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                         **     MANU    **
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A PIECE OF THE WORLD IN THE JUNGLE

  Considered to be a paradise for naturalist scientifics, conservationists,
  tourists and, for all nature-lovers, the National Park of Manu has become 
  an isle of life in the Peruvian jungle, one of the few spots in the whole 
  world where a whole river's basin is protected, the Manu River.

  This  reservation  has a total area of 1532,806 hectares, 160 per 80 kms. 
  approximately, between  the  departaments  of Cusco and Madre de Dios. In 
  all its three natural areas: higth Andean(puna), high  jungle(rupa-rupa),
  and low jungle (omagua), between 4000 and 365m.a.s.l.,  extending between 
  the Huascarhill and opening of the Manu River, it  is  a  territory, with
  an  enormous  variety  of  species, many of these having  revealed  their 
  existence and having their almost exclusive dwelling place there.

  Its  flora  and  fauna  are  spectacular, with filled-of-life rivers  and
  lagoons (cochas) and areas still to be discovered and travelled  through, 
  enigmatical archeological remains protected by  the  native  people,  who 
  know their secrets, but people from other places ignore.

  500 species of birds have been discovered in the Manu, out  of  the  9198 
  total species known in the  world. And  this  information  has  only been 
  collected from the surroundings of the Cocha Cashu biological station.
 
  This means  that  one  out  of  every nine known species in the world and 
  more than  half  the  1701  species  to  be  known  in  Peru, inhabit the 
  Reservation. There are such unique species such  the  Psophia  leucoptera
  (trumpeteer),   Opisthocomus   hoazin (Shansho)  and  the  Haria  harpyja 
  (harpy eagle) or the Anhima cornuta (camungo), Rupicola peruviana (little 
  rooster of the rocks) and Ajaia ajaja (pink spatula).

  The Manu has 200 species of mammals, among these, 13 species  of  monkeys
  studied in the area, the only apecies of night  wandering monkey known in
  the world, which sleeps during day-time. The rest of its fauna isfar more 
  numerous than in any other  wild area the same extension. Many  of  those 
  species are in  danger of extinction, such as the "spectacled  bear", the 
  otter the giant otter, the tamandua and the amazon tapir.

  Regarding the flora, the Manu is always amazing. In one single hectare of
  its  surface,  you  can  find  up to 220 species of trees, this equals to
  eleven times the quatity of trees in any other similar forest  in  Europe 
  or the United States. It is  calculated  that  there  are  about  fifteen 
  thousand existing vegetable species in the area and that  represents  ten 
  percent  of  the  whole  world's  and  twenty percent of America's  total 
  species.

  The  Manu also preserves archaeological remains such as trhe Inca's road, 
  which extends all the way along the Cayana  River,  a  tributary  of  the 
  Pinipini River and it leads to the ruins of Maneria. Another  wide Inca's 
  road, on park's  most  western  border,  eastern  shores  of  Yavero  and 
  Paucartambo Rivers.

  The ruins of Mameria are stone and mudbuilt walls and fences, located in
  the  southeastern  area;  and  the  petroglyphs   of   Pusharo,  in  the
  surrounding area of low Palotoa,  show  shapes  and  symbols carved on a
  large rock by our ancesters.

  The Manu is a sanctuary where nature  is  in  its original condition and
  men's hands have not been allowed to alter it at all. Biological station
  of  Cocha Cashuhas been installed there for further study and  knowledge 
  and every year it's the point of meeting for specialists  who  come from 
  different parts all over the world.
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