Bolivian wildlife and camera traps

This video says about itself:

Giant Anteater wallowing

Incredible camera-trap footage of a Giant Anteater in the Barba Azul Nature Reserve, Bolivia. Wait to see what happens around a minute in, you will be amazed. Footage © Glasgow University Bolivia Expedition 2011.

Wildlife Extra writes:

Camera traps show wealth of wildlife in Bolivia’s threatened Beni savannah

Great footage of giant anteater wallowing

May 2013. Recent Glasgow University expeditions to Bolivia’s Beni savannah have produced important survey data on the birds and mammals of the Barba Azul Nature Reserve. The research teams also captured fascinating camera-trap footage including a great sequence of a Giant Anteater enjoying a nocturnal wallow.

World Land Trust (WLT) is currently raising funds to extend Barba Azul Nature Reserve, an area of extraordinary biodiversity managed by WLT’s Bolivian conservation partner Armonía.

Joanne Kingsbury led Glasgow University’s first research expedition to Barba Azul Nature Reserve in Bolivia’s Beni savanna in 2009. A student of zoology at Glasgow University (GU), Joanne went on to assist three more expeditions to Barba Azul between 2010 and 2012. In April Joanne shared her experiences of the reserve with Ruth Canning, WLT’s Conservation Programmes Manager (Americas Region) and WLT Council Member, Kevin Cox. In general, bird numbers seem to be fluctuating, which is a concern, but mammal populations, on the other hand, seem to be either stable or actually increasing.

Remote and undisturbed – Buy an Acre Fund

The extension to the reserve, which WLT is raising funds for through the Buy an Acre fund, includes 26 isolated forest islands and 3 large forest islands within this savannah habitat.

These forest islands are crucial habitat for a host of species particularly the endangered Blue-throated Macaw. Larger islands are important to the macaws for foraging, and smaller ones are thought to be safe havens for roosting and nesting.

Extending the reserve will offer more potential breeding areas for the species, as well as additional areas of tall grass savannah, vital for several of the reserve’s threatened grassland birds.

“The Beni is phenomenal for wildlife, a unique endemic habitat, found nowhere else in the world and we need to protect as much of this habitat as we can now before it’s too late,” says Joanne who fears that more road and bridge building would be disastrous. “If better roads went in, that would be the beginning of the end for the habitat and its wildlife.”

Motacu palm

The Motacu palm (Attalea phalerata) is a keystone species, and the palm nuts are essential for the survival of many species. In particular the palm nuts are a vital food source for the Blue-throated Macaw.

The Motacu palm grows on Beni’s forest islands. These occur on areas of high ground where tree roots escape seasonal flooding. The islands vary in size from a few square metres to square kilometres and the difference in elevation between flooded regions and forest is often only a metre or so.

Blue-throated Macaw – Critically Endangered

The Blue-throated Macaw (Ara glaucogularis) is Critically Endangered (IUCN 2013), with estimates of between 100-400 left in the wild. It is endemic to the Beni savanna of Bolivia and very little is known about its ecology or behaviour.

Its range overlaps with that of the Blue and Yellow Macaw. Both macaw species are frequently spotted foraging in Motacu palms on the larger forest islands of the reserve during the day. At dusk, both species congregate at a number of specific pre-roost aggregation sites and then fly off in large groups, presumably to roost in areas outside the reserve. The islands appear to be important congregation or ‘stop-off’ points for macaws coming in from other islands at dusk. Blue throat feathers were found in some of the smaller islands, which raises the question could these be roost sites?

Worryingly, the expedition surveys show a decrease in Blue-throated Macaw numbers from 103 in 2010 to 52 in 2011.

Camera-traps

In 2009 the expedition had 10 old fashioned manual camera traps that took pictures with mounted disposable cameras. The quality was poor and the photos were prone to damage.

With subsequent funds raised via grants from bodies such as the Royal Geographical Society and Carnegie Trust for Scotland, the expedition team now has 26 brand new digital traps. The digital traps have captured some phenomenal shots and videos of the reserve’s more elusive wildlife, and are enabling population trends to be monitored.

