Corcovado National Park

Corcovado National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Corcovado National Park
Location	Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
Coordinates	8°33′0″N 83°35′0″W / 8.55000°N 83.58333°W / 8.55000; -83.58333Coordinates: 8°33′0″N 83°35′0″W / 8.55000°N 83.58333°W / 8.55000; -83.58333
Area	424 km2 (164 sq mi)
Established	October 24, 1975
Governing body	National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC)

Corcovado National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Corcovado) is a National Park on the Osa Peninsula in Osa (canton), southwestern 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 424 square kilometres (164 sq mi). It is the largest park in Costa Rica and protects about a third of the Osa Peninsula. 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 in terms of biodiversity". 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 park conserves the largest primary forest on the American Pacific coastline and one of the few remaining sizable areas of lowland tropical rainforests in the world. Historically, logging has taken place in lowland areas because those areas are more easily accessible and contain the largest and most economically valuable trees. But those habitats, which feature diverse vegetation, are also usually the richest in biodiversity. So even though approximately half the tropical rainforests on Earth remain, what is left of the originally rich lowland tropical rainforests is usually in too small an area 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.

Corcovado is home to a sizable population of the endangered Baird's tapir and even a small population of the very rare harpy eagle. The park's rivers and lagoons are home to populations of both the American crocodile and spectacled caiman, along with bull sharks. Corcovado is also one of the final strongholds of the jaguar within Central America and several other felines are also present, including ocelot, margay, jaguarundi, and puma. All four Costa Rican monkey species can be seen within the park, including the endangered Central American squirrel monkey, white-faced capuchin, mantled howler, and Geoffroy's spider monkey. Other mammals present include two-toed and three-toed sloth, collared peccary, northern tamandua and silky anteater. Poison dart frogs and several species of snake (including the venomous fer-de-lance and bushmaster) are also common within the park.