Canaima National Park

Canaima National Park
	The table mountains are characteristic of Canaima
Location:	Bolívar , Venezuela
Surface:	30,000 km²
Founding:	June 12, 1962
	The Río Carrao plunges into the Canaima lagoon in several waterfalls, including the Salto Sapo
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The Canaima National Park (Spanish Parque Nacional Canaima ) is located in the Gran Sabana , in the state of Bolívar in the southeast of Venezuela .

history

The government of Venezuela founded the national park on June 12, 1962. It initially covered an area of 10,000 km². In 1975 the park was expanded to a total area of 30,000 km², making it one of the largest national parks in the world. It borders Brazil and Guyana to the south . The Canaima National Park is one of six national parks in the Amazon region. The UNESCO declared it in 1994 for World Natural Heritage .

During the supply crisis in Venezuela from 2015, most of the tourists stayed away. Contrary to their custom of respect for their environment, the inhabitants, often members of the indigenous people of the Pemón , began to dig for gold in illegal mines within the national park.

landscape

The Gran Sabana area, in the Guayana Mountains , is a highland rugged by valleys. Characteristic of the National Park are powerful table mountains of sandstone , the tepuis are called and cover about 65% of the park. A unique flora and fauna has developed on their high plateaus. Due to the climatic isolation of the high plateaus from the tropical rainforest , evolution in isolation over millions of years has produced a large number of endemic species . Some of the highest waterfalls in the world such as the Salto Ángel or the Salto Kukenan plunge down from the table mountains. They are a special attraction for tourism.

fauna

The Canaima National Park has a varied fauna, which is distributed in the park according to various environmental factors such as height and vegetation type. The number of species is divided into: 118 mammals, 550 birds, 72 reptiles and 55 amphibians. Among the species found are:

Giant armadillo ( Priodontes maximus )
Giant otter ( Pteronura brasiliensis )
Giant anteater ( Myrmecophaga tridactyla )
Puma ( Puma concolor )
Jaguar ( Panthera onca )
Actual two- toed sloth ( Choloepus didactylus )

Bald Saki ( Pithecia pithecia )

Brown-backed kaki ( Chiropotes israelita )

Roraima mouse ( Podoxymys roraimae )

Tepui pygmy pouch rat ( Marmosa tyleriana )

Harpy eagle ( Harpia harpyja )

Blue-fronted Macaw ( Diopsittaca nobilis )

Violet Parrot ( Pionus fuscus )

Yellow-banded tree climber ( Dendrobates leucomelas )

Green iguana ( Iguana iguana )

Hummingbirds (Trochilinae)

Toucans (Ramphastidae).

South American Bushmaster ( Lachesis muta )

flora

Canaima National Park contains an estimated 3000-5000 species of phanerogams and ferns. The tepui system (which includes all tepui formations and is known as pantepui) contains a high proportion of endemic taxa. For example, 900 species of higher plants have been identified from the Auyán Tepui, of which about 10% are endemic to this massif. Canaima is also famous for its variety of orchids, with an estimated 500 species in the national park.

There are over 300 endemic species only in the Gran Sabana :

Endemic genera: Achnopogon , Chimantaea , Quelchia , Tepuia , Mallophyton , Adenanthe .
Common insectivorous species from the genera: Bromelia , Drosera , Heliamphora , Utricularia .

Hydrography

The national park covers the entire watershed of the right bank of the Caroní River and two of the highest waterfalls in the world, the Angel Falls and the Kukenán, as well as numerous waterfalls at lower elevations.

Tourist attractions

Western area

Canaima Lagoon El Sapo and El Sapito waterfall Yuri waterfall Mayupa Rapids Pozo de la Felicidad (Pit of Happiness) (Saró Marú) Orquídea Island Ratón Island Angel Falls or Korepakupai Vená Auyan tepui Kavac Indian village	Uruyén cave Kamarata Indian village Wareipa Indio Community El Encanto waterfall Avak Indio Community Roberto Beach Kanwaripa Indio Community Caroní river La Maloca Indian village Kukenán waterfalls (Tepui Kukenán or Matawí)

Eastern area

La Piedra de La Virgen (The Rock of the Virgin) El Danto waterfall La Arenaria Monumento al Soldado Pionero Aponwao I River Tarotá Baths Toroncito Ravine Toron Merú waterfall Karuay waterfall Chinak Merú Waterfall (Aponwao Waterfall) Parupa Anotén Chivatón waterfall	Mission of Kavanayen Kamoirán Rapids Kama merú waterfall Arapán merú (Pacheco Ravine) Soruapa River or Woimeri San Francisco de Yuruaní (Kumaracapai) Indio Community Jasper Creek (Kako Parú or Jaspe Ravine) Urué merú Kukenan Bridge River Paraitepui Indio Community of Roraima Wonkén Indio Community Roraima tepui .

gallery

View of the Tepuis Kukenán and Roraima in the Gran Sabana .
Panoramic view of the Canaima lagoon
Kukenan sunset
Mount Roraima
Kukenan Tepui
Gran Sabana
Tepuis in Canaima
Chinak-Meru
Roraima tepui in the Guiana Highlands
Kamá waterfall
Canaima waterfall
Kukenan
View from the arriving aircraft of the Canaima lagoon, Saltos Golondrina, Saltos Ucaima and the runway
Oreophrynella quelchii