The traps are positioned in pairs along bush trails, near watering holes or in areas where animal signs are present (tracks, scat etc).

Top cats – Puma, ocelot and Pampas cat

Camera-trap pictures of Puma (Puma concolor) were first captured in 2010, a big male feeding on a Capybara. Later, further pictures showed a female with two cubs. Evidence of breeding on the reserve is encouraging to see, specifically in large predatory species that are top of the food chain, indicating that the ecosystem is healthy enough to support new life. Adult Puma populations have since remained stable on the reserve with 2 individuals recorded in both 2011 and 2012.

Likewise, images of Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) were first captured in 2010. On a positive note, adult ocelot populations seem to have increased on the reserve with: 2 individuals recorded in 2010, 3 in 2011 and 4 2012.

In 2012 the Near Threatened (IUCN 2013) Pampas Cat (Leopardus colocol) was recorded on camera-trap for the first time. The Pampas Cat is currently in decline across the South American continent due to habitat loss to make way for agriculture and stock grazing. This record of the pampas cat is important, both for the reserve and for the Beni, as it has not been formally recorded in this region before.

Giant Anteaters and other mammals

Other mammals monitored include:

Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) (Vulnerable): showing an increase in adult population on the reserve, from 2 individuals recorded in 2009 to 6 in 2012 plus evidence of breeding (3 individuals with young in 2012). Fur markings, particularly on the foreleg and neck, are used to identify individuals and make minimum population estimates for the reserve.
Marsh Deer (Blastocerus dichotomus): in serious decline due to habitat loss, wetland drainage and damming, loss of habitat, hunting and transmission of cattle diseases.
Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus): Near Threatened (IUCN 2013) although populations on the reserve seem stable with the same 2 individuals spotted every year between 2010-2012

Savannah passerines in decline

Surveys of the reserve’s threatened savannah passerine species conducted in 2010 and 2011 show species may have declined

Cock-tailed Tyrant (Alectrurus tricolor) population estimates fell from 427 to 103 individuals
Black-masked Finch (Coryphaspiza melanotis) population estimates fell from 768 to 318 individuals
Wedge-tail Grass Finch (Emberizoides herbicola) population estimates fell from 750 to 491 individuals
Joanne believes that fluctuations in numbers of these species are likely to be linked to grassland succession – specifically patterns in the frequency of grassland wildfires.

Wildfires

Periodic wildfires are a normal part of the Beni’s ecology and an important in maintaining the savanna’s biodiversity. However, fire frequency in the Beni may be unnaturally high as fires, which are often set by ranchers to stimulate new grass growth for their cattle, tend to rage out of control and sweep across more wild parts of the region.

Protecting stands of tall grassland on reserves like the Barba Azul will therefore be paramount for protecting these endangered birds.

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International conservation award winners announced

This video says about herself:

In 2012 a team of young conservationists from Kenya were awarded a CLP Future Conservationist Award to carry out scientific research on blue and black marlins and raise awareness of their plight. Team leader, Nelly Kadagi, recently attended the CLP’s international training course and tells about her experience in the Canadian Rockies.

From BirdLife:

2013 Conservation Leadership Programme awards winners announced!

Wed, Apr 10, 2013

The Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) has announced this year’s 28 award-winning projects in 22 different countries, worth a total of $470,000.

“For many awardees, this is the first time that they have received funding to manage their own conservation projects so it’s a great boost in their careers. This year, for the first time, we’ll be supporting people in Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cape Verde, Moldova and Samoa to carry out their work,” said Kiragu Mwangi, BirdLife’s CLP Programme Manager.

This year’s projects are extremely diverse from Food Resource Evaluation in Chinese Snow Leopards to Saving the Endangered Giant West African Squeaker Frog in Ghana. One of the bird projects focuses on the little-known Tooth-billed Pigeon from Samoa, also known as the ‘little dodo’ due to its resemblance to its famous namesake.

However, one thing is the same for all projects. The chance to get access to conservation expertise and receive training.

