Within a single protected area, 19 distinct natural communities exist side by side: forests of varying height and structure, closed fields, estuaries, lagoons, grasslands, caves, rivers and springs. That variety of habitat is precisely what makes Mbaracayú one of the most species-rich reserves in Paraguay, and the numbers reflect it.
To date the reserve has recorded 1,269 plant species, 93 mammals, 440 birds, 62 of them endemic to the Alto Paraná Atlantic Forest, 27 amphibians, 35 reptiles, 64 fish and 1,145 insects. More striking still, Mbaracayú holds the highest concentration of threatened species of any comparable area in Paraguay, with 30 recorded to date. For researchers and serious naturalists, that statistic alone sets it apart.
The reserve is managed in perpetuity by the Mbaracayú Forest Foundation, through an approach that goes well beyond conventional conservation. Management plans are developed in direct collaboration with local communities, drawing on science, education, private initiative and sustainable production to find a working balance between protection and development.
It is a model that treats the surrounding human landscape as part of the solution rather than a complication to manage around.
For tour operators, Mbaracayú offers the rare combination of exceptional biodiversity and a conservation story worth telling.
To date the reserve has recorded 1,269 plant species, 93 mammals, 440 birds, 62 of them endemic to the Alto Paraná Atlantic Forest, 27 amphibians, 35 reptiles, 64 fish and 1,145 insects. More striking still, Mbaracayú holds the highest concentration of threatened species of any comparable area in Paraguay, with 30 recorded to date. For researchers and serious naturalists, that statistic alone sets it apart.
The reserve is managed in perpetuity by the Mbaracayú Forest Foundation, through an approach that goes well beyond conventional conservation. Management plans are developed in direct collaboration with local communities, drawing on science, education, private initiative and sustainable production to find a working balance between protection and development.
It is a model that treats the surrounding human landscape as part of the solution rather than a complication to manage around.
For tour operators, Mbaracayú offers the rare combination of exceptional biodiversity and a conservation story worth telling.