panama.
A Park for Panama
In 1980, the land was officially given back to Panama as part of an agreement called the Torrijos–Carter Treaties. It became part of the new Soberanía National Park. By 1985, the city of Panama took over running the park. It was renamed the Summit Municipal Park and became a center for studying tropical plants and horticulture (the science of growing plants).
Amazing Plants at the Park
The botanical garden is like a living library of plants. It has species from tropical places around the globe, as well as plants that are native to Panama. Many of these plants are very useful to people. They can be used for:
- Food
- Medicine
- Building materials
- Making gardens beautiful (ornamental use)
Animals You Can See
The zoo at Summit Park is a rescue center that gives a home to many different animals. Some of the amazing creatures you can meet include:
- Mammals: Sloths, jaguars, ocelots, margays, pumas, monkeys, squirrels, agouti, coyotes, and foxes.
- Birds: The mighty harpy eagle, owls, gray herons, gulls, parrots, and doves.
- Reptiles: Alligators and various types of lizards.
See also
In Spanish: Parque Municipal Summit para niños