All award-winning team members will become part of the CLP alumni network that supports approximately 3,500 conservation leaders. The network offers an opportunity for alumni to share and learn from each other as they deliver conservation outcomes in often challenging and isolated environments.

“Through this programme, we are building the capabilities of future conservation leaders and providing them with knowledge, skills and experience to address the most pressing conservation issues of our time”, said Kiragu.

Alumni members also receive access to additional grants, mentoring from CLP staff and training. A representative from each award-winning team will take part in CLP’s two-week Conservation Leadership & Management Training Workshop in June 2013 at a remote ecological research station in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies.

Eight of the 2013 project teams working on diverse threatened species of birds, plants and sharks will be mentored by BirdLife partners in Argentina, Bolivia, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Nepal, Paraguay and Zimbabwe.

The CLP has supported 530 projects since the programme’s inception in 1985.

The CLP is a partnership of BirdLife International, Conservation International, the Wildlife Conservation Society and Fauna & Flora International.

Full list

Future Conservationist Awards (up to $15,000)

Wildlife Survey in a Proposed Protected Area in Afghanistan
Saving the Endangered Marsupial Frogs in Yungas Forests of Argentina
Involving Anglers As Key Stakeholders in a Shark Conservation Programme, Argentina
Conserving Endangered Frog Species in Somuncura Plateau, Argentina.
Ecological and Distribution Assessment of Hicatee in Southern Belize
Hornbills: Connecting Environment, Economy and Culture in Bhutan
Conserving Quirusillas Reserve: a Key Area for the Alder Amazon, Bolivia
Conservation of the Critically Endangered Bolivian Frog Psychrophrynella illimani
Conservational Ecology of Giant Ibis in Western Siem Pang Iba, Cambodia
Integrative Conservation of the Terras Salgadas, Cape Verde
Migration Corridor and Habitat Survey in Xia’Erxili, China
Food Resource Evaluation for Snow Leopards, China
Participatory Conservation of the Critically Endangered Ecuadorian Brown-Headed Spider Monkey, Ecuador
Saving the Endangered Giant West African Squeaker Frog, Ghana
Monitoring Key Sites for White-Headed Duck in Kazakhstan
Initiating Conservation of New Hog Deer Population, Myanmar
Enhancing Community-Based Vulture Conservation in Western Lowland of Nepal
Ecology and Conservation of Ganges River Dolphin in Karnali Nepal
Reforestation with Native Species in the Dry Lands of Panama
Population Status Assessment and Conservation Measures of Butia marmorii Palm, Paraguay
Monitoring Important Bird Areas in Moldova to Improve Conservation Management
European Ground Squirrel Population from Eastern Romania
The Samoan “Dodo”: Saving the Manumea
Community-Based Conservation of Sea Turtles on Kolombangara, Solomon Islands

Follow-up Awards ($25,000)

Conservation of the Critically Endangered Togo Slippery Frog in Ghana
On-going Protection of Red Siskins in South Rupununi, Guyana
Scaling-up Mitigation of Human-Crane Conflict in Driefontein Grasslands, Zimbabwe

Leadership Awards ($50,000)

Improving the Community-Based Conservation of Lake Kuyucuk Ramsar Site, Turkey

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Good South American tapir news

This video is called Mammals of the World: Lowland Tapir.

From Wildlife Extra:

Huge population of tapir discovered on Peru – Bolivian border

Paradise found for Latin America’s largest land mammal – WCS documents at least 14,500 lowland tapirs thriving in Peru and Bolivia‘s Madidi-Tambopata Landscape

January 2012. Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) scientists have documented a thriving population of lowland tapirs – the strange forest and grassland-dwelling herbivore with the trunk-like snout – living in a network of remote national parks spanning the Peru-Bolivia border.

Camera traps

Using a combination of camera traps, along with interviews with park guards and subsistence hunters, WCS estimates at least 14,500 lowland tapirs in the region. The population bridges five connected national parks in northwest Bolivia and southeastern Peru. The study brings together 12 years of research on lowland tapirs in the region. Together with WCS studies on jaguars, the results underscore the importance of this protected area complex for the conservation of Latin America’s most charismatic terrestrial wildlife species.

