Mbaracayu Forest Reserve

Mbaracayú protects around sixty-four thousand hectares of Atlantic Forest in Canindeyú, bought in 1991 through an international debt-for-nature arrangement and held by the Moises Bertoni Foundation under a legal protection that runs in perpetuity; UNESCO designated the wider area a biosphere reserve in 2000. The forest holds jaguar, tapir, giant anteater and a bird list of over four hundred species, and Aché communities hold traditional hunting rights within it. A residential agricultural school for girls from rural families operates inside the reserve. Trails, a canopy tower and river sections are used by visitors, with lodging at the field station, and everything must be booked in advance.

History

The reserve was created by an agreement between the government of Paraguay, the Moisés Bertoni Foundation, UNESCO and The Nature Conservancy, ratified in 1991 by national law 112/91, which set it aside in perpetuity to protect the forest, its wildlife and its cultural heritage while promoting sustainable development. The Moisés Bertoni Foundation still runs it, and on 19 December 2003 it was put forward to UNESCO as a proposed World Heritage Site (Wikipedia, Mbaracayú Forest Nature Reserve).

The landscape

• Atlantic Forest - the protected block and its trails.
• The canopy tower - the platform for birding above the forest.
• The Jejui river - the watercourse running through the reserve.
• The girls' school - the residential agricultural college inside the reserve.

When to go

April to October in the cooler dry season; roads are difficult after rain and the reserve is hot and humid in summer. Booking is required well in advance. Early morning is best for wildlife.

Before you go

Access requires advance booking and is not possible on arrival. Roads in are long and rough. Accommodation is basic field-station lodging. Large mammals are present but very rarely seen.

Nearby

Curuguaty lies south; the Brazilian frontier is east.

Key facts