Helicopters have been banned in Machu Picchu

Helicopters have been banned from the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in an effort to protect wildlife. Cusco province has published regulations banning helicopters at Machu Picchu and the surrounding 125 square miles.

The director of the Machu Picchu archaeological park, Fernando Astete, says the noise of helicopter rotors affects habitat for such species as the spectacled bear and red-plumed Andean cock of the rock.

In January, thousands of tourists were evacuated by helicopter from Machu Picchu and nearby towns after flooding and mudslides severed access by train and footpath.