Corcovado National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Corcovado) is a National Park on the Osa Peninsula in the South West of Costa Rica (9° North, 83° West), which is part of the Osa Conservation Area. It was established on 24 October 1975, and encompasses an area of 425 km² (263 mi²). It is widely considered the crown jewel in the extensive system of national parks and biological reserves spread across the country. The ecological variety is quite stunning. National Geographic has called it "the most biologically intense place on Earth". Not only is the park very popular with tropical ecologists, a visitor can expect to see an abundance of wildlife. One should come well prepared though (see below). The World Conservation Union or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ... Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada A national park is a reserve of land, usually, but not always (see National Parks of England and Wales), declared and owned by a national government, protected from most human development and pollution. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 301 pixelsFull resolution (4138 × 1555 pixel, file size: 390 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Photograph by Dirk van der Made (User:DirkvdM - for more photos see user:DirkvdM/Photographs). ... Osa Peninsula seen from space The Osa Peninsula (Spanish: ) is a peninsula located in southwestern Costa Rica, in the Puntarenas Province, on the Pacific Ocean, at . ... October 24 is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada A national park is a reserve of land, usually, but not always (see National Parks of England and Wales), declared and owned by a national government, protected from most human development and pollution. ... Osa Peninsula seen from space The Osa Peninsula (Spanish: ) is a peninsula located in southwestern Costa Rica, in the Puntarenas Province, on the Pacific Ocean, at . ... Location of Osa Conservation Area Osa Conservation Area is an administrative area which is managed by SINAC for the purposes of conservation in Costa Rica, on the southern Pacific coast region. ... The National Geographic Society was founded in the USA on January 27, 1888, by 33 men interested in organizing a society for the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Uniqueness

Tamandua anteater

This park conserves the largest primary forest on the American Pacific coastline and one of the few remaining sizeable areas of lowland tropical rainforests in the world. Logging usually takes place in lowland areas because those areas are more accessible and contain the largest and most economically valuable trees. But those habitats are also usually the richest in biodiversity. So even though still approximately half the tropical rainforests on Earth remain, what is left of the originally rich lowland tropical rainforests is usually too small to support the original natural biodiversity. Larger animals, especially, need a large habitat free of human activity. Unfortunately this means that even tourism, the economic incentive for Costa Rica and other developing nations to preserve and protect parks such as Corcovado, actually threatens the long-term biodiversity of the park. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1026x1704, 125 KB)Photograph by Dirk van der Made (User:DirkvdM - for more photos see user:DirkvdM/Photographs). ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1026x1704, 125 KB)Photograph by Dirk van der Made (User:DirkvdM - for more photos see user:DirkvdM/Photographs). ... Species Tamandua tetradactyla Tamandua mexicana Tamandua is a genus of anteaters. ... Amazon river rain forest in Brazil Tropical rainforests are rainforests generally found near the equator. ... Rainforests are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth Biodiversity is the variation of taxonomic life forms within a given ecosystem, biome or for the entire Earth. ...

Corcovado, however, is large enough to support a sizeable population of the endangered Baird's Tapir. And it holds about 140 species of mammals (representing 10% of the mammal-species in America). Costa Rica as a whole is an ornithologist's dream and Corcovado in particular holds several hundred bird species. Large herds of white-lipped peccaries roam the park as well as several big cats (including jaguars, ocelots, cougars and margay). Costa Rica as a whole is an ornithologist's dream and Corcovado in particular holds several hundred bird species. There is even a possibility that the endangered harpy eagle is still present here. Binomial name Tapirus bairdii (Gill, 1865) Baird’s Tapir (Tapirus bairdii) is one of the three species of tapir found in Latin America. ... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the production of milk in female mammary glands and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex region in... World map showing the Americas CIA political map of the Americas The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World consisting of the continents of North America[1] and South America with their associated islands and regions. ... Ornithology (from the Greek ornis = bird and logos = word/science) is the branch of zoology concerned with the scientific study of birds. ... Species Tayassu Tayassu tajacu Tayassu pecari Catagonus Catagonus wagneri The peccaries (also known by its Spanish name, javelina or pecarí) are medium-sized mammals of the family Tayassuidae. ... For people nicknamed The Big Cat, see The Big Cat. ... For other uses, see Jaguar (disambiguation). ... Binomial name (Linnaeus, 1758) Ocelot range The Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), also known as the Painted Leopard, McNenneys Wildcat or Manigordo (in Costa Rica), is a wild cat distributed over South and Central America and Mexico, but has been reported as far north as Texas and in Trinidad, in the... For other uses, see Cougar (disambiguation) or Puma (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Leopardus wiedii (Schinz, 1821) The Margay (Leopardus wiedii, or Felis wiedii) is a spotted cat native to Central and South America. ... Ornithology (from the Greek ornis = bird and logos = word/science) is the branch of zoology concerned with the scientific study of birds. ... Binomial name Harpia harpyja (Linnaeus, 1758) The name harpy eagle usually refers to the neotropical eagle, Harpia harpyja (see below for other birds called harpy eagles). ...

