National Park Sovereignty
With an area of 19.341 hectares Sovereignty National Park, located in the provinces of Panama and Colon was founded in 1980. It is a natural areas more accessible and is one of the pillars for the operation and maintenance of the Panama Canal.
The park takes the form of a vertical strip along the east bank of the Canal, which borders all along its western boundary in quiet backwaters and inlets formed by Lake Gatun. The mountains and hills dominate its rugged hilly terrain, whose maximum altitude is reached in the Pumpkin Hill with 85 meters above sea level. The annual temperature is 28 º C, in the Caribbean are more frequent rainfall.
The Chagres River, whose role is vital to the functioning of the canal, through the national park up to the historic town of Gamboa.
Sovereignty's rainforests define its landscape with its impressive examples of Ceiba (Ceiba pentandra), Cuipo (Cavanillesia platanifolia) Roble (Tabebuia rosea) and Guayacan (Tabebuia guayacan). In this forest full of vines, epiphytes and orchids is no shortage of Royal Palms (Scheelea zonensis), the Nance (Byrsonima crassifolia) and Jobo (Spondias mombin), whose results feed many birds and mammals. More than 1,300 vascular plants have been recorded in these forests, including some species endemic to Panama as the Cherimoya (Annona spraguei), the Guayabillo (Eugenia alliacea) and Reseco (Tachigali versicolor).
With 105 species of mammals, 525 species of birds, 79 reptiles, amphibians and 55 of 36 species of freshwater fish in the park becomes an important refuge for fauna. They are birds that acquire greater prominence.
In his best-known path, Pipeline Road, Panama Audubon Society, conducts an annual census of Christmas. For 19 consecutive years achieved world records, culminating in 1996 when in a single day were counted 525 species of birds. These include the presence of the endangered Crested Eagle (Crested Eagle), the spectacular Red Front Loras (Amazona autumnalis) and different species of colorful trogones as Violet Trogon (Trogon violaceus).
Among the mammals do not lack the presence of the Jaguar (Panthera onca), the white-tailed deer (Odoicoleus virginianus) of the Agouti (Dasyprocta punctata), the raccoon (Procyon lotor) and herds of peccaries (Tayassu tajacu).
Different species of monkeys occupy the forested areas, including the small Mono Titi (Saguinus oedipus) and the elusive Jujan (Aotus lemurinus). Reptiles as Stifle (Caiman crocodylus) or wart snake (Lachesis mutus), amphibians such as the Common Toad (Bufo marinus) or Salamandra (Oedipina parvipes) and freshwater fish such as Tarpon Pipón (Brycon petrosum) or Chad Beard (Rhandia magnesite) are part of the vertebrate fauna in this protected area.
The invertebrates are thousands and is easy to see the unmistakable ways of nests and ants (Atta colombica) and identify the dangerous Folofa Hormiga (Paraponera clavata).
Among the highlights of the park trails Pipeline Road, which is accessible from Panama in just one hour, an area where it is easy to see a lot of wildlife, especially birds. The natural interpretation trail El Charco, located in the direction of Gamboa, has an interpretive tour and a refreshing pool of clear water.
The famous Camino de Cruces crosses the park and also houses a restored stretch of the old cobbled path. Adjacent to the park also is the Summit Botanical Gardens which also has several interpretive trails and you have to highlight its modern campus of the Harpy Eagle, where a couple of this superb raptor is reproduced in captivity.
The park is located along the east bank of the Panama Canal, in the provinces of Panama and Colon and is 25 kilometers by road from Panama City.
credits:anam.gob.pa
