The areas “Galpon” (1,595 hectares) and “Isla del Paraiso” (1,501 hectares), are located in the Department of Alto Paraguay, within the Municipality of Bahia Negra, 1,200 km from Asuncion.
Galpon and Isla del Paraiso are located on the banks of Verde River and Negro River, which in turn flow into the Paraguay River. Five percent of the Great Pantanal area is in Paraguayan territory; 10% in Bolivian territory; and the greatest percentage, 85%, is in Brazilian territory. This wetland, which is considered to be one of the larges in the world, has a surface area of 660,000 hectares within Paraguayan territory.
These areas are strategically located forming a biological corridor between the Rio Negro National Park and the Otuquis National Park in Bolivia.
The local biodiversity is of great importance. This is because:
● It is located within the limits of three large regions: the Chaco, the Cerrado and the Amazon Basin.
● The variety of flora and fauna species and a combination of two habitats: terrestrial and aquatic.
● That there are two completely different seasons: humid and dry season.
The Pantanal is completely flooded during the humid season, during which the water level can reach up to five meters above the levels registered during dry season.
This ecosystem is ideal for animals such as the tuyuyu, storks, ducks, mbiguas, yacares, boas, capybara, deer, otters, armadillos and tapirs. Some species are threatened, as is the case of the crowned eagle, the blue macaw or gua’a hovy, and the jaguar. It is also a mandatory stop for numerous migratory bird species.
There are 173 species of fish in the zone, 37 species of amphibians, 55 of reptiles, 386 bird species and 91 mammal species.
As for the natural landscape, within the Paraguayan Pantanal, you can find:
● Swamps.
● Flooded savannahs with Chaco palms.
● Beaches and sand dunes.
● Forests along the Paraguay River, including Quebracho forests.
