Pacaya Samiria

It is located in the department of Loreto, in the provinces of Loreto, Requena, Ucayaly, and Alto Amazonas, over an area of 2 080 000 hectares, being the largest in the country, the second largest in the Amazon valley, and the fourth in South America. Its vast expanse and central position in the Peruvian Amazon ensure the preservation of representative samples of the ecosystems of the tropical humid forest and propitiate the research of the wild flora and fauna, both terrestrial and aquatic.Its fauna is rich and diverse recording up to 132 mammal species, particularly rodents and monkeys. Besides, there are 330 species of birds, 23 of which are migratory, that account for approximately 17% of the total number of species recorded for the country.



There are also more than 150 reptiles and amphibians, grouped into 20 families, and 220 fish species.The aquatic fauna is the most important resource in the Reserve, being the Pirarucu or paiche (Arapaima gigas) highly prized because of its large size and the quality of its meat. Other species are the giant Amazonian river turtle (Podocnemis expansa), the Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis), the Amazon River dolphin (Inia geoffrensis), and the tucuxi dolphin (Sotalia fluviatilis).Four threatened species are protected in this Reserve: the black spider monkey (Ateles paniscus), the yellow-chested spider monkey (Ateles beltzebuth), the woolly monkey (Lagothrix lagotricha), and the giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis).Its vegetation is one of the most diverse in the tropical humid forest. To date, 847 species have been described, grouped into 118 families, 22 of which being orchids.



The palm trees take up a great expanse of the Reserve, being the moriche palm (Mauritia flexuosa) the most representative species, which develops grouped into formations known as Aguajales (Mauritia palm swamps).Among the timber-yielding tree species which are economically important we have: the Spanish cedar (cedrella odorata), the quinine bark (Cinchona officinalis), the mahogany (Maena Capimori), the cacao (Theobroma cacao), the chuchuhuasa (Noxythece sp.), the hormiga caspi (Durdia eriophila), the huayruro (Ormosia amazonica), the floss silk (Chorisia insignis), and the machín sapote (Quararibea bicolor.)The main objectives of the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve are to protect the representative ecosystems of the Peruvian lower jungle by preserving its genetic diversity; to propitiate the research on the wild fauna and flora (terrestrial and aquatic) ensuring an appropriate management, particularly of those threatened species and those species currently or potentially in use; to promote the socioeconomic development of the surrounding populations, through a rational use of the wild fauna and flora; and to promote local tourism.