The abundance in wildlife can in part be explained by the variety of vegetation types, at least 13, including montane forest (more than half the park), cloud forest, jolillo forest (palm swamp), prairie forest, alluvial plains forest, swamp forest, freshwater herbaceous swamp and mangrove, together holding over 500 tree species, including purple heart, poponjoche, nargusta, banak, cow tree, espave and crabwood. Another reason for the diversity (as with all of Costa Rica) is that it lies on a north-south corridor for flora and fauna; part of the "land bridge" and wildlife corridor that links the large continents of North America and South America. Eucalyptus Forest at Swifts Creek in East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Above and below water view at the edge of the mangal. ... For other meanings see Purple Heart (disambiguation). ...

Visiting

Coati

As when visiting any sensitive natural area, please be sure to clean all of your hiking and/or camping gear (in particular shoe/boot soles and tents) prior to visiting to decrease the chance introducing non-native seeds. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (914x1154, 66 KB) Photograph by Dirk van der Made (user:DirkvdM). ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (914x1154, 66 KB) Photograph by Dirk van der Made (user:DirkvdM). ... Species Nasua nasua Nasua narica Nasua nelsoni The name coati (pronounced ) is applied to any of three species of small neotropical mammals in the genus Nasua, family Procyonidae, ranging from southern Arizona to north of Argentina. ...

Corcovado National Park is open to the public and can be visited on day trips and for overnight visits. Admission is currently $8 per person per day (for non-Costa Rican residents). Reservations for overnight visits in the park can be done in Puerto Jiménez on the east coast of the peninsula. One may camp or stay indoors at one of several ranger stations equipped with bunks. If one wants basic meals served, reservations should be made about a week in advance. Take note that researchers get preference over other visitors (though there is usually enough room for self-catering campers). This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

One can make day visits into the park from several lodging options on both the north and south entrances to the park, as well as through organized excursions that fly into the park. One can get to the Corcovado National Park via Puerto Jimenez or Drake Bay. These two towns serve as the main entry points to the park. There are two tracks, one coastal and one inland, and four ranger stations in the park where one can stay overnight; three at the park entrances and one at the intersection of the two tracks. One track runs Northwest to Southeast along the coast, with the Estación Sirena roughly in the middle and another track inland from there, to Estación Los Patos at the Eastern end of the park. One can fly into the park (via chartered aircraft) to Estación Sirena, from where one can follow relatively short loop-trails. To walk through the park one needs a reasonable fitness, at least two or three days, good planning and caution. During the wet months (July to November) parts of the park may be closed.

hermit crab

On the coastal track one must take into account that several rivers need to be forded. This can not be done when the water is too high, so one must take the tides into account. This information can be obtained in Puerto Jiménez. On this track most of the walking is on the beach (meaning heat and salty air) and there is little fresh water, so enough water should be taken along to avoid dehydration. An approach form the South is easiest because just North of Estación Sirena lies the Río Sirena, the largest of the rivers that need to be forded along this track. If one arrives from the North too late one is stuck because this is a dangerous river to cross at high tides. There are crocodiles and at high tide even sharks and stingrays can swim into the estuary. If one starts from the station, one can get information at the station and the river is right next to it, so planning is easy. If done sensibly, the crossing is not dangerous, though. This northern coastal section is longer but less arduous than the southern section because there is more shade. However, it can only be used during the dry season from December to April because during the wet season the rivers are often too deep to wade through safely. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1380x1220, 76 KB)Photograph by Dirk van der Made (user:DirkvdM). ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1380x1220, 76 KB)Photograph by Dirk van der Made (user:DirkvdM). ... Hermit crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infra-order Paguroidea, distinct from the true crabs in the infra-order Brachyura. ... Dehydration (hypohydration) is the removal of water (hydro in ancient Greek) from an object. ... Genera Mecistops Crocodylus Osteolaemus See full taxonomy. ... Orders Carcharhiniformes Heterodontiformes Hexanchiformes Lamniformes Orectolobiformes Pristiophoriformes Squaliformes Squatiniformes † Symmoriida Sharks (superorder Selachimorpha) are fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton [1] and a streamlined body. ... Genera Dasyatis Himantura Pastinachus Pteroplatytrygon Taeniura Urogymnus See text for species. ...

