| Fast Facts |
location
93 river miles from Iquitos
ecoregion
Iquitos Varzea
project size
5 million acres
public lands
Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve
partners
Pro Naturaleza, Peruvian Society of Environmental Law, Conservation Data Center, National Institute of Renewable Natural Resources
conservancy initiatives
Freshwater
natural events
annual flood leaves much of the reserve under water, November–April; river turtle eggs hatch, September | |
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| In Peru’s largest national reserve, which is also home to thousands of people, community leaders must be the catalysts for a sustainable way of life. |
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The Amazon River forms where the Ucayali and Marañon rivers merge.
© Layne Kennedy |
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A five-hour boat ride from Iquitos is the only path into this remote jungle. Water defines landscape and life here in the Peruvian Amazon. Pacaya-Samiria is named for the two rivers that wind their way through this flooded forest. The wide waterways converge into the larger Marañón and Ucayali rivers, whose confluence at the northeast tip of the reserve marks the headwaters of the mighty Amazon.
Pacaya-Samiria, declared a national reserve in 1968 and enlarged to its present size in 1982, spans an area twice the size of Yellowstone National Park. Its natural systems are driven by a giant pulse of water that washes down from the Andes each November, flooding the river banks and confining humans and animals alike to patches of high, dry ground for many months. In May, when water levels drop more than 30 feet and fish are concentrated in narrow waterways, hunting season ends and fishing season begins. |
Walking palm tree.
© Layne Kennedy |
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Although they appear muddy, the waters of these rivers are easily navigated by pink river dolphin and manatees; water lilies large enough to hold a small child float on the surface. Under the dense canopy of the rain forest, 440 species of tropical birds share the tree branches with howler and spider monkeys while jaguars stalk prey on the jungle floor.
Some 100,000 ribereños, or “river people,” live in villages in and around the reserve, relying on its resources for nourishment and livelihood. No other protected area in the country is as directly linked to the survival |
| of so many people. Although their overharvesting of fish, wildlife and trees threatens the system, the ribereños have a strong stake in the forest’s continued well-being. The Nature Conservancy and our Peruvian partner Pro Naturaleza have trained local people as volunteer park rangers and are working with community leaders to develop management plans for fisheries, palm forests and river turtles. Lessons learned here now inform conservation work throughout the region. | |
| Learn more about The Nature Conservancy's work in Peru. |
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| Conservation Profile |
targets
Peruvian flooded forest, Moriche palm forest, rivers, pink river dolphin, manatee, giant river otter, caiman, river turtle, giant water lily, jaguar, tapir, macaw and other birds
stresses
illegal logging of hardwoods, overfishing, overharvesting of fruits and trees, overhunting of large mammals, petroleum extraction
strategies
engage community, promote ecotourism and other compatible development, foster sustainable fishing practices, restore ecosystems
results
Peru’s largest community park ranger program established; turtle management program established | | | | |
