(I) Manú National Park in Peru is one of Earth’s most
biodiverse places. (II) Reserves and other buffer zones
surround the park but cannot completely protect its
natural riches, which include more than a thousand
species of birds and over 290 species of reptiles and
amphibians. (III) Declared a national park in 1973 and
expanded in 2002, Manú protects more than 6,600
square miles, including its namesake watershed.
(IV) Manú is threatened by external enterprises eager to
exploit its minerals, timber, and, potentially, natural
gas. (V) Some researchers argue that the park may also
be at risk from growing numbers of indigenous people,
including isolated tribes, engaging in subsistence
logging and hunting.