The southern part of the Cordillera Real contains the Huancabamba Depression, the lowest pass in the Andes at about 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) above sea level.

[1] Mammal species include Venezuelan red howler (Alouatta seniculus), white-fronted capuchin (Cebus albifrons), yellow-tailed woolly monkey (Oreonax flavicauda), spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus), taruca (Hippocamelus antisensis), guanaco (Lama guanicoe), kinkajou (Potos flavus) and perhaps mountain tapir (Tapirus pinchaque).

[1] Endangered mammals include equatorial dog-faced bat (Molossops aequatorianus), giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), mountain tapir (Tapirus pinchaque) and white-bellied spider monkey (Ateles belzebuth).

[6] Bird species include masked mountain tanager (Buthraupis wetmorei), chestnut-bellied cotinga (Doliornis remseni), cinnamon screech owl (Megascops petersoni), neblina metaltail (Metallura odomae) and Andean condor (Vultur gryphus).

[1] Endangered and endemic birds include white-breasted parakeet (Pyrrhura albipectus), coppery-chested jacamar (Galbula pastazae), and bicolored antvireo (Dysithamnus occidentalis).

[1] Other endangered birds include royal sunangel (Heliangelus regalis) and black-and-chestnut eagle (Spizaetus isidori).

[6] Endangered amphibians include:[6] The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) gives the region the status of "Vulnerable".

The forest are fairly accessible, and are increasingly threatened by logging of commercially valuable Podocarpus and Prumnopitys species.