From snow-capped peaks to lowland tropical forests, Madidi National Park inspires awe. The 7,335 square mile reserve, a portion of the larger Madidi-Tambopata Landscape, lures tourists with its natural beauty, but scientists come to the park for different reasons. For years, they鈥檝e sought to document the terrain鈥檚 prolific plant and wildlife.

While attending the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Jeju, Republic of Korea, WCS shared exciting news: the Bolivian Park Service has released a new compendium suggesting that Madidi National Park might be the most biodiverse region in the world.

Even though scientists have only surveyed one third of the park, they鈥檝e proffered groundbreaking findings. Madidi contains: more than 200 species of mammals; 1,868 vertebrates; nearly 300 types of fish; and 12,000 plant varieties. With an estimated 1,088 species, Madidi is thought to possess 11% of the globe鈥檚 birds. Only eleven countries contain more avian species than the Bolivian park, and the entire United States houses fewer than 900 bird species.

Madidi鈥檚 mammals range from the lowland tapir鈥攁n Amazonian herbivore that weighs up to 660 pounds鈥攖o the Spix鈥檚 disk-winged bat that registers a mere .14 ounces. The harpy eagle, one of the world鈥檚 most robust winged predators, preys upon sloths and monkeys inside the bountiful park, also home to 60 species of hummingbird.

What accounts for the region鈥檚 unparalleled biodiversity? Varying altitudes, says WCS鈥檚 Madidi Landscape Program Director, Dr. Robert Wallace, who explains, 鈥淲ith Madidi鈥檚 almost 6,000-meter (19,685 feet) altitudinal range, no other protected area captures the diversity of South American habitats that pushes these numbers through the ceiling.鈥�

Although the newly released compendium emphasizes Bolivia鈥檚 fertile terrain, much of the park remains unexplored, and looming threats of climate change to the region make future observations crucial. 鈥淭his important compendium emphasizes just how poorly known the cloud forests of the Tropical Andes really are,鈥� says Dr. Cristi谩n Samper, President and CEO of WCS, 鈥淎part from their biodiversity and wildlife importance, they are critical from a watershed management perspective and are aesthetically beautiful.鈥�

To learn more about WCS鈥檚 work in the Madidi-Tambopata Landscape, click .