On the 26th of July we handed in the proposal for a new Conservation Concession in San Martin, Peru. The area, to be run by a local committee of villagers from Ricardo Palma is home to the endemic and Critically Endangered  (Callicebus oenanthe) and other primate species, as well as whole host of other endemic and endangered animals. The area of the concession covers over 1,500 ha of primary rain forest in one of the most deforested areas of Peru. This new area borders another Conservation Concession we are working towards with the community of Bagazan. Together the two areas will protect approximately 8,000 ha of habitat.

San Martin suffers from the highest deforestation rates in Peru with nearly 85% of the region completely deforested. The main threats to wildlife and forests in this area are clear cutting for pasture and logging concessions. The local people from the villages of Ricardo Palma and Bagazan are committed to conservation, not only through the registration of these reserves but also through their decision to cultivate organic cacao. We are now awaiting news from the regional and national authorities on the progress of these two proposals.

This week the Peruvian ministry of the environment has announced the official resolution (Resolución Ministerial Nº123-2011-MINAM) creating the Private Conservation Area “Hierba Buena-Allpayacu”. This reserve covers an area of 2,282.12 hectares of cloud forests in the community of Corosha, Amazonas department. We began work in this area in 2007/8 and have been joined by other institutions, headed by The Peruvian Society for Environmental Law (SPDA) to help register the reserve.

The reserve is home to two endemic primate species, the yellow tailed woolly monkey (Oreonax flavicauda) and the Peruvian night monkey (Aotus miconax) and many spectacular bird species including the long whiskered owlet (Xenoglaux loweryi) and the Pale-billed Antpitta (Grallaria carrikerii). The reserve also protects other species of flora and fauna, preserves the communities water resources, which are also used as the source of hydroelectric energy as well as conserving the community’s cultural heritage. The creation of this area is the first of a series of community run reserves NPC is working to make in the north east of Peru.

Visitors who wish to visit the reserve can contact us through our website to arrange for guides and accommodation. 100% of profits from tourism go directly to the members of the community.

Pelicula animada hecha por Karla Ramirez, Explica las amenazas al mono choro cola amarilla y las posibles soluciones.

Otra película hecha por Karla con los niños de La Esperanza, hablando acerca de su pueblo, los bosques y los animales que les gusta.

Disfrutales!

This week we officially entered a request for a new Conservation Concession for an area of 440 ha of forest near the village of Delta, Amazonas department. The request is in the name of Senor Rosas Torres Guerrero a local farmer that has been protecting this area for the last 10 years and asked for our help in gaining legal recognition. The area will be called “Iguahuana -Delta’s Dry Forests”. Iguahuana is the local name of an endemic tree species abundant in the area. The forests in the area are classed as Dry Forest of the Marañon River Valley, they suffer from extremely high rates of destruction and as yet this forest type is not found in any protected area. We hope that the authorities will approve the request promptly. We wish to thank all the people that helped in the elaboration of this request.

Click here to download our end of year report for 2010.

NPC has found a new site to see the Long-whiskered Owlet near the village of Yambrasbamba, Amazonas. The site, located just off a well maintained dirt road is by far the most accessible site to see this legendary bird. The site has attracted the interest of the residents of the community who have decided to protect it and develop ecotourism, NPC is of course helping the community. The site has been secured with a fence and a payment of $15 has been implemented for tourists wishing to visit area. 100% of this money goes to the community: divided between the maintenance of a 5000 ha communal conservation area, and generating income for local residents. Local field guides have been trained by Neotropical Birding Tours. The area is about half an hour drive from the town of Pomacochas, there is a small hotel and basic restaurants in the village itself.

All visits to the area must be pre-arranged by contacting NPC.

In research conducted earlier in the year a team from NPC completed the first range wide survey of its Peru projects flagship species, the yellow tailed woolly monkey. While searching new areas we were able to record this species in the department of Huanuco for the first time and also in the department of La Libertad for the first time since 1974. These areas are often overlooked by conservationists as most of the species known range is found in the neighbouring departments of Amazonas and San Martin.  

