Bolivia’s top wildlife oasis flourishes

Now predators stake their claim

November 2011: An island of protected native habitat, purchased and saved by World Land Trust (WLT) donors, in a sea of hunted and overgrazed cattle ranches is like a magnet for wildlife.

PREDATORS MOVE IN: Jaguars have staked a claim at the Barba Azul Nature Reserve

Now the work is trying to ensure that all these animals can be accommodated. If last year could be thought of as the year herbivorous mammals discovered the protective advantages of our reserve, this year could be described as the year predators discovered those mammals.

Jaguars, pumas, maned wolves, ocelots, jaguarundis and possibly bush dogs were all recorded in the Barba Azul Nature Reserve this year. This is all part of the succession of a natural ecosystem, but many of these mammals need a larger protected range to maintain natural populations.

Tropical savanna is flourishing
Barba Azul Nature Reserve now protects 12,300 acres of forest islands, tropical savanna, marshes and a pristine freshwater ecosystem in Bolivia thanks to WLT-US donor support in 2009 and 2010.

Nature is galloping to recuperate. Tropical savanna is flourishing now it no longer has the grazing pressure of 2,000 head of cattle. A diversity of tall grasses covering the landscape offer new breeding spots for the endangered cock-tailed tyrant, black-masked finch and sharp-tailed tyrant.

Pampas deer, marsh deer and giant anteaters are all becoming abundant in the plentiful grasses. But by the end of last year, the WLT was concerned about the high fuel load potential for invading fires, spreading from the yearly burns carried out by cattle ranches.

SAFE HAVEN: Blue-throated macaws use the reserve

The protected landscape was now a threat to the savanna, but also to the forest islands that are required by the critically endangered blue-throated macaws, the highest concentration of the macaws in the world with 35 to 110 birds using the reserve at any one time.

Blue throated macaws seen daily
Forty-seven miles of firebreak have now been built, and the reserve has been divided into 11 fire-safe segments. These priority firebreaks will also serve as easy trails for accessing the complete reserve. The next step is to plan a patch burn system to offer a mosaic of grassland habitat in the region, and to avoid a build up of dead grass fuel that would burn too hot if ever alight.

The protection effort is worth it as more and more animals take advantage of such a safe home. This year the WLT recorded blue-throated macaws using the different forest islands daily, with seven pairs raising recently fledged juveniles and the threatened Orinoco goose bred at least 30 chicks along our protected Omi river.

The area is the only known site in the world with concentrations of the blue-throated macaw. Elsewhere it survives in isolated pairs on private ranches with hundreds of miles between individuals.