The Cañon del Sumidero celebrates 40 years of being a National Park

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The majestic natural balcony of the Sumidero originated from a long process of geological faults.

On December 8, 1980, the Sumidero Canyon was declared as National Park after the efforts of many actors, including Don Miguel Álvarez del Toro.

The Cañon del Sumidero celebrated its 40th Anniversary when the Cañon del Sumidero celebrates 40 years on December 8, 1980, and in 2004 classified as a Ramsar site (wetland of international importance), an emblematic site of Chiapas and refuge of important biodiversity.

It has 21,700 hectares of surface, the light and heat on the cliff faces, as well as its abundant runoffs, have led to the emergence of various microclimates in the vegetation and fauna at different heights of the canyon.

In the PNCS, ecosystems such as lowland forest, medium deciduous, sub deciduous, pine, and oak forests prevail. It protects emblematic species of animals such as the spider monkey, crocodile river, white-tailed deer, gray fox, tigrillo, ocelot, jaguarundi, and American lynx or Wildcat.

Some of the endemic species exclusive to that area are the mushroom tongue salamander, the Mexican cuija, the cinnamon-colored sucker bird, the marbled toad, and the Chiapa de Corzo mojarra.

There are plant species such as ceiba, pine, ramón or moju, guaje or guash, caobilla, matilisguate, guanacastle, and endemic species such as the Grijalva maguey.

The Canyons consists of an imposing cliff that rises over the river Grijalva, which walls reach more than 1000 meters in height.

The park is visited by tens of thousands of tourists who like to practice mountain biking, swimming, kayaking, and rappelling.

The Park comprises part of the municipalities of Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas de Corzo, San Fernando, Osumacinta, Chicoasén, Soyalo and Ixtapa.

Achievements within the National Park

Since its declaration, the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (CONANP) made important achievements such as the registration of a female and male tigrillo.

Also, the reintroduction of spider monkeys and their reproduction in places where they had previously ceased to be present. In addition to the works to maintain and preserve the river crocodile population.

Another of the achievements mentioned by CONANP is the protection of bird species such as the guardabarranco, chachalaca, trogon, needle duck, black cormorant, and migratory birds such as green-backed warbler, climbing warbler, and the blue hummingbird.

Also, the CONANP has worked on the recovery of the landscape of those sites that have been impacted by fires and anthropogenic activities, some of these actions have been promoted in areas such as Loma Larga, Los Limones, Manuel Velasco Coello, Benito Juárez, influencing the recovery of about 150 impacted hectares.

Some effects on the Sumidero Canyon

It is important to note that, on April 5, the Sumidero Canyon suffered a fire, where 80 hectares consumed by fire were affected.

CONANP reported that the “Los Chiapas” fire, which lasted 18 days, compromised the vegetation of the middle sub-deciduous forest.

Through the MI-17 helicopter of the Secretary of the Navy, it made a total of 75 discharges equivalent to 187 thousand 500 liters of water over the persistent active points in the fire.

Finally, the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CCA) released a short film, where a Chiapas community carried out actions to protect the integrity of the Chiapas Mirror located in the Canyon, which was exploited in 1965 to extract mineral resources, affecting the landscape and people’s health.

Source: chiapasparalelo.com

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