A large bug (order Hemiptera) on the inland track

Most animal sightings can be expected on the coastal track, with scarlet macaws (the largest population in the country) flying overhead, hermit crabs on the beach, pelicans fishing in the sea and on the sections that go slightly inland spider monkeys (take care not to get urinated on when they are in a tree overhead), tamandua anteaters, pumas, white faced capuchin monkeys, lineated woodpeckers and coatis (to name just a few). With luck one might even spot a tapir, even though they're nocturnal. Corcovado is also a good place to spot the red-eyed tree frog, as well as the glass frog with its transparent skin, and the enamel-bright poison-arrow frogs. From Estación Sirena one can follow many short tracks, on which one can also take short night-strolls into the forest with a good chance of running into a tapir. They're impressive to see (bring a decent torch) but harmless if left in peace - please do! Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 603 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1326 × 1318 pixel, file size: 57 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Photograph by Dirk van der Made (User:DirkvdM - for more photos see user:DirkvdM/Photographs). ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 603 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1326 × 1318 pixel, file size: 57 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Photograph by Dirk van der Made (User:DirkvdM - for more photos see user:DirkvdM/Photographs). ... Binomial name Ara macao (Linnaeus, 1758) The Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) is a large, colourful parrot. ... Hermit crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infra-order Paguroidea, distinct from the true crabs in the infra-order Brachyura. ... Species Pelecanus occidentalis Pelecanus thagus Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Pelecanus onocrotalus Pelecanus crispus Pelecanus rufescens Pelecanus philippensis Pelecanus conspicillatus A pelican is any of several very large water birds with a distinctive pouch under the beak belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae. ... Type species Simia paniscus Linnaeus, 1758 Species Ateles paniscus Ateles belzebuth Ateles chamek Ateles hybridus Ateles marginatus Ateles fusciceps Ateles geoffroyi Spider monkeys are New World monkeys of the family Atelidae, subfamily Atelinae. ... Species Tamandua tetradactyla Tamandua mexicana Tamandua is a genus of anteaters. ... Binomial name Cebus capucinus Linnaeus, 1758 The White-headed Capuchin (Cebus capucinus), also known as the White-faced Capuchin or White-throated Capuchin, is a small New World monkey of the family Cebidae, subfamily Cebinae. ... Binomial name Dryocopus lineatus (Linnaeus, 1766) The Lineated Woodpecker (Dryocopus lineatus) is a very large woodpecker which is a resident breeding bird from Mexico south to northern Argentina and on Trinidad. ... Species Nasua nasua Nasua narica Nasua nelsoni The name coati (pronounced ) is applied to any of three species of small neotropical mammals in the genus Nasua, family Procyonidae, ranging from southern Arizona to north of Argentina. ... A nocturnal animal is one that sleeps during the day and is active at night - the opposite of the human (diurnal) schedule. ...

The inland track to Estación Los Patos goes through secondary growth for much of the way, but it is still a beautiful walk with a little more variation and it's easier walking with no sand and no sizeable river crossings. In vascular plants, secondary growth or, perhaps more accurately, secondary thickening is the result of the activity of the vascular cambium. ...

