Piedra del Cocuy Natural Monument facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Piedra del Cocuy Natural Monument Monumento Natural Piedra del Cocuy
IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
Piedra del Cocuy Natural Monument Monumento Natural Piedra del Cocuy Location in Venezuela
Location	Venezuela
Area	0.15 km2 (0.058 sq mi)
Established	December 12, 1978 (1978-12-12)

The Piedra del Cocuy Natural Monument (which means Cocuy Stone Natural Monument in Spanish) is a special protected area in Venezuela. It's located in the Río Negro area, within the Amazonas state. This amazing place was officially made a natural monument on December 12, 1978.

This monument covers about 15 hectares (that's like 37 acres, or about 28 football fields!). The main reason it was created was to protect a unique rock formation called the Piedra del Cocuy and all the nature around it. You can find it less than two miles east of the Rio Negro, very close to the borders of Brazil and Colombia.

What is Piedra del Cocuy?

The Piedra del Cocuy is a huge, tall rock made of granite. Imagine a giant stone sticking straight up from the ground! It rises about 400 meters (that's taller than many skyscrapers!) above the flat land around it. This impressive rock has three pointy tops, making it look even more dramatic.

Plants and Nature on the Rock

Because the Piedra del Cocuy is so steep and rocky, not many plants can grow directly on it. However, the plants that do manage to grow there are very special. They are endemic, which means they are found only in this specific place and nowhere else in the world!

Surrounding Tropical Forest

Even though the rock itself doesn't have a lot of plants, the area around it is full of life. It's surrounded by a thick tropical forest, which is home to many different kinds of plants and animals. This forest is an important part of the natural monument, protecting the rich biodiversity of the region.

See also

• List of national parks of Venezuela
• Natural Monument