Jaguar conservation projects in Bolivia

 Our Jaguar Conservation /Ranch Partnerships in Bolivia

Jaguar with cubs seen during an expediton to the San Carlos Wildlife Reserve in Bolivia

Unknown to most , is that conflicts between Ranchers and Predators make up a huge percentage of predators being killed. Worldwide this is huge issue and affects snow leopards, Lions, Tigers, Leopards, Wolves, Pumas and sadly Jaguars in Latin America. Many Ranchers pay full time professional hunters to shoot problem predators, or also use poison, traps and many other methods. 

The issue is complicated, its easy for people on the outside to be critical of Ranchers for the killing of predators, but you have to put yourself in the shoes of the land owners who can lose huge percentages of profits. With meat consumption soaring worldwide these issues will continue to soar with the big cats being the losers.

A cow deep inside a National Park which was killed by a Jaguar, the result usually ends in the Jaguar being killed.

Every year hundreds of Jaguars, Pumas, Ocelots are killed in Latin America for eating livestock.

Our aim is to develop schemes which can benefit both the Rancher and the predators which are only doing what the can to survive, thus the idea for Ranch/Eco Tourism projects like San Carlos Wildlife Reserve   and our other partner project San Miguelito Jaguar Conservation Reserve has been born.  The aim is to provide eco tourism, where through tourism costs of cattle which have been eaten by Jaguars or other predators will be covered, in return all guns and the hunting of Jagaurs and their prey species will cease. 

Travellers enjoying a boat trip in the San Miguelito Jaguar Reserve.

WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP 

People often ask what can be done to help save Jaguars, we believe that the first step means a reduction in red meat being eaten, and a push for Predator friendly certifed meats where costs of predation are passed on to the consumer, that way you would know that the meat you are eating has not caused a Jaguar or Puma to have been killed.  Other options are to support Eco tourism projects such as these, money raised goes towards developing the infrustructure as well as providing employment and covering Cattle losses. We aim to continue to expand these projects and convince Ranchers that Jaguars and other animals are worth more alive than dead. 

Jaguar sighting at the San Miguelito Jaguar Conservation Reserve Bolivia

Tourists purchasing body parts of Jaguars be it teeth , skins or body parts for spiritial Ayahuasca rituals is also driving poaching of Jaguars. 

Lastly tourism demand for bush meat is growing, many restuarants in Latin America often offer peccaries, Armadillos, Tapir, Deer and other species. These animals are prey of the Jaguar and Pumas, and when these are depleted they are forced to eat cattle thus causing conflicts.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR JAGUAR ECO TOURISM PROJECTS IN BOLIVIA CONTACT US AT WWW.NICKSADVENTURESBOLIVIA.COM

INTERESTING WILDLIFE OF BOLIVIA

INTERESTING ANIMALS OF BOLIVIA

PART 1 

Bolivia with its huge varieties of different ecosystems could be the worlds most underated wildlife watching destinations. Here is a list of some of the interesting animals Bolivia has to offer.

BLUE THROATED MACAW

First of our list is the endemic and critically endangered Blue throated Macaw. This rarely seen Macaw only lives in a few isolated areas in the Beni department. They are so rare that they number between 200-350 in the wild.  Nicks Adventures Bolivia offers day tours from Trinidad through to multiple day packages to the spectacular Blue throated Macaw Nature Reserve.

JAGUAR  - PANTERA ONCA

The largest cat in the America's, the Jagaur is the king of the Amazon, Chaco, Pantanal and many other ecosystems. It kills with a crushing bite to the base of the skull and its prey includes anything from Caimans and Anaconda though to 250kg Tapirs. Suprisingly unlike its other relatives the Tiger, Lion or Leopard its rarely implicated in attacks on humans and it prefers to stay away from humans. Sadly it is frequently killed by Ranchers and now is poached for its teeth for Chinese medicine.
Best places to observe Jaguars is during our San Carlos Reserve , the Bolivian Chaco and Madidi National Park trips.

LOWLAND TAPIR

One of my personal favourite giants of South America. The Lowland Tapir is Latin Americas largest land mammal. This unique species looks like a pig, but is closely related to horses and rhinos. It communicates via whistles and has one of the longest gestation periods of any animal. The Tapir is very shy and can be observed at salt licks or swimming in rivers during hot days. Sadly it is threatened thoughout its range due to overhunting for meat and loss of habitat. Our tours to Madidi National Park, San Carlos Wildlife Reserve and Kaa Iya National Park offer excellent chances to observe these species.

ANACONDA 

The stuff of legends, the infamous Anaconda is one of the most iconic and infamous animals of South America. This species is called the Yellow Anaconda and only grows to a maximum of 4 metres. It feeds on Capyabara, birds and whatever smaller mammals it can capture. Its larger cousin the Green Anaconda is the worlds heaviest snake and can grow to 9.8 metres. This species is often killed on sight due to lack of education, movies such as Anaconda are partly to blame for the unfair reputation these amazing snakes have. Nicks Adventures Bolivia offers tours to the Bolivian and Brazilian Pantanal to look for Jaguars and Anacondas.