Madidi-Tambopata

“The Madidi-Tambopata landscape is estimated to hold a population of at least 14,500 lowland tapirs making it one of the most important strongholds for lowland tapir conservation in the continent,” said the study’s lead author Robert Wallace. “These results underline the fundamental importance of protected areas for the conservation of larger species of wildlife threatened by hunting and habitat loss.”

Largest terrestrial mammal in South America – Threatened by habitat loss and hunting

The lowland tapir is the largest terrestrial mammal in South America, weighing up to 300 kg (661 pounds). Its unusual prehensile proboscis or snout is used to reach leaves and fruit. Tapirs are found throughout tropical forests and grasslands in South America. However, they are threatened by habitat loss and especially unsustainable hunting due to their large size, low reproductive rate (1 birth every 2-3 years), and ease of detection at mineral licks in the rainforest. Lowland tapirs are considered Vulnerable by the IUCN.

WCS collected and systematized 1,255 lowland tapir distribution records in the region. These records came from research observations and camera trap photographs as well as interviews with park guards of Madidi, Pilón Lajas and Apolobamba National Parks in Bolivia, and Bahuaja Sonene and Tambopata National Parks in neighboring Peru, and subsistence hunters from 19 Takana and Tsimane’ communities.

Camera trap data revealed that lowland tapir abundance was higher at sites under protection than sites outside protected areas. At one site sampled over time, the Tuichi River, camera trapping has revealed that lowland tapir populations have been recovering following the creation of Madidi National Park in 1995. Prior to the creation of the park, loggers had hunted heavily in this area.

Madidi National Park

Madidi National Park contains 11 percent of the world’s birds, more than 200 species of mammals, 300 types of fish, and 12,000 plant varieties. The 19,000 square-kilometre (7,335 square mile) park is known for its array of altitudinal gradients and habitats from lowland tropical forests of the Amazon to snow-capped peaks of the High Andes.

Working with government partners in Bolivia and Peru, the Greater Madidi-Tambopata Landscape Conservation Program aims to develop local capacity to conserve the landscape and mitigate a variety of threats to biodiversity and wildlife including lowland tapirs, including road construction, logging, unsustainable natural resource use, and agricultural expansion.

Julie Kunen, WCS Director of Latin America and Caribbean Programs said: “WCS commends our government and indigenous partners for their commitment to the Madidi-Tambopata Landscape. Their dedication is clearly paying off with well-managed protected areas and more wildlife.”

WCS’s conservation research in the Madidi-Tambopata Landscape has been made possible by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the blue moon fund, USAID, the Beneficia Foundation, the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, Woodland Park Zoo, and other generous supporters.

The WCS findings were described in the December issue of the journal Integrative Zoology. Authors include Robert Wallace, Guido Ayala, and Maria Viscara of WCS’s Greater Madidi-Tambopata Landscape Program.

February 2013. The Critically Endangered subspecies of Colombian Tapir has been rediscovered in the Paujil Nature Reserve after being considered extinct in the Magdalena Valley rainforests of central Colombia. Camera trap photos and fresh tracks of this rare creature from the Paujil Reserve demonstrate that the purchase and active protection of the last remnant of rainforest in the Magdalena Valley can make a real difference to saving species on the edge of extinction: here.

Malaysia may be home to more Asian tapirs than thought: here.

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Rare Peruvian bird discovery

This is a Peruvian TV video on the recent Royal Cinclodes discovery.

From Wildlife Extra:

New population of the critically endangered Royal Cinclodes bird found in Peru

Critically endangered bird running out of suitable habitat

October 2012. A new discovery by the Peruvian environmental group Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN), of a population of the critically endangered Royal Cinclodes is providing some increased hope that this bird may be able to be saved from extinction.

In August 2012, ECOAN biologists spotted a Royal Cinclodes and possibly a second bird inside the Huaytapallana Regional Conservation Area in Peru’s Junín department. This sighting was 29 miles north of the nearest and previously northernmost population discovered in Junín in 2008.

