The Cueva del Guácharo National Park surrounds a large cave ("cueva" in Spanish) near Caripe, which is the home of thousands of oil-birds (guácharo in Spanish; scientific name steatornis caripensis). This vegetarian, nocturnal species was made known to science by Alexander von Humboldt and named by him after the town of Caripe.
(a man is standing in the cave mouth)]]
The cave itself was designated a Natural Monument in 1949 and the National Park was later designated to conserve the cave-system and environment of the birds.