The Pacaya Samiria National Reserve was stablished on February 4, 1982, through Law (D.S.) N 016-82-AG. This National Reserve is located in the department of Loreto, provinces of Requena, Ucayali and Alto Amazonas. It has a surface of 208,000 hectares and is the biggest in the country.
The wild fauna in the area is abundant and very rich. There are 132 types of mammals especially monkeys and gnawings, 330 types of birds, 150 types of reptiles and bathracians and 200 types of fishes.
There is also a great fauna including the paiche (Arapaima gigas) which is a quite big fish very appreciated by its meat, the charapa (Podocnemis expanii) the vaca marino (Trichechus inunguis) the bufeo colorado (Inia geoffrensis) and the bufeo negro (Satalia fluviatilis).
The Pacaya Samiria National Reserve is also inhabited by some species in danger of extinction such as the maquisapa negro (Ateles Paniscus), the maquisapa pecho amarillo (Ateles beltzeguth) and the river wolf (Pteronura brasiliensis).
Flora in Pacaya Samiria is quite rich, there are 847 types of plants grouped in 118 families including 22 types of orchids; palm trees are found everywhere as well. The Aguaje (Mauritia flexuosa) is however the most representative plant in the area, the cedar (Cedrella odorata), the cascarilla (Cirichona officinalis), the mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), the cacao (Theobroma cacao), the chuchuhuasa (Noxy thece sp.) the hormiga caspi (Durdia eriophila), the huairuro (Ormosia amazonica), the lupuna (Chorisla insignis) and the machin sapote (Quaribea bicolor), among others, are also found in Pacaya Samiria.
Main goals of the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve are the protection of the wild flora and fauna, the social and economical progress of the population settled in the area, the protection of the representative ecosystems of the Amazon and the promotion of tourism in the Zone.
Pampa Galeras National Reserve
Junin National Reserve
Paracas National Reserve
Lachay National Reserve
Titicaca National Reserve
Salinas y Aguada Blanca National Reserve
Calipuy National Reserve
Pacaya Samiria National Reserve