Fewer than 250 birds left alive

“There may well be fewer than 250 of these birds left in existence,” said Constantino Aucca Chutas, President of ECOAN. “These new sightings are therefore quite significant because they raise the odds that this rare species might be saved.”

The Royal Cinclodes is listed by the IUCN-World Conservation Union as Critically Endangered; it was recently listed as Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The largest concentrations are found in Peru’s Cusco and Apurimac departments in the south of the country, with other populations in Bolivia’s department of La Paz, close to the Peru border, and elsewhere in Peru’s Puno and Ayacucho departments. (To see a map of the area, go to: maps.google.com and then search on “Area de Conservacion Regional Huaytapallana, Junin, Perú”)

Royal Cinclodes

The Royal Cinclodes is about eight inches long and weighs about 1.75 ounces; it has a slightly curved bill, and is dark chocolate-brown on the body, face, and crown, with whitish throat and streaking on the breast.

The Royal Cinclodes is usually a habitat specialist, found on the moss-covered ground of Polylepis woodlands high in the Andes of southern Peru and northern Bolivia. Polylepis trees are usually gnarled in shape with evergreen foliage and dense small leaves, and often have large amounts of dead twigs hanging down from the underside of the canopy. They are also characterized by shredding, multi-layered bark.

Polylepis habitat is severely threatened by local people, who harvest the trees for firewood; their grazing animals and fires inhibit the natural regeneration of these slow-growing trees. The Royal Cinclodes sightings at Huaytapallana were within a square kilometer area, with a low density of Gynoxys bushes-a genus of flowering shrub in the sunflower family.

“The recent sightings of Royal Cinclodes in Junín are significant because the Junín birds are living among rocks in mossy alpine areas lacking Polylepis trees,” said Dr. Daniel Lebbin, Conservation Biologist at American Bird Conservancy (ABC). ECOAN is ABC’s Peruvian partner.

Huaytapallana Regional Conservation Area

The Huaytapallana Regional Conservation Area was established in July, 2011 and spans over 55,000 acres between elevations of 14,760-18,230 feet above sea level. ECOAN intends to work with the regional government to incorporate conservation measures for the Royal Cinclodes into the Huaytapallana Regional Conservation Area’s management plan. Additional searches may better determine the population size in the area and help the regional government protect the birds.

ABC has worked with ECOAN to conserve the Royal Cinclodes in southern Peru, and worked with Bolivian environmental groups Asociación Armonía and Instituto de Ecología to protect the Royal Cinclodes in Bolivia.

Those efforts include:

In the Vilcanota Mountains of the Peruvian Andes, ABC has worked with ECOAN and more than 20 communities to protect and restore threatened Polylepis woodlands for the Royal Cinclodes, White-browed Tit-Spinetail, and Ash-breasted Tit-Tyrant. The initiative has planted more than 650,000 Polylepis trees, established seven community-owned and managed Private Conservation Areas covering more than 15,500 acres, and established a $2 million endowment to aid Polylepis forest conservation in this area.

In Bolivia, ABC has supported work by Armonía and the Instituto de Ecología to protect and restore Polylepis woodlands for the Royal Cinclodes and Ash-breasted Tit-Tyrant.

In both Peru and Bolivia, ABC has assisted partners in providing fuel-efficient stoves to communities to reduce their demand for fuel wood and reduce pressure on habitat for endangered birds.

Bolivia protects Amazon dolphins

This video is called Dolphins rescued from low level river in Bolivia.

From the BBC:

18 September 2012 Last updated at 18:19 GMT

Bolivia enacts law to protect Amazon pink dolphins

The pink dolphin, known locally as bufeo, is Bolivia‘s only freshwater mammal species

Bolivian President Evo Morales has enacted a law aimed at protecting a unique species of dolphins that live in the country’s Amazon rivers.

The new legislation bans fishing freshwater pink dolphins and declares the species a national treasure.

At a ceremony along the shores of the Ibare river, President Morales called on the armed forces to protect the habitats of the pink dolphins.

The species is threatened by erosion, pollution and logging in the Amazon.