 TARANTULA 

Another of South America's infamous species. The Tarantula often has an unfair reputation, it is commonly seen along roads at night and unlike the hysteria from movies it generally tries to avoid humans.

PUMA

South America's 2nd largest feline, the Puma is sleek, shy and rarely seen. In some areas where it competes with the Jaguar it can actually grow to the same size or larger. Unlike its North American cousin which is responsible for many attacks on humans, the South American Puma prefers to avoid humas. The Puma is the most adapatable of all cats and can survive in Amazon Rainforest, Pampas, Pantanal, deserts, Mountains , dry chaco forests and more.

For more information about the incredible wildlife of Bolivia contact us at www.nicksadventuresbolivia.com

** All pics were taken during tours with Nicks Adventures Bolivia

WILDLIFE OF BOLIVIA 

Unknown to most Bolivia actually has some of the most pristine Eco Systems and Forested areas in the world and living in these vast areas are some of the most incredible and rare wildlife species on the planet.

Here is a list of some of the more iconic Bolivian Wildlife Species which can be seen while visiting this amazing country and the Best Bolivian National Parks where you can find them.

JAGUAR - PANTHERA ONCA

 

The largest cat in the Western Hemisphere this bulkish Cat is the king of the South and Central American Jungle, its beautifully fur coat nearly pushed it to extinction during the 60,70s and 80s however thanks to protection measures its slowly recovering. This incredible big cat can be seen in many of Bolivias National Parks including Madidi National Park ,Otuquis National Park and especially Kaa Iya National Park.

ANACONDA

 

The worlds 2nd largest snake by length and the worlds heaviest snake is still found frequently in the Bolivian Wetlands and Amazon regions, sadly its usually killed on sight by villagers and fisherman due to its undeserved reputation for being a potential man eater. Best places to observe this incredible reptile in Bolivia include the Otuquis National Park , Bolivian Pantanal , Beni Wetlands and the Pampas de Yucuma region.

THREE TOED SLOTH

The iconic 3 toed Sloth is found frequently in Santa Cruz, and is one of the most weird and different animals you will encounter whilst travelling through South America. Its one of the worlds slowest moving mammals and literally spends most of its day sleeping in tree branches usually close to rivers. Santa Cruz Bolivia is one of the best places to see Sloths in the wild and its often called the unoffical Sloth capital of the world.

LOWLAND TAPIR 

The lowland Tapir is the largest land mammal in Bolivia and can grow up to 250kgs, this gentle giant is a very important seed dispercer and is vital to the health of forests. It is threatened with extinction due to over hunting for its meat and also for land clearing. The lowland Tapir communicates via whistles and also has one of the slowest gestation rates of any mammal( 14 months) The best place to observe Tapirs in the wild is Madidi National Park and Kaa Iya National Park.

GIANT OTTER

This endangered and highly vocal Giant Otters is one of the most amazing sights you can experience while exploring the forests of Bolivia. These otters grow to over 2 metres in length and live in highly social family groups. They can be seen only in certain areas of Bolivia which the best locations being Otuquis National Park , Madidi National Park , Noel Kempff Mercado National Park and the Beni Wetlands.

PUMA OR MOUNTAIN LION  

The 2nd largest cat of the Americas, the Puma or Mountain Lion is one of the world most adaptable animals on the planet, it survives in a huge variety of eco systems including the Amazon Rainforest, Yunga Cloud Forests, Andean Mountains, Pampas and Pantanal Wetlands and Chaco Forests of Kaa Iya National Park. The two best areas to observe the Puma in the wild are Torres Del Paine in Chile and Kaa Iya National Park in Bolivia

RED FRONTED MACAW 

This endemic and critically endangered Macaw species is only found in just a few locations in Bolivia, its threatened by extinction for the bird trade and from farmers who kill them for eating their crops. Bolivia is also home to another endemic Macaw called the Blue Throated Macaw as well which numbers are thought to be less than 150 in the wild.These endangered Macaws can be seen in just a few locations on the planet , including Toro Toro National Park , Red Fronted Macaw Lodge and a new location close to Samaipata Bolivia.

These are just a few of the incredible animals of Bolivia, if you are interested in visiting Bolivia to see its wildlife in their natural  settings then contact us today. Bolivia is often a better location to see animals in the wild as its less touristic and the ecosystems are still in much better shape than other South American Countries.

 *All photos are property of Nicks Adventures Bolivia and were taken during our Wildlife Tours in Bolivia

For more information please visit our webage of  www.nicksadventuresbolivia.com