Meullín-Puye Nature Sanctuary
Meullín-Puye Nature Sanctuary is a protected area in Aysén Region of southern Chile. The sanctuary is in the basin of the Cuervo River, and protects an expanse of primary Valdivian temperate rain forest, along with lakes, wetlands and grasslands. It is managed by the Fundación Kreen.
Flora and fauna
65% of the sanctuary is forested, principally with old-growth primary forest. There is no evidence of logging, human-caused fires, or introduced salmonids in the sanctuary. Trees include Magellan's beech, lenga beech, Chiloé's coigue, tepa, Guaitecas cypress, ñirre, winter's bark, tineo, and mañío de hojas punzantes.The sanctuary also protects areas of Andean temperate deciduous scrub. The predominant shrub is ñirre, and the sanctuary is home to 13% of Chile's population of the species.
77 species of birds, 11 amphibians, and 21 mammals are native to the sanctuary. These include the Magellanic woodpecker, Magellanic snipe, peregrine falcon, southern pudú, southern river otter, and Darwin's frog. The native fish puye grande inhabits the rivers and streams of the sanctuary.