The renowned actor and environmental defender, Leonardo DiCaprio, shared a message on his Instagram account celebrating the creation of the new National Natural Park in Colombia.
In the publication, DiCaprio praised the Colombian initiative and highlighted the country’s commitment to the global goal of protecting 30% of the planet by 2030, for the benefit of all life on Earth.
The declaration of the Serranía de Manacacías National Natural Park was announced during COP28, held in Dubai in December last year. At that event, President Gustavo Petro and the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Susana Muhamad, presented the declaration of this new park, number 61 in the country. This initiative reflects the firm commitment of the Government of Change to the protection and conservation of Colombian ecosystems.
Located in San Martin (Meta) and covering more than 68,000 hectares, the Serranía de Manacacías National Natural Park becomes a crucial step to recover the connection between the Andean and Amazon regions. The Minister of Environment, Susana Muhamad, highlighted the importance of this protected area, especially as a critical corridor for threatened species such as the jaguar.
You may be interested in: They returned to Colombia from Europe, pre-Hispanic funeral urns
The declaration will strengthen the protection of forests, water sources and local faunaincluding endangered species such as the tapir, the white-tailed deer, the dolphin, the jaguar, the charapa turtle, the plains caiman, the giant otter, the chestnut-tailed curassow, the palm bear and the ocarro or giant armadillo.
The park delimitation process was carried out considering biophysical, social, economic and cultural analyzes, with the active participation of local communities and families rooted in the territory. The support of the Colombian Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences and the support of a technical panel of experts were also fundamental to making this historic milestone a reality.
The Serranía de Manacacías acts as a bridge between the Orinoquía and the Amazon, presenting a rich diversity of ecosystems in good condition. Research indicates that it is home to a remarkable variety of flora, with 4,740 records of flowering plants belonging to 114 families, 496 genera and 1,093 species.
You can read: Petro meets with Pope Francis to address peace issues