Narupa
Ecoregion: Andean Foothill Forest
Key Species: Harpy Eagle, Mountain Tapir, Military Macaw, Black Tinamou, Coppery-chested Jacamar, Andean Ibis, Orange-breasted Falcon
Narupa Reserve consists of tropical forest and is located in the Napo Province of north east Ecuador close to the Río Hollin, between the volcanoes Antisana and Sumaco. This area protects some of the remaining foothill forest at an altitude of 1,100 metres above sea level on the east slope of the Andes, just above the Amazon lowlands.
Narupa is named after Narupa palm, a tree of the region, providing fruit for a wide variety of wildlife.
Project PartnerFundación Jocotoco
Conservation Action
The reserve lies in the buffer zone of the Sumaco Napo-Galeras National Park and Antisana Ecological Reserve, which together protect 833,000 acres (337,000 hectares) ranging from humid foothill forest to high Andean grasslands.
World Land Trust part-funded an extension to the reserve in 2013.
These forests are globally threatened and have suffered considerable deforestation; the elevation is optimal for development and agriculture. Globally they are under-represented in protected area systems in all the Andean countries.
Biological Importance
Narupa’s Andean Foothill Forests contain a remarkable convergence of lowland and highland wildlife species. More than 300 bird species have been recorded, and the list is still increasing. The area is endemic-rich and home to several globally threatened species, in particular, the Military Macaw (Ara militaris) and Coppery-chested Jacamar (Galbula pastazae). Narupa is thought to be the only nesting location for the Orange-breasted Falcon in all of Ecuador.
Puma and Ocelot stalk the understorey of these forests, while Spectacled Bears build sleeping platforms overhead. Mountain Tapir and deer species have also been recorded.
