- Address: Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia
- Date of opening: September 21, 1995
- Area: 34411 sq. M. km
The Kaa Iya del Gran Chaco is one of the largest conservation areas on the continent and at the same time the largest among the national parks of Bolivia . Its area is 34 411 square meters. km. Located National Park in the southern part of the Department of Santa Cruz , almost next to Paraguay. The park is under the joint management of the prefectural department and the indigenous people's committee.
Created Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco was in September 1995 on the initiative of Indians - the indigenous inhabitants of these territories. The name "Kaa-Iya" in translation from guarani means "mountain of lords" ("masters of mountains") or "a place of great riches". The park is really rich in its flora and fauna, several unique plant species grow here. It is the driest tropical forest in all of South America and the largest forest area after the Amazon.
Gran Chaco is located at a low altitude - from 100 to 839 meters above sea level. In this region there is a dry hot climate - the temperature is usually at + 32 ° C or even higher, and the precipitation falls about 500 mm per year.
Flora and fauna of the park
Flora of the Kaa-Iya National Park is more than 800 names of vascular plants and 28 spore names, and more than 1,500 higher plants in all. It is possible to meet here also such unique representatives of the flora as red quiberach, purple and black guaiacum, black soto, soto de arenal, piles, aspidosperm pyrophylium, paraspwaica tsezalpinia, as well as trees of such valuable species as faddeana acacia, wax palm, silk tree, Ibera-bira and others.
Local fauna is also very diverse: reindeer, armadillo, wolfish wolves, guanacos, alpacas, bakers, tapirs, many monkey species, including silver monkeys, black howlers. More than a hundred species of mammals live here. Especially a lot of registered members of the detachment of cats: ocelots, cougars, jaguars. The park's ornithofauna is also rich: it is home to more than 300 species of birds: gokko, black and white eagle, royal eagle and others. 89 kinds of snakes are also registered in the park.
Settlements
In general, the human presence in the park is peripheral. There is a settlement of Guarani in the west of the National Park and several settlements of chikuitanos in the north.
How and when to visit the Kaa-Ia National Park?
To visit the park during the rainy season does not follow: the roads leading to the park are impassable. You also do not need to go to the park yourself; it is best to book a tour with the tour operator and go to Kaa-Iya as part of an organized group.
| | | |
| | | |