The Bolivian pink dolphin, whose scientific name is Inia boliviensis, is similar to mammals found in neighbouring Brazil, Peru, Colombia and Venezuela.

Male Bolivian freshwater pink dolphins can weigh up to 200kg (440 pounds).

An appendix to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (Cites) says the species is vulnerable because of overfishing in the Amazon basin.

But it says the main threat is the contamination of rivers in the region by mercury, used in illegal gold mining operations.

See also here.

Bolivia, best wildlife place?

This video is called Hummingbirds – Festive Coquette; one of many species in Bolivia.

From the Wildlife Conservation Society:

Amazing diversity documented in national park

A remote park in northwest Bolivia may be the most biologically diverse place on earth, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), which helped put together a comprehensive list of species found there. The announcement was released at the IUCN World Conservation Congress, an international gathering of conservationists meeting through Sept. 13 in Jeju, South Korea.

The list, published in a compendium by the Bolivian Park Service (SERNAP) and funded by WCS, shows that Madidi National Park contains 11 percent of the world’s birds, more than 200 species of mammals, almost 300 types of fish, and 12,000 plant varieties. The 19,000 square-kilometer (7,335 square mile) park is known for its array of altitudinal gradients and habitats from lowland tropical forests of the Amazon to snow-capped peaks of the High Andes.

The report compiles the work of more than 50 scientists from WCS, Bolivian Fauna Collection, Bolivian National Herbarium, Amazon Conservation Association, Armonia, Missouri Botanical Garden, and others – some of whom have worked in the park for 15 years. At the request of the Bolivian Park Service (SERNAP), the scientists gathered at a workshop in late 2008 to collectively summarize what is known about the park, including how many species Madidi contains and its conservation needs for the future.

The resulting compendium estimates 1,868 vertebrates for Madidi, including 1,088 species of birds. Only eleven countries have more bird species than Madidi National Park; the entire U.S. contains less than 900 bird species. Mammals range from the 300-kilogram (661-pound) lowland tapir, an Amazonian herbivore, to the tiny insectivorous Spix’s disk-winged bat that weighs just 4 grams (.14 ounces). Bird species range from the harpy eagle, one of most powerful birds of prey in the world whose diet includes sloths and monkeys, to the diminutive festive coquette, one of 60 species of hummingbird expected to occur in the park.

“With Madidi’s almost 6,000-meter (19,685 feet) altitudinal range, no other protected area captures the diversity of South American habitats that pushes these numbers through the ceiling. All the scientists who contributed to this compendium feel privileged to work in Madidi, and we are all very happy to help SERNAP promote the national and international conservation importance of the area,” said WCS’s Madidi Landscape Program Director Dr. Robert Wallace.

Still much is unknown about the park – particularly in the tropical montane or cloud forests between 1,000 and 3,000 meters (3,280 and 9,842 feet). Despite significant efforts from the scientific team, two thirds of the park’s total biodiversity has yet to be formally registered or observed by scientists, highlighting the need for further research in the region. This is particularly relevant given the looming threat of climate change to the biodiversity of the world’s mountains.

Dr. Cristián Samper, President and CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society, said: “The Wildlife Conservation Society is proud to be assisting the Bolivian government in the conservation of these magnificent places. This important compendium emphasizes just how poorly known the cloud forests of the Tropical Andes really are. Apart from their biodiversity and wildlife importance, they are critical from a watershed management perspective and are aesthetically beautiful.”

Madidi National Park is one of the top tourist attractions in Bolivia and part of a larger protected region known as the Madidi-Tambopata Landscape, one of the largest such complexes in the world. WCS has worked in this landscape since 1999 to develop local capacity to conserve the landscape and mitigate a variety of threats, including development such as road construction, logging, and agricultural expansion.

Protecting parrots in Bolivia

This video is called Birds of the Rain Forest, Amazon, Bolivia.

From Wildlife Extra:

New reserve protects critical nesting area for rare parrot in Bolivia

Tucuman parrot protection

August 2012. The rare Tucuman Parrot will benefit from protections afforded by a new reserve established by Asociación Armonía in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. The 44-acre Tucuman Parrot Reserve protects the largest Podocarpus conifer trees in the area, which are critically important as nesting sites for the parrot. The new reserve is adjacent to the Quirusillas Municipal Reserve, effectively extending the area under protection.

