The Bosawás Biosphere Reserve in the northern part of Nicaragua is a hilly tropical forest designated in 1997 as a UNESCO biosphere reserve. At over 20,000 km² (1.8 million acres) in size, the reserve comprises about 7% of the nation’s total land area making it the second largest rainforest in the Americas, after the Amazon in Brazil.[1] Bosawás is largely unexplored, and is extremely rich in biodiversity.

Within Bosawás live an estimated 100,000 to 200,000 insect species; the number is believed to be higher, however a closer estimate is not possible due to the area being relatively unexplored. The botanical diversity of Bosawás is very high, with vascular plants considered to be in the thousands. Bosawás also has rich taxa of invertebrate and vertebrate organisms. Quetzals and Guacamayas are present in significant numbers, along with the largest and most powerful eagle found in the Americas, the Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja). These, however, are just a few of 700 bird species found in the reserve and all over Nicaragua. Pumas and Jaguars, considered powerful consumers of the nutritional chain, are present in the reserve, and Tapirs (Tapirus bairdii) are their favorite prey.[3]

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