Alto Mayo Protection Forest, Protected forest in San Martín Region, Peru
The Alto Mayo Protection Forest is a protected area in northern Peru, covering steep mountain regions where dense cloud forest grows. The landscape shows numerous slopes, small valleys and watercourses that run through the entire territory, supporting high biodiversity.
The Peruvian government established this protected area in 1987 to secure the tropical yungas forests and the water sources of the Mayo River basin. Since then, the region has been protected against clearing and land conversion, while promoting sustainable use at the same time.
Local communities participate in conservation agreements, receiving agricultural training and resources in exchange for protecting the forest and implementing sustainable farming methods.
The area lies in remote mountain regions, reached mainly on unpaved roads, so visitors should bring weatherproof clothing and sturdy footwear. The best time to visit falls in the drier months, when trails are easier to walk and wildlife is more visible.
The area is home to the yellow-tailed woolly monkey, a primate found only in a small part of the Peruvian Andes and living in the canopy there. The spectacled bear and several orchid species also occur here, many growing nowhere else in the world.
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