“This victory is the end result of an eight-month negotiation process and years of outreach with the local community. This action was a vital step because logging is advancing towards the forest surrounding the now protected reserve,” said German Mercado, Administration Director of Armonía.

Armonía has been working with the Quirusillas community since 2010 to raise awareness of the plight of the Tucuman Parrot and provide alternatives to logging that are consistent with sustaining and restoring local ecosystems. These activities include educational programs in local schools, developing honey production businesses, and working with women to develop handicrafts and increase their participation in community decision-making.

To prevent the extinction of the Tucuman Parrot in this region

“Establishing this reserve is one of several strategies we are implementing to prevent the extinction of the Tucuman Parrot in this region. We are also planning to erect artificial nest boxes to increase breeding opportunities for the species and to attract tourists to this reserve. Bringing tourism dollars to the area would provide a stronger incentive for the community to continue to implement environmental protection measures,” said Bennett Hennessey, Executive Director of Armonía.

Habitat loss and pet trade

There are two main threats to the Tucuman Parrot, habitat loss and the pet trade. The cloud forest that characterizes the parrot’s natural habitat is now greatly diminished and degraded due to selective logging, which removes the largest trees parrots require for nesting, as well as cattle grazing, and agriculture. The illegal capture of the Tucuman Parrot has declined since its peak in the 1980s, but remains a major threat. Capturing these parrots for the pet trade often results in the destruction of the nesting tree, reducing potential reproduction efforts for future generations. As a result, the global population of the Tucuman has declined by 75% in the last three decades, and the species is now listed as Vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

The parrot nestlings’ diet is composed almost entirely of the cones and seeds of a local conifer, called “pino de cerro” (Podocarpus parlatorei), which is becoming scarce at a global level because of logging. Currently, a local sawmill is attempting to gain logging rights to areas in the vicinity of the new reserve. If they succeed, this reserve will be the last nesting location of this threatened bird in this region.

The creation of the reserve was made possible with the help of the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory’s Tropical Forest Forever Fund, the Conservation Leadership Programme, The Whitley Awards Foundation, and Rufford Small Grants for Nature Conservation. The work of Paula Montenegro and Raul Rojas was also instrumental in making this new reserve possible.

Asociación Armonía is American Bird Conservancy‘s International Network Partner in Bolivia. ABC has supported Armonía at their three other reserves in Bolivia, including the Barba Azul Nature Reserve, Red-fronted Macaw Reserve, and Palkachupa Cotinga Reserve. Birders interested in seeing the Tucuman Parrot could combine a visit to the new reserve with a stay at the Red-fronted Macaw Reserve.

Bolivia nationalizes electricity

This video says about itself:

Extract from The Corporation documentary about the 2000 Cochabamba water wars. The Bolivian people took to the streets after the water giant, Bechtel, took over the public water infrastructure. The privatization of the water in Bolivia was a condition of loan from the World Bank.

From the Buenos Aires Herald in Argentina:

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Morales announces expropriation of REE shares in Bolivia

Bolivian President Evo Morales announced the expropriation of the Red Eléctrica Española (REE) shares at a power transmission company in Bolivia and ordered the Army to take over the firm’s headquarters.

“As a fair homage to the workers and the Bolivian people that has fought for the recovery of their natural resources and basic services, we nationalize the Power Transmission company” (TDE), Morales assured during the May Day rally at the Government Palace in La Paz. The measure was announced in the midst of the tension generated between Argentina and Rajoy’s government over the expropriation of YPF.

The Head of State made the announcement a few hours before the inauguration of the gas processing plant at Southern Bolivia along with the President of Repsol oil company, Antonio Brufau, which will allow an increase of exports to Argentina.

The decree sets the “nationalization” of the “shares that form the stock of shares of the International Energy Mains-SAU,” subsidiary of REE.