Other animals in the park include squirrel monkeys, howler monkeys, sloths, agoutis, giant anteaters, great curassows, black hawks, spectacled owls, hummingbirds, 220 species of butterflies, golden orb spiders (who build huge webs), otters and raccoons. Four species of sea turtle (green, Pacific Ridley, Hawksbill, and Leatherback) nest on the beaches. Type species Simia sciurea Linnaeus, 1758 Species Saimiri oerstedii Saimiri sciureus Saimiri ustus Saimiri boliviensis Saimiri vanzolini The squirrel monkeys are the New World monkeys of the genus Saimiri. ... Type species Simia belzebul Linnaeus, 1766 Species Alouatta coibensis Alouatta palliata Alouatta pigra Alouatta belzebul Alouatta guariba Alouatta macconnelli Alouatta nigerrima Alouatta sara Alouatta seniculus Alouatta caraya The howler monkeys (genus Alouatta monotypic in subfamily Alouattinae) are among the largest of the New World monkeys. ... Families Megalonychidae Bradypodidae †Rathymotheriidae †Scelidotheriidae †Mylodontidae †Orophodontidae †Megatheriidae Sloths are medium-sized mammals that live in Central and South America belonging to the families Megalonychidae and Bradypodidae, part of the order Pilosa. ... Agouti refers to a number of species of rodents, as well as a number of genes affecting coat coloration in several different animals. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 The Giant Anteater, Myrmecophaga tridactyla, is the largest species of anteater. ... Subfamilies Phaethornithinae Trochilinae For a taxonomic list of genera, see: List of hummingbirds in taxonomic order For an alphabetic species list, see: Alphabetic species list Hummingbirds are small birds in the family Trochilidae, native only to the Americas. ... Superfamilies and families Superfamily Hedyloidea: Hedylidae Superfamily Hesperioidea: Hesperiidae Superfamily Papilionoidea: Papilionidae Pieridae Nymphalidae Lycaenidae Riodinidae A butterfly is an insect of the order Lepidoptora. ... Genera Amblonyx Aonyx Enhydra Lontra Lutra Lutrogale Pteronura The otter (lutrinae) is a carnivorous aquatic or marine mammal part of the family Mustelidae, which also includes weasels, polecats, badgers, as well as others. ... Type species Procyon lotor Linnaeus, 1758 Species Procyon cancrivorus Procyon insularis Procyon lotor Skull of a raccoon, showing dentition. ... Genera Family Cheloniidae (Oppel, 1811) Caretta Chelonia Eretmochelys Lepidochelys Natator Family Dermochelyidae Dermochelys Family Protostegidae (extinct) Family Toxochelyidae (extinct) Family Thalassemyidae (extinct) Sea turtles (Chelonioidea) are turtles found in all the worlds oceans except the Arctic Ocean, and some species travel between oceans. ... Binomial name Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus, 1758) This page redirects from Chelonia, which is the genus name of this turtle, but has also been used for the order Testudines of all turtles and tortoises. ... Binomial name Eretmochelys imbricata Linnaeus, 1766 Range of the Hawksbill turtle subspecies Eretmochelys imbricata bissa (Rüppell, 1835) Eretmochelys imbricata imbricata (Linnaeus, 1766) Synonyms Eretmochelys imbricata squamata junior synonym The hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. ... Binomial name Dermochelys coriacea (Vandelli, 1761) The Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is the biggest of all living turtles, reaching a length of over 2. ...

Creation and threats

Playa Llorona

Because of the remoteness of the peninsula logging started only in the 1960, but by 1975 there were plans for a major international logging operation. Researchers petitioned President Daniel Oduber to protect the area, which he did by making it a National Park. For this he received the Albert Schweitzer Award from the Animal Welfare Institute. The already present goldminers were allowed to stay. But by 1986 their number had increased to about 1000 (not counting their families), who also hunted the wildlife. So it was decided to evict them. There is, however, still some illegal mining going on (using more destructive modern mining methods). Illegal logging is not frequent, but the trees that are removed are scarce and essential to the ecosystem. Increased tourism has led to an increased presence of humans in the park, which may threaten the long-term survival of the park's larger mammals. To help combat the threat of over-exposure, many agencies and other groups (including Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, WWF - U.S., rain-forest conservation groups in several countries, Catholic Relief Service, Organization of American States, and the Costa Rican, Danish, Dutch, Swedish and U.S. governments) have come together to provide aide to the conservation cause. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (2032 × 1354 pixel, file size: 609 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Playa Llorona, Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (2032 × 1354 pixel, file size: 609 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Playa Llorona, Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica. ... Porfirio Ricardo José Luis Daniel Oduber Quirós served as President of Costa Rica from 1974 to 1978. ... Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada A national park is a reserve of land, usually, but not always (see National Parks of England and Wales), declared and owned by a national government, protected from most human development and pollution. ... The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1951 to reduce the sum total of pain and fear inflicted on animals by humans. ... Conservation International (CI) is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., that seeks to protect Earths biodiversity hotspots, high-biodiversity wilderness areas as well as important marine regions around the globe. ... The Nature Conservancy is an environmental organization, founded in 1951. ... The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization for the conservation, research and restoration of the natural environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in the United States and Canada. ... Headquarters Washington, D.C. Official languages English, French, Spanish, Portuguese Membership 35 countries Leaders  -  Secretary General José Miguel Insulza (since 26 May 2005) Establishment  -  Charter first signed 30 April 1948 in effect 1 December 1951  Website http://www. ... For other uses, see United States (disambiguation) and US (disambiguation). ...

Corcovado National Park coast between Sirena and La Leona ranger stations.

Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 201 pixelsFull resolution (3060 × 768 pixel, file size: 757 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 201 pixelsFull resolution (3060 × 768 pixel, file size: 757 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

External links

• Costa Rica Tourism and Travel Bureau
• Photos and Videos of Corcovado National Park
• practical information for visitors
• extensive background information*photographs
• Corcovado National Park at Costa Rica National Parks
• AMBICOR