Serra del Divisor National Park (Peru)

Serra del Divisor National Park (Peru)

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Serra del Divisor National Park is located in the Amazon rainforest of Peru, known as La Selva, along the border with Brazil. It borders the Serra do Divisor National Park in the Brazilian state of Acre, combining to make one of the largest contiguous blocks of protected areas in the Amazon.

Serra del Divisor National Park

Serra del Divisor National Park is located in the Amazon rainforest of Peru, known as La Selva, along the border with Brazil. It covers an area of 1,354,485 ha or approximately 13,545 sq km (3,347,005 acres or about 5,230 sq mi) in the departments of Ucayali and Loreto.

The National Park, established in 2015 by the Peruvian government, is situated within the Serra del Divisor, a mountain range along the border between Peru and Brazil that rises from the plains of the Amazon drainage basin. It borders the Serra do Divisor National Park in the Brazilian state of Acre, combining to make one of the largest contiguous blocks of protected areas in the Amazon.

The Serra del Divisor presents an unusual landscape of hills and truncated volcanic cones at altitudes ranging from 900 - 1,000 m (2,950 - 3,280 ft).

Some Ucayali River headwaters originate in the Serra del Divisor National Park: Abujao, Shesha, Utuquinilla, Calleria-Tacshitea, Cashiboya, Buncuya, Tapiche, White Yaquerana and Yaraví. The Ucayali, in turn, is one of the main headstreams of the Amazon River.

Lakes, lagoons and swamps formed by meandering rivers and streams dot the landscape of the Serra del Divisor, creating a habitat for a wide variety of flora and fauna, many of them endemic.

The Serra del Divisor has been found to contain the highest levels of primate diversity in the western Amazon, as well as an estimated 300 species of fish and 3,500 plant species. In addition, the region is a stronghold for large mammal species, such as jaguars, pumas, giant armadillos, and tapirs, that are in decline throughout their range.

The National Park is home to several indigenous groups living in voluntary isolation. Group members engage in hunting and fishing on a subsistence level, as well as in small-scale agriculture.

Map showing the location of the Serra del Divisor National Park in Peru

Map showing the location of the Serra del Divisor National Park in Peru