Tingo María National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Tingo María) is located in the districts of Rupa Rupa and Mariano Dámaso, in the region of Huánuco, Peru. It was created on May 14, 1965, and its main features include mountain forest vegetation and a cave called Cueva de las Lechuzas (Spanish for Cave of the Owls), where oilbirds live. The park covers an area of 4,777 hectares (18.44 square miles) and includes a mountain range named La Bella Durmiente (Spanish for Sleeping Beauty).
History
In 1940, two years after the town of Tingo María was founded, some forest areas were left untouched to create a new protected natural area.
In 1950, during the leadership of Manuel A. Odría, a protected area named Cueva de las Lechuzas National Reserve was established in the region that would later become a national park.
On May 14, 1965, Tingo María National Park was created by Law No. 15574. The law stated that the park would include the Bella Durmiente massif, the cave called Cueva de Las Lechuzas, and nearby forests. However, the law did not provide details about the park’s total size or its boundaries.
In 2000, the park’s boundaries were officially defined, and its total area was set at 4,777.8 hectares.
Geography
The park has steep and mountainous topography because the Bella Durmiente massif covers most of the area. Elevations in the park range from 650 to 1,808 meters. Rocky walls that are 300 to 500 meters tall are common. The soils are calcareous, rocky, and thin, and landslides occur naturally or due to past farming activities.
Tingo María National Park is located where the Huallaga and Monzón rivers meet. The name "Tingo María" comes from the Quechua word for "confluence" or "meeting." Because the mountains are calcareous, many rivers in the park have eroded the rock, creating underground river paths.
Climate
The rainy season in the area lasts from October to April, with an average yearly rainfall of 3300 mm. Visiting the park during this time is difficult because of the weather. The hottest temperature in the area is 29.8 °C, and the coldest temperature is 19.2 °C. The average temperature throughout the year is 24.5 °C.
Ecology
The vegetation in the park includes very humid montane forests that are often covered with mist. Trees in these forests have epiphyte plants, mosses, and lichens growing on them because of the high humidity.
Some of the most important plant species in the park include trees such as cedro colorado (Cedrela odorata), palo blanco (Cinchona pubescens), cumala blanca (Virola calophylla), cumala colorada (Iryanthera laevis), quinilla (Manilkara bidentata subsp. surinamensis), sapotillo (Quararibea macrocalyx), tulpay (Clarisia racemosa), and lagarto caspi (Calophyllum brasiliense). Other plants include palms like huasaí (Euterpe precatoria), ungurahui (Oenocarpus bataua), pona (Iriartea deltoidea), yarina (Phytelephas macrocarpa), and palmiche (Geonoma spp.), as well as tree ferns (Cyathea spp.) and many orchids. The most common orchid is Phragmipedium spp., though Phragmipedium besseae is a species at risk of disappearing.
Mammals found in the park include the South American tapir, red brocket, collared peccary, ocelot, black-capped squirrel monkey, brown-mantled tamarin monkey, red-faced spider monkey, nine-banded armadillo, pacarana, Northern Amazon red squirrel, kinkajou, and South American coati.
Birds reported in the area include the Andean cock-of-the-rock, oilbird, white-eyed parakeet, Salvin's curassow, Spix's guan, blue-headed parrot, king vulture, Amazonian motmot, and others.
Environmental issues
Environmental problems that harm the variety of plants and animals in this national park include: cutting down trees for building or fuel; removing forests to grow crops, coca plants, and pastures; too many visitors coming without limits; hunting animals; fishing using harmful chemicals and explosives; loud noise from helicopters near a nearby military base; blocking an underground river with dirt and rocks from deforestation by nearby villages; and taking gravel and other materials for construction.