Wilderness International’s new conservation area, the Secret Forest Manu, is located in a region biologists consider a holy grail: the province of Manu in Peru’s Madre de Dios region.
Situated in the eastern foothills of the Andes, Manu stretches from high mountain peaks at nearly 4,000 metres down to the Amazonian lowlands at 200 metres. This dramatic elevation change creates distinct climate zones across a short distance.
The region features a rich tapestry of landscapes, including cloud forests, lowland rainforests, rivers, mountain ranges, floodplains, and terra firme forests. These varying elevations form a mosaic of microhabitats where plants and animals adapt to wildly different conditions, making Manu a true paradise of biodiversity.
The world’s steepest biodiversity gradient
Thanks to this varied landscape, an incredible wealth of biodiversity has developed in Manu over thousands of years. The region is home to up to 287 mammal species, 1,000 bird species, and 15,000 plant species. These include many endemic species—wildlife so highly specialized they exist only within very specific habitats or strict altitude bands. Moving just five kilometres up or down a slope can mean encountering entirely different species. In fact, some creatures won't even cross a river because conditions on the opposite bank are too distinct for them to survive.
What is allopatric speciation?
Allopatric speciation is an evolutionary process where new species emerge from a single ancestral population due to geographic isolation, such as mountains or rivers separating groups. In the Manu region, this frequently occurs when rivers naturally shift their course over time, cutting off populations and allowing them to evolve independently.
A real highlight in Manu: bare-faced sakis. We’ve never seen this species of monkey in Tambopata before!
We have also spotted giant otters–the largest in the world–in Tambopata, where they are much rarer.
14 species of monkey live in Manu, including the nimble spider monkeys.
In Manu, shy harpy eagles are rarely seen in person; our camera traps provide a rare glimpse into their world.
Although hummingbirds are also found in Tambopata, we still can’t get enough of their beautiful colours!
Some forest dwellers, such as this painted horned frog, really do not want to be spotted at all.
And, of course, we can’t leave out our beloved capybaras!
A river landscape in constant change
The Alto Madre de Dios River, where our conservation area is located, serves as one of the region's main lifelines. Fed by countless mountain streams originating high in the Andes, it fuels a vast network of tributaries. Unlike other rainforest regions, such as our project area in Tambopata, where clay-rich soils turn the water a reddish-brown, the river here remains crystal clear, resembling a glacial runoff. It provides vital habitat for Amazon river dolphins, giant otters, and countless tropical fish species.
What makes the Alto Madre de Dios River truly unique is its constantly shifting path. As it carries sediment down from the Andes, it continuously deposits sandbanks, forms islands, and floods surrounding forests. This dynamic process constantly creates fresh habitats, driving species to adapt and specialize in an ever-changing landscape.
A paradise under threat
Near our conservation area lies one of South America’s largest national parks: Manu National Park, an official UNESCO Biosphere Reserve covering 1.7 million hectares. Accessible only by river or small airstrips, the park and its surrounding rainforests remain remarkably pristine, a testament to the decades of stewardship by local Indigenous communities. However, this isolation is increasingly under threat.
While the national park itself benefits from strong legal protections, neighboring riverfront areas, including our 1,200 hectares conservation area, have long been targeted by international corporations seeking natural resources. These buffer zones are rich in valuable timber and hold untapped oil deposits.
Oil on our land
Our land faces this exact danger. A small river runs along the boundary between our plot and the Shintuya Indigenous territory, where oil naturally seeps out of rock formations in several spots. This is a rare geological phenomenon. Specialized bacteria and fungi have adapted to break down the oil, creating unique ecological niches for microorganisms that thrive in this environment.
These natural seeps attract intense interest from oil companies, as they hint at larger reserves below. Industrial exploitation, such as drilling and extraction, inevitably leads to widespread contamination. Oil spills and leaks pollute rivers and soil for decades. Extraction here could even impact the adjacent national park, threatening a rainforest area of immense scope and value.
