A sprawling rainforest ecosystem home to giant otters, tapirs, macaws and jaguars has been officially protected by the government of Peru, the Bronx Zoo-based Wildlife Conservation Society announced. The region, which encompasses the pristine Cadamo River watershed, was added to already-existing Bahiaja-Sonene National Park, nearly doubling its size to an impressive 2.7 million acres. In addition, 647,000 acres adjacent to the park will now be managed as a buffer zone, while another 627,000 will become a national reserve.

“This decision shows the world that Peru is setting new standards in protecting wildlife,” said Dr. Andrew Taber, director of WCS’s Latin America Programs. “We’re delighted that the hard work of the Peruvian government - particularly the National Institute of Natural Resources - along with the support from the conservation and business community has paid off.”

WCS began working in this region in 1989, when Dr. Charles Munn first went to there to study macaws. Since then, WCS helped create the original core protected area, while establishing a series of research stations and ecotourism lodges.

The recent declaration came after a consortium of oil and gas companies released the land after conducting a series of tests to determine its potential for energy exploration.

This newest protected area adds to a growing list of parks and reserves that span some 7.4 million acres of this species-rich region of the tropical Andes. Among them is Alto Madidi National Park in Bolivia, which WCS helped create in 1995. Alto Madidi alone contains more than 1,200 bird species — more than any other park in the world.