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The mother of the Argentine national park system, PARQUE NACIONAL NAHUEL HUAPI protects a glorious chunk of the northern Patagonian cordillera and its neighbouring steppe. Its origins lie in the grant of 25 square leagues of land which Dr Francisco P. Moreno made, in 1903, to the national government, on the condition that it be safeguarded for the enjoyment of future generations. He had originally been given title to the land in recognition of the services he rendered to the Comision de Limites, the body that presented Argentina's case with respect to fixing the international border with Chile. What started as the Parque Nacional del Sur grew to embrace its current 7100 square kilometres. Most of the park falls within the watershed of Lago Nahuel Huapi (770m above sea level) and drains to the Atlantic. The lake's name comes from the Mapudungun for Isle ( huapi ) of the Tiger ( nahuel ) and refers to the jaguars that once, surprisingly, inhabited regions even this far south. Of glacial origin, it's a gigantic expanse of water, 557 square kilometres in area, and forms the centrepiece of the park, with its peninsulas, islands, and attenuated, fjord-like tentacles that sweep down from the thickly forested border region. Rainfall is heaviest by the border, in well-soaked places such as Puerto Blest and Lago Frias - the nucleus of the land donated by Moreno - where over 3000mm fall annually. This permits the growth of Valdivian temperate rainforest and individual species such as the alerce , found here at the northernmost extent of its range in Argentina. Other species typical of the subantarctic Patagonian forests also flourish: giant coihues, lengas and nire , as well as the maniu , with yew-like leaves, and the oval-leaved radal . A second important habitat is the high Alpine environment above the tree line (upwards of 1600m), including some summits that retain snow all year. The dominant massif of the park is an extinct volcano: Cerro Tronador , whose three peaks (Argentino at 3410m; Internacional at 3554m; and Chileno at 3470m) straddle the Argentinian-Chilean border in the south. Glaciers slide off its heights in all directions, though all are in a state of rapid retrocession. The "thundering"referred to in its Spanish name is not volcanic, but rather the echoing roar heard when vast chunks of ice break off its hanging glaciers and plunge down to impact on the slopes below. Rainfall decreases sharply as you move eastwards from the border: by Bariloche, annual levels are down to 800mm. Cypress woodland typifies the transitional semi-montane zone, and at the eastern side of the park you find areas of arid, rolling steppe, covered with coiron and neneo . Snow can occur into December and as early as March at higher altitudes: for this reason, it's not advisable to hike certain trails in the park outside the main high season. Average temperatures are 18°C in summer and 2°C in winter months. The strongest winds blow in spring, but these months otherwise make for a good time to visit , as do the calmer autumn months, when the deciduous trees wear their spectacular late-season colours. The park has abundant birdlife , with species such as the Magellanic woodpecker, the green-backed firecrown, the ground-dwelling chucao, the austral parakeet, the upland goose (cauquen) and the thorn-tailed rayadito being some of the most frequently sighted. You'll hear mention of rare fauna such as the huemul and pudu, the huillin (a type of freshwater otter) and the monito de monte (a nocturnal marsupial that lives in thick forest), although you have about as much chance of seeing one of these as you do of spying Nahuelito, Patagonia's version of the Loch Ness Monster. Animals that make their home in the steppe regions of the park (guanaco, armadillos, rheas and foxes) are more predictably seen. Of the introduced species, the most conspicuous are the red deer (ciervo colorado) and the wild boar (jabali), which were introduced by hunt-loving settlers, and which have thrived ever since. The authorities issue shooting permits in an effort to cull numbers, and this continues to act as a source of revenue for the park. Noteworthy, too, is one other influx of shy, exotic species: that of American-based celebrities seeking to escape their own personality cults. Ted Turner, Albert Schwarzenegger, Madonna, Daniel Day Lewis and Sylvester Stallone are all rumoured to have bought private ranches in and around the park.
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