In fact, the Peruvian government has granted an oil concession that encompasses both the broader region and our protected land, technically permitting international companies to conduct exploratory drilling. Under Peruvian law, land title grants ownership of the surface land and topsoil (the first five metres or so) but not the mineral rights beneath it.
Our presence as an established international NGO partnering directly with Indigenous communities changes the equation. By drawing global attention to the Secret Forest Manu and raising public awareness, we help protect the region: corporate developers prefer to avoid the severe public relations fallout that comes with destroying high-profile conservation areas.
Near Manu lies the Camisea gas field, which clearly illustrates the long-term destruction caused by resource development. A major pipeline runs straight through the rainforest to the coast to supply cities like Lima. A wide swath cut through the forest for the pipeline leaves a permanent scar across the landscape.
This infrastructure has devastating consequences for wildlife, creating a barrier animals cannot cross and splitting populations apart. It also causes profound harm to local Indigenous communities. In 1980, Shell workers made initial contact with the previously isolated Nahua people. The workers introduced diseases to which the Nahua had no immunity, killing nearly half the tribe. Additionally, at least five major gas leaks since 2004 have contaminated local soil and waterways, causing severe health impacts.
History shows that even after extraction stops, the infrastructure remains. Roads and access tracks built for development continue to be used by illegal loggers to harvest and transport valuable timber. Forest loss is never limited to the active drilling period; it triggers a cascade of destruction that lasts for decades.
An essential land purchase and a vital wildlife corridor
Chris Kirkby, Executive Director of Wilderness International Peru, has maintained close friendships with the people of Shintuya for decades. Shintuya is not a single tribe, but rather a community that's home to several Indigenous groups living together.
When Chris learned that a unique, highly threatened plot of land right next to Shintuya was up for sale, our organization acted immediately. We quickly assessed the 8.6-million-square-metre area for its ecological integrity and purchased the land. For us, there was no alternative: if this property had been sold on the open market, it easily could have fallen into the wrong hands and been destroyed.
Purchasing this land is only the first step in a long-term plan. Between Manu National Park and the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve—another key protected area—lie vast stretches of intact, unprotected rainforest alongside the lands of three Indigenous communities. This region also falls within the active oil concession, remaining untouched by corporate development solely through the dedication of these three communities.
Our goal is to create a continuous conservation corridor. By securing this plot and expanding into surrounding areas in the future, we can block industrial development and establish a safe wildlife corridor linking Manu National Park to the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve.
Working together with the indigenous Shintuya people
Protecting this land carries vital social value. Working alongside the Shintuya community, our Forest Guardians patrol the property daily. By employing community members in these roles, we provide stable, sustainable income locally. In turn, the Shintuya’s deep generational knowledge of these forests is invaluable, guiding our biodiversity monitoring and shaping all future conservation efforts for the ecosystem.
We have also launched environmental education projects with the local community school, supporting their reforestation and agroforestry efforts with our expertise and resources. Over time, a genuine friendship has grown between the Shintuya and our ground teams. Long-term protection and meaningful change are only possible when we work hand in hand with local communities, a value we are deeply committed to.
To secure the Secret Forest Manu and sustain our conservation work long term, we need your support. Having financed the initial land purchase upfront, we are now seeking donations to cover the cost. €1 protects 1m2 forever.
Will you join us?
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Hannah Emde with us at Secret Forest Manu 
Hannah Emde with us at Secret Forest Manu
Hannah Emde accompanied us to our new conservation area and, in our new six-part documentary, showcases the unique features of the Secret Forest Manu. -
Biodiversity monitoring in our protected areas 
Biodiversity monitoring in our protected areas
We can only protect what we know. That is why we use a variety of monitoring methods to study biodiversity in our protected areas. -
Our partnership with Shintuya 
Our partnership with Shintuya
Protecting the rainforest is something we can only do together. Find out how Wilderness International is supporting the Shintuya indigenous people in protecting the Secret Forest Manu corridor.