Bahuaja-Sonene National Park

Bahuaja-Sonene National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Bahuaja-Sonene) is a protected area located in the regions of Puno and Madre de Dios, in Peru.^[1]

Bahuaja-Sonene National Park
Parque Nacional Bahuaja-Sonene
IUCN category II (national park)
Signboard at the entrance of the buffer zone. Bahuaja Sonene National Park.
Location	Peru Madre de Dios, Puno
Nearest city	Puerto Maldonado
Coordinates	13°16′S 69°27′W
Area	1,091,416 hectares (4,213.98 sq mi)
Established	17 July 1996
Governing body	SERNANP

Geography

The park comprises river terraces, hills and mountains, with elevations ranging from 500 to 2450 m.^[2] The main rivers in the area are: Heath, Tambopata and Candamo.^[2] The park shares borders with Madidi National Park in Bolivia to the east and Tambopata National Reserve to the north.^[1][2]

Ecology

Flora

Plant species found inside the park include: Virola sebifera, Cedrela odorata, Spondias mombin, Celtis schippii, Bertholletia excelsa, Ficus insipida, Hevea guianensis, Cedrelinga cateniformis, Iriartea deltoidea, Calycophyllum spruceanum, Guadua weberbaueri, Theobroma cacao, Miconia spp., Annona ambotay, Swietenia macrophylla, Myroxylon balsamum, Astrocaryum murumuru, Enterolobium cyclocarpum, Mauritia flexuosa, etc.^[2]

Fauna

Birds found inside the park include: the white-tailed goldenthroat, the Neotropic cormorant, the blue-and-yellow macaw, the harpy eagle, the white-throated toucan, the horned curassow, the great egret, the scarlet macaw, the bat falcon, the jabiru, the swallow-tailed hummingbird, etc.^[2]

Mammals found in the park include: the giant otter, the South American tapir, the marsh deer, the jaguar, the maned wolf, the puma, the bush dog, etc.^[2]

Environmental issues

The park is rich in natural resources including timber, gold, rubber, and wild game. The Candamo deposit (Block 78), which contains 3 trillion cubic feet (85 km³) of natural gas and 120 million of barrels of natural gas condensates, was formerly owned by Mobil and now lies partly within the reserve. Legislation proposed in 2007 to remove the block from the reserve was turned down.^[3]