Morales justified the expropriation by assuring that “this Spaniard international company has barely invested 81 million dollars in 16 years, an average investment of five millions per year,” which he considered insufficient.

Red Electrica officials were not immediately available for comment, but a Spanish government source in Madrid said authorities were in touch with La Paz to discuss technical and diplomatic aspects of the nationalization.

In 2006, Morales used the May 1 holiday to announce the takeover of petroleum companies operating in Bolivia. He later nationalized oil and gas reserves to redistribute wealth to the landlocked country’s indigenous majority.

Some background: from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century, Bolivia was a colony of the Spanish empire. The empire brought serfdom for the indigenous people and exploitation of Bolivia’s gold mines and other resources.

More recently, pro-capitalist Bolivian governments (before Morales was elected) privatised resources like electricity and water. This led to huge price rises for poor people; and to resistance in the form of the “water wars“, when the Rightist regime tried to push through the privatisations with bloody crackdowns.

Argentinian MPs voted on Thursday to take back the country’s main energy firm from its Spanish owners Repsol: here.

Anarchy reigns as water companies continue to leak millions of litres of water while we keep filling the pockets of their shareholders: here.

Bolivian jaguar, other wildlife, good news

From Wildlife Extra:

Jaguar cubs photo shows conservation success in Bolivia

December 2011. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has released a dramatic photo of a female jaguar and her two cubs taken near the Isoso Station of the Santa Cruz-Puerto Suarez Gas Pipeline in Kaa Iya National Park in Bolivia. The adult jaguar, nicknamed Kaaiyana, has been seen with her cubs in the area over the last month, and WCS conservationists have confirmed she has been a resident in the vicinity for at least six years.

“Kaaiyana’s tolerance of observers is a testimony to the absence of hunters in this area, and her success as a mother means there is plenty of food for her and her cubs to eat,” said Dr. John Polisar, Coordinator of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Jaguar Conservation Program.

Kaa Iya National Park

At more than 13,200 square miles (34,400 square kilometers), Kaa Iya National Park is the largest protected area in Bolivia and safeguards the most expansive and best-conserved dry forest in the world. It is found in a transition zone between Chacoan and Chiquitano dry forest ecosystems and includes unique vegetation and rare wildlife such as giant armadillos, Chacoan titi monkeys, and Chacoan peccaries. The creation of Kaa Iya in 1995 marked the first time in South America that a protected area was established through the initiative of an indigenous group, the Guaraní-Isoceño people.

Gran Chaco Jaguar Conservation Unit

WCS has conducted extensive research in the area and estimates that at least 1,000 jaguars live in the Gran Chaco Jaguar Conservation Unit, a 47,000 square-mile (124,000 square kilometer) area spanning southern Bolivia and northern Paraguay.

Bolivia’s law gives nature equal rights to humans: here.

USA: The Jaguar Returns to the Southwest: here.

First camera-trap photos of the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) from the Chaco of Paraguay: here.

Wikileaks revelations and persecution

This video says about itself:

Bolivian President Evo Morales at Cancún Climate Summit: WikiLeaks Cables Reveal “Diplomacy of Empire”.

A US indictment of Julian Assange on espionage charges is believed to be imminent, a lawyer for the WikiLeaks founder said Friday: here.

Australia: Extracts of leaked US diplomatic cables published yesterday by the Sydney Morning Herald show that throughout 2008 and 2009, the United States was growing increasingly concerned over former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s commitment to the war in Afghanistan: here.

Several thousand people demonstrated yesterday in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne—Australia’s largest east coast cities—in defence of WikiLeaks and its jailed founder Julian Assange. The protestors, many of them students and young workers, carried placards supporting Assange and calling for his release. Others angrily denounced Prime Minister Julia Gillard who has publicly declared that WikiLeaks’ publication of US diplomatic cables was “illegal”: here.

Journalist and documentary film-maker John Pilger, an outspoken opponent of the US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, spoke to the World Socialist Web Site in defence of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange: here.

A WikiLeaks cable showed that US diplomats pressured the German government to stifle the prosecution of CIA agents who abducted and tortured Khalid El-Masri, a German citizen: here.