Native only to a small area of Andean cloud forest in north-eastern Peru, and cited by the IUCN as one of the 25 most endangered primates in the world, the yellow tailed woolly monkey is so rare that it was believed to have gone extinct until, in the mid 1970’s, a small number of sightings were made of the elusive primate.

With so few remaining in the wild these new areas give hope for the species’ survival. NPC already works with many local communities, NGOs and governments throughout Amazonas and San Martin to promote conservation of this species and its habitat. What we now hope to do is extend our work to include these new populations.

Hemos comenzado a trabajar en una nueva reserva con la comunidad de Delta, en la Region de Amazonas. A diferencia de nuestros otros proyectos, este no se encuentra en la zona de bosque nublado; sino, en el bosque seco del Valle del Marañon y sera la primera area protegida de este tipo de habitat en el Peru. El trabajo empezo con un equipo de investigadores de NPC, los cuales fueron a identificar las diferentes especies que se encuentran en la zona de Delta. En la misma localidad y al mismo tiempo realizamos actividades de educacion ambiental en la escuela local y planeamos construir un vivero de arboles nativos.  

El dia 18 de octubre recibimos la visita de un poblador de la Esperanza, el nos conto que habia encontrado un halcon herido. Parece que el ave fue lastimada por una piedra lanzada con una honda y no podia volar. Nosotros inmediatamente lo llevamos al centro de rescate IKAMA Peru; donde esperamos que se recupere lo suficiente como para ser devuelto a su habitat natural.
Al dia siguiente, nos enteramos de un mono choro que se mantenia comomascota en la iudad de Moyobamba. Despues de una rapida coordinacion con las autoridades regionales de Sanmartin como la Direccion de Recursos Naturales y Asuntos Ambeintales y Agrarios de San Martin y el Ministerio Publico; fuimos capaces de confiscar el mono; la misma que se trataba de una hembra joven. En una operacion muy tranquila, con alto grado de profesionalismo y en un muy corto tiempo de 2 horas, la monita fue llevada al Centro de Rescate de IKAMA Peru. En este centro se quedara en cuarentena en la que se le haran examenes medicos, antes de que sea trasladado para vivir con un grupo de monos choro y esperamos; en el futuro, que sea devuelto al medio silvestre.

  El 2 de septiembre tuvimos el primer evento de la presentación de nuestro libro recientemente publicado, una guía de identificación de animales de vida silvestre para las autoridades de Amazonas y San Martín. La guía incluye fotografías, descripciones, la categorías de CITES y UICN, y las formas de tráfico para todas las especies de fauna silvestre que han sido registradas por la investigación que  NPC esta haciendo durante los ultimos 3 años en el comercio ilegal de vida silvestre en el noreste de Perú.

La guía fue hecha por NPC y financiada por la “International Primate Protection League (ippl Reino Unido), y el evento fue organizado por la NPC y la Administracion Tecnica de Flora y Fauna Silvestre - Amazonas.

En el Perú las autoridades encargadas de combatir el comercio ilegal de animales de vida silvestre sufren una falta de recursos humanos, económicos, equipamiento adecuado y capacitacion. Esta guía tiene como objetivo darles la posibilidad de identificar a las especies mas traficadas y explicarles la imensa importancia de sus trabajo como autoridades ambientales.

The Yellow Tailed Woolly Monkey Project enjoyed a ten day visit of the “Living on the Edge Productions”, who filmed the different aspects of the project. Everyone was very happy to take part in the film and excellent footage was captured of both human and non-human.

The crew also filmed the women of the AMAVLE, a communal association established by NPC, who recently got awarded a grant by development NGO “Sierra Norte” for the development of sustainable economic alternatives. These funds are used to purches equipment and further build the womens capacity in designing and producing handicrafts. The women were filmed telling of how they are hoping to find markets for their products which will give them well diserved economic indipendance from their husbands as well as an opertunity to promote the special biodiversity of the area by intagrating images of wildlife in their handicrafts.