A video conference about the protection and conservation of the Cienaga de Zapata swampland, declared by UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and Ramsar site focused in Havana the activities for the World Wetland Day.
Wetland ecosystem located at the south of the western province of Matanzas, it is considered the largest and best preserved in the Caribbean and one of the largest wetlands in Latin America.
The Havana’s Natural History Museum, located in the old part of the city organized the day, dedicated to have a first-hand experience about what the institutions do concerning the protection of flora and fauna of this ecosystem.
Established in February 2, 1977, the World Wetland Day is celebrated to attract attention on the protection of these places, of great biological diversity.
Controller of the climate and water cycle, generating of water resources for fresh water supply, control of floods and droughts, also constitutes an area commonly used by humans for tourism and fishing activities.
Fauna of the swampland is represented by 15 mammal species, 258 of birds, 43 of reptiles, four of fish and 16 of amphibians, as well as a great diversity of insects and other invertebrates.
In this unique place have been observed more than 100 species of endemic birds, among them the bee hummingbird, swamp goatherd, long tail sparrowhawk, parrots and the partridge dove, existing large concentrations of them during the whole year.
Considered one of the most important areas in Cuba used like bird’s hothouse, has the Salinas de Brito, an important refuge with high concentrations of aquatic birds, as the sevilla, herons, flamingos and cranes.
During the winter months are both at this place more than 65 bird species. There are 16 reptile species, among which stand out the Cuban and American crocodile, iguanas, small lizards, Cuban boa and several species of frogs.
The mammals are represented by an endemic specimen: the dwarf hog rat, besides the conga hog rat, as well as for introduced abundant populations of wild pigs and deer.
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