Colombian Amazon, world's largest protected rainforest

"Serranía del Chiribiquete National Park, in the heart of the Colombian Amazon, was expanded today by more than 50 per cent making it the world’s largest national park protecting a tropical rainforest . . . Chiribiquete is home to nearly 3000 animal and plant species, including 366 birds and iconic species such as jaguars, manatees, dolphins, river otters, tapirs and the vulnerable brown woolly monkey. This rich biodiversity is due to the park’s unique location where four regions meet - the Amazon, Andean, Orinoco and Guyanas – and led UNESCO to make it a World Heritage Site, in recognition of its ‘outstanding universal value’ for nature and people . . The park has increased from 2.8 million hectares to 4.3 million . . . equivalent to the size of Northern Ireland . . . Deforestation, climate change, agriculture illegal timber, illicit crops and unplanned settlements are significant threats to Colombia’s forests and 66% of the country’s deforestation occurs in the Amazon region . . . Covering forest areas in the municipalities with the highest deforestation rates in the country, Chiribiquete’s expansion is expected to work as a barrier against deforestation in the Amazon. It is also expected to help protect the territory from fires and illicit crops."