Laguna del Tigre National Park covers an area of ​​337.899 ha, being the largest Core Zone of the Maya Biosphere Reserve (MBR) and the largest National Park in Guatemala, located northwest of the Maya Biosphere Reserve. Of the 16 ecosystems that form the MBR, 13 are represented in this park and also has the status of Ramsar site because of its size, wealth and characteristics of its wetland ecosystem. The east end of the park is part of the nesting area of scarlet macaw in Guatemala, containing two of the most important sites fornesting of this threatened species (Peru and Peñón de Buena Vista)

In the Peru site, WCS Guatemala has established a field station where the field team performs security activities, monitoring the reproductive success of scarlet macaw and wildlife management. Peru is located in the lagoon with the same name, and it isa very important Central America River Turtle nesting area (Dermatemys mawii), recording one of the highest turtle densities in the Peten area. In the southeast extremeis El Peñón de Buena Vista, it is also registered as a very important nesting site of the scarlet macaw, however over the last few years due to problems of governance in the area, the abundance of macaws and active nests has dramáticamante declined, and by 2012 that has recorded the presence of activenests in the area again. This area is also important nesting site to be orange-breasted falcon (Falco deirolecus), a species that is considered rare and found in low abundance and with threats to their nesting sites by habitat loss and competition with common vultures.

El Peru not only has a great biological importance as scarlet macaw nesting site and a great biological diversity hot spot, it also has a great cultural significance for the presence of archaeological Peru-Waka ' site, which was the principal royal city of Classic Maya in the western Petén. This city is associated with a more navigable routes used by the Maya of the lowlands, between the major centers of Central Peténand the kingdoms of the Usumacinta region. The Peru dominated the confluence ofthe rivers San Juan and San Pedro. The size and strategic location of El Peru suggest that it was a very important political and economic center in the Mayan World. In particular, this Mayan city played an important role in the power struggle between Tikal at east and Calakmul at north. (Information from 2007-2011 Master Plan Laguna del Tigre National Park and Biotope Laguna del Tigre Río Escondido-and Archaeological Project El Peru-Waka ': Report No.2. Season 2004, Edited by Hector Escobedo and David Freidel).

Conservation Challenges

This park is considered one of the core areas of the Maya Biosphere Reserve critical for conservation dueto the heavy threats it faces. The main threats to this important park are deforestation, forest fires caused primarily by unplanned human settlements, land speculation for agriculture and ranching, and oil activities without mitigation. The increased road network linked to the oil industry has been a fundamental factor for entry of new human families and the origin of new settlements. Most of the settlements are distributed in the central part of the park, adjacent to the main road built by oil.

So is the area that presents more accelerated forest cover changes rate over time. For the period 2010-2011 was estimated a loss of 3008.6 ha for the park. WCS Guatemala held in conjunction with CONAP, the protection strategy named "The Shield" in the eastern sector of the park. The Shield was established to maintaining interagency presence in the area, which allowed the reduction of the rate of threats in recent years. The maintenance of the physical presence of staff has allowed the establishment and maintenance of a firewall gap of 55 km long which acts as a barrier to threats from the west of the Park. In the last two years (2011-2012) have made ​​great progress in the conservation of this park, managing to recover areas that exceed the total of 60,000 hectares that are located in the east of the Park.WCS will continue to support CONAP and the protection activities to maintainand restore the forested areas of the park. (Information from 2007-2011 Master Plan Laguna del Tigre National Park and Biotope Laguna del Tigre Río Escondido-)