Tamá National Natural Park facts for kids

The Tamá National Natural Park (also called Parque Nacional Natural Tamá) is a special protected area in Colombia. It's located in the Andes mountains, specifically in the Eastern Ranges. You can find it between the towns of Toledo and Herrán in the Norte de Santander region. One amazing thing about this park is its 820-metre-high (2,690 ft) waterfall, which is one of the tallest in the world!

About Tamá National Natural Park

This park is connected to El Tamá National Park in Venezuela. Together, they form a much larger protected area that helps keep nature safe across the border. The Colombian part of the park covers about 47,550 hectares (117,500 acres). It was created on June 6, 1977. The main reasons for creating it were to protect nature, allow for scientific study, and offer a place for people to enjoy the outdoors.

What is the Weather Like in Tamá Park?

The park is high up in the mountains. Its elevation changes a lot, from about 800 metres (2,600 ft) to 3,800 metres (12,500 ft) above sea level. Most of the park is higher than 2,500 metres (8,200 ft). Because of this, the average temperature is cool, usually between 6 °C (43 °F) and 25 °C (77 °F).

Plants and Animals of Tamá

The forests in Tamá National Natural Park are part of a larger area called the Venezuelan Andes montane forests. This area also includes the Andean mountains in Venezuela.

Different Types of Forests

Tamá Park has four main types of natural environments:

• Tropical rainforest: These are warm, wet forests with lots of trees.
• Sub-Andean forest: These forests are found a bit higher up than tropical rainforests.
• Andean forest: These are mountain forests, found even higher in the Andes.
• Páramo: This is a unique high-mountain grassland ecosystem found only in the Andes.

Amazing Plants in the Park

You can find many interesting plants here. Some notable trees include Weinmannia pubescens and Wettinia microcarpa. There's also Befaria glauca and the Mexican alder. A very special plant is the Espeletia uribei, which is found only in this region and can grow taller than metres! In the lower parts of the park, you'll see many palm trees. In the swampy areas, you might find moss from the Sphagnum genus.

Wildlife of Tamá Park

The park is home to many different animals.

• Mammals: You might spot a spectacled bear, which is a type of bear found only in South America. Other mammals include opossums, deer, mountain lions, and anteaters.
• Birds: The park has unique birds like the oilbird. You might also see the endangered northern helmeted curassow and the flame-winged parakeet, which lives only in this region.
• Amphibians: Two types of frogs, the Tamá harlequin frog and Helena's marsupial frog, are found only in the Páramo de Tamá.

Water Resources in Tamá Park

The water that comes from Tamá National Park is very important. It helps with farming and provides drinking water for many people. This water benefits communities in the Norte de Santander and Arauca regions of Colombia. It also helps people in the Táchira and Apure states of Venezuela.

Rivers and Streams

The park has a network of rivers and streams. Some of these waters flow towards Lake Maracaibo. This includes the Táchira River, which collects water from smaller streams like Orocué Creek and La Colorada. Other rivers flow towards the Orinoco basin. The Oirá River, for example, forms part of the border between Colombia and Venezuela. It gets water from streams like Quebrada la Conquista and Río Verde. In the western part of the park, important rivers like the Jordan River and San Lorenzo River begin. These eventually flow into the Margua River, which also joins the Orinoco Basin.

The water from Tamá National Park is used for farming and supplies water to towns and cities. It provides water for over 2,000,000 people in parts of Venezuela and Colombia.

In Spanish: Parque nacional natural Tamá para niños