Henri Pittier National Park
Henri Pittier National Park was founded in 1937 and is the oldest park in Venezuela. The park is located west of Caracas and its territory is 1,078 km2. The park has the Bahia de Cata beach, which is one of the best in Venezuela with a famous surfing center. The park consists of 2 parts: on one side is a landscape rugged by mountains, the second is a resort area with wonderful beaches. One of the world's most famous cocoa varieties is grown in the Chuao Village Park.
Henri Pittier National Park is home to over 500 species of birds, accounting for 43% of all Venusian bird species, 22 of which are found nowhere else in the world. Swallows, parrots, cardinals, peregrine falcons, which are considered the fastest birds on Earth, and the South American harpy, a forest predator that prefers to hunt monkeys, are considered especially common. The park is inhabited by 140 species of animals, which make up 47% of all mammals in the country. Among them are various species of rodents, tapirs, jaguars, a considerable number of species of the felidae family, anteaters.
There are also a large number of snakes in the jungle, including boa constrictors and the bushmaster, the largest venomous snake. In addition to snakes, 97 species of reptiles live in the park. It is easy to find crocodiles 5-6 meters long. A large number of crocodiles live in the San Miguel River. They are characterized by the fact that they can live in both fresh and salt water, swimming far out to sea, they usually feed on fish, turtles, amphibians, but nevertheless they pose a threat to humans too. Of the insects, it is easy to find butterflies here, which are all around in the park.
The flora is represented by palm groves and mangrove swamps near the coast and forests covering the peaks of the mountains. Henri Pittier Park in the village Chuao grows one of the best varieties of cocoa.
