Chiribiquete National Park – 'The Maloca Of The Jaguar' Facts
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The Serranía de Chiribiquete National Park is located in the Colombian Amazon and was created in 1989.
The Park is known for its stunning rock formations, which were carved by the Apaporis River over thousands of years. Chiribiquete is also home to a variety of endemic species, including jaguars, tapirs, and macaws.
It's a vast forested wilderness accented by a series of tepuis or table-top mountains. The Guiana Shield is known for its sheer-sided sandstone plateaux, which are known as tepuis. The presence of globally-threatened species such as the giant otter, the lowland tapir, the giant anteater, the woolly monkey, and the jaguar demonstrates the area's exceptional preservation and natural wealth.
Discovery And History
The Chiribiquete National Natural Park is Colombia's largest national park and the world's largest tropical rainforest national park.
The Serranía de Chiribiquete Mountains and surrounding lowlands are covered with tropical moist forests, grasslands, and rivers, and the Park now covers around 10,54,6156.21 ac (4,267,878 ha).
On February 21, 2018, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos announced the expansion of Chiribiquete National Park by 5791.5 sq mi (15,000 sq km). On July 2, 2018, UNESCO declared the Park a World Heritage Site, expanding it to 16,602.3 sq mi (43,000 sq km).
The Chiribiquete Plateau, one of only three raised sections of the Guiana Shield, is located near the westernmost edge of the shield.
Cultural Heritage
The Chiribiquete National Park is home to a number of ancient rock paintings, which are some of the most impressive in all of South America. The Chiribiquete National Park also houses an incredible variety of flora and fauna.
Some of the iconic species that can be found in the park include jaguars, pumas, tapirs, deer, monkeys, and many different types of birds.
Chiribiquete is also a significant natural conservation area on a worldwide scale.
Rare species like the tapir, the manatee, the brown woolly monkey, and the giant anteater can be found in the Park, which also has over 400 bird species and 209 butterfly species.
As the Park has a history of being secluded and undisturbed by visitors due to years of armed violence in the region, scientists believe Chiribiquete could hold significantly more species than is currently known.
Chiribiquete's UNESCO designation was greeted with joy and enthusiasm throughout Colombia, and it has been lauded by local and international conservationists as a significant step towards safeguarding the country's remarkable biodiversity.
Unfortunately for visitors to Colombia, the Park is closed to the general public, so those hoping to see the wonders of Chiribiquete will have to settle for a pricey flyover from San Jose del Guaviare.
This once-in-a-lifetime excursion is available through commercial travel companies in Colombia.
Archaeological Excavations
The property's global importance to biodiversity conservation is demonstrated by the fact that it is listed as a Plant Diversity Center, a Significant Bird Area, a Protected Bird Area, and the only site safeguarding one of the terrestrial ecoregions of flooded woods called 'Purus Varze,' which is listed as 'Endangered' by WWF International, and is a Key Biodiversity Area.
The property's biodiversity values are closely tied to its cultural and archaeological sites, which are strongly associated with the faith, beliefs, and spiritual values of indigenous communities.
Until the 16th century, rock art was created in the area. Between the years 1986-1987, geologist Jaime Galvis photographed several of the artworks for the first time.
From 1990-1992, Carlos Castaos, former director of Colombia's National Natural Parks System, and Dutch geologist and paleontologist Thomas van der Hammen conducted additional studies. In 2014, Mike Slee, a British wildlife filmmaker, and Francisco Forero Bonell, a Colombian photographer and explorer, captured and filmed the rock art on the park's vertical rock sides.
Site Attractions
Chiribiquete is Colombia's largest protected areas, covering more than 9.8 million ac (4 million ha) in the Amazon's northwest. The Park is home to a wide variety of animals and plants, including cacti, orchids, and bromeliads.
It is also the world's most diverse park, serving as a haven for the jaguar in particular. It's a park that houses a lot of prehistoric and Pre-Columbian artifacts.
There are more than 75,000 rock paintings from more than 20,000 years ago (BCE) in the Land of Tepuys. More than 60 shelters dotting the sandstone cliffs and plateaus have been unearthed with these murals.
It is a sacred site for the indigenous people of the region. The United States Agency for International Development is partnering with the Government of Colombia to strengthen the capacity to increase sustainable use of land in the region and decrease deforestation to protect the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
FAQs
Where is Serranía de Chiribiquete located?
Serranía de Chiribiquete is located at Solano, Guaviare, Colombia.
What is the name of the indigenous community that created the rock paintings at Chiribiquete?
The paintings were probably made for ceremonial purposes by an indigenous group, most likely the Karjona, who still live in Chiribiquete.
When was Chiribiquete listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018.
Who founded the Chiribiquete National Park?
The Chiribiquete National Park was founded on November 29, 1989, by the Colombian government in order to protect the area's unique cultural and natural heritage.
Why is Chiribiquete National Park so famous?
Chiribiquete is unique in terms of its significant cultural and natural landscape, and its hydrological and archaeological worth, as it houses massive amounts of rock art and visual records, as well as indigenous populations, some of whom still live in deliberate seclusion.
Why it is called 'The Maloca of the Jaguar'?
The name 'The Maloca of the Jaguar' comes from the many paintings of jaguars that can be found in the Park.
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Sources
https://naturalworldheritagesites.org/sites/chiribiquete-national-park-the-maloca-of-the-jaguar/
https://lacgeo.com/serrania-chiribiquete-national-park-colombia
https://theculturetrip.com/south-america/colombia/articles/chiribiquete-how-the-latest-unesco-world-heritage-site-in-colombia-honors-the-jaguar/
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