Panama is, according to Conservation International, part of the Mesoamerican biodiversity hot spot stretching all the way through tropical Central America from Mexico. Its La Amistad International Park and Biosphere reserve, shared with Costa Rica, is the single largest pristine cloud forest area in Central America. Conservation International estimates that 75% of the migratory birds in the Western Hemisphere converge on the park. A recent study by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute's Center for Tropical Forest Science found that Panama's forests are more diverse in nature than those of the Amazon. Panama is home to endangered species such as the Jaguar and the Baird's Tapir as well as many other lesser known creatures.
