Idea #829 – Exploring Manuel Antonio Park’s wildlife
Manuel Antonio National Park is located on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, in the province of Puntarenas. It has an area of 1,983 hectares for the land part, and 55,000 hectares for the marine part. During colonization, the land formerly occupied by the Quepoa indigenous people was transformed into agricultural exploitation by the United Fruit Company until 1974, when the State acquired it. The park has since been dedicated to conservation, study and ecological tourism oriented towards environmental education.
Manuel Antonio National Park consists of a patch of primary forest, secondary forest, mangrove, beach vegetation, marine environments, islands and a 14-hectare bay. The most characteristic species encountered in the primary forest are the rain tree and the Ceiba. The mangrove covers approximately 18 hectares; it is made up of three species, the red mangrove, the white mangrove and the black mangrove. The beach is planted with almond and coconut trees.
The most represented animal species in Manuel Antonio National Park are: wolverines, coatis, three-toed sloths, capuchin monkeys, and salami monkeys. Bird species such as the toucacillo, the pelican, the guaco, the fishing hawk, the green kingfisher and the chirín coca are frequently observed in the park. It is also common to see iguanas, garrobos, snakes and many insects.
Some Pictures
Where is it ?
Parc national Manuel Antonio, Quepos, Costa Rica