Los Flamencos Sanctuary

The Santuario de Fauna y Flora los Flamenco is an association founded in 1977 Colombian Nature Park. It extends in the department of La Guajira on the Caribbean coast two large lagoons near the provincial capital Riohacha on an area of ​​7687 hectares at sea level. The aim of the park is in addition to protecting the special flora and fauna and the protection of indigenous peoples living in the territory of the tribe of the Wayúu.

The climate is warm at temperatures between 25 and 30 ° C. The annual rainfall amounts to 800 to 1000 mm, with most of the precipitation falls in the months of May to June and October to November.

Fauna and Flora

The fauna and flora is characterized by living in the lagoons species, but also by species of the lagoon located between the tropical dry forests and mangrove areas. It grew from five occurring in the Colombian Caribbean region mangrove species, the black ( Avicennia germinans ), white ( Laguncularia racemosa ) and red mangrove ( Rhizophora mangle ), and the button mangrove ( Conocarpus erectus ) in the mangrove areas of the park.

Among the (sub) xerophytes plants are found Cordia dentata, Erythoxylon cartagenense, Libidibia coriaria, Pereskia colombiana, Hippomane manciella, Cnidosculus urens, Capparis odoratissima and Bulnesia arborea.

The most visible element of the fauna are the names of the giver flamingos, but also for the turtle species Dermochely coriacea and Cheloni midas and the loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and hawksbill turtle ( Eretmochelys imbricata ) use the area as a field of reproduction. In the dry forests, for example, lowland tapirs ( Tapirus terrestris) and Weißbartpekaris find ( Tayassu pecari ).

Ethnological history

Archaeological remains testify to the fact that the current park area was settled before the conquest by the Spaniards by an entity belonging to the Arawak ethnicity. This tribe moved during the conquest of the area in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and mingled with the Kogi. The nowadays existing indigenous settlement of Wayúu, Camarones, was founded in 1595.

Threats

Especially the dry forests are threatened by illegal logging.

Swell

  • Colombia - Parques Naturales. Villegas Editores, Bogota 2006, ISBN 958-8156-88-2.
  • Parques Naturales de Colombia (Spanish) Accessed on June 18, 2011.
  • Geography (Colombia )
  • National Park in Colombia
  • La Guajira
American Flamingo Departments of Colombia Ethnic group
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