Conservationists
are celebrating the establishment of the new 6,000-acre Sierra Caral Amphibian
Reserve in Guatemala,
which will protect some of the country’s most endangered wildlife. The reserve
is home to a dozen globally threatened frogs and salamanders, five found
nowhere else in the world, three species of threatened birds, and the recently
discovered Merendon Palm-pitviper (Bothriechis thalassinus), an arboreal,
blue-toned viper.
Tucked away in
the eastern corner of Guatemala
near the Caribbean Sea, and running along the
Honduran border, the Sierra Caral is an isolated mountain range that is home to
numerous rare and endangered animals and plants. Exploration of these mountains
has yielded several new discoveries of beetles, salamanders, frogs, and snakes
over the past two decades.
The site will
offer protections for many birds including threatened species such as: the
Highland Guan, Great Curassow and Keel-billed Motmot. Furthermore, the site is
known as a haven for an abundance of migratory birds including the Canada
Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Wood Thrush, Painted Bunting, Worm-eating Warbler,
and Louisiana Waterthrush.
“The new Sierra
Caral Reserve safeguards key stopover habitat for perhaps millions of migrating
U.S. birds, making it an invaluable addition to Central America’s roster of
protected areas and a real benefit to U.S. bird conservation efforts,” said Dr.
George Fenwick, President of American Bird Conservancy (ABC).
The Sierra Caral
forests are especially diverse due to the convergence of floras and faunas from
North and South America, as well as many
species unique to the region. Only a few Merendon Palm Pit Vipers have been
found, most often in a palm native to the Sierra Caral. Guatemalan biologist
Carlos Vasquez Almazan, one of the few individuals to find a Merendon
Palm-pitviper in the wild, drew international scientific attention to the
conservation importance of the Sierra Caral in recent years. He was recently
awarded the prestigious Whitley Award for Conservation that recognizes
outstanding nature conservationists around the world.
Sir David
Attenborough noted, “Surveys of the area uncovered not only species new to
science, but also led to the rediscovery of several previously thought to have
become extinct.”
Brian Sheth,
Chair of Global Wildlife Conservation stated, “The Sierra Caral reserve is
important not only for the rare and endangered species that are unique to the
region, but also as a corridor for animals between the continents.
The remaining
wild lands of the Sierra Caral are a critical component of the “Jaguar
Corridor” that will permit large-ranging species such as Mountain Lions,
migratory birds, and other wildlife to continue moving between the continents
as they have done for millennia. Still largely unexplored by scientists, the
almost 6,000 acres of core forest in this isolated site, and the species that
depend on them, were almost lost.
“Each year 70,000
hectares of Guatemala’s
forests disappear due to the expansion of agriculture and timber extraction,
threatening not only wildlife but also the well-being of local people who rely
on the clean water and other ecosystem services they provide.” said Sir David
Attenborough.
Despite official
pleas for forest protection by the local communities and a leading Guatemalan
conservation organization, FUNDAECO, this area has been steadily deforested
over the past decade. Rampant clear-cutting and shortsighted conversion of the
mountain slopes into cattle pasture have followed large land acquisitions by a
few individuals. As a result of these activities, the rivers that originate in
these mountains and provide freshwater for thousands of people have been
degraded for surrounding communities, and the risk of devastating landslides
has increased. Local communities persuaded the Guatemalan Congress to declare
the area a nationally protected area; however, budgetary restrictions prevented
the government from purchasing the privately owned lands.
Over the past
year, a consortium of fifteen international conservation groups, led by Global Wildlife
Conservation, partnered with FUNDAECO to raise the funds needed to purchase the
last stands of primary forest in the Sierra Caral. Critical support was
received from the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (USFWS), World
Land Trust-US, International Conservation Fund of Canada (ICFC), American Bird
Conservancy, Conservation International, and others.
“This is a real
triumph for the planet - conservationists across North and Central
America banded together to save the last stand of this unique
rainforest.” said Dr. Paul Salaman, CEO of World land Trust-US.
Marco Cerezo, CEO
of FUNDAECO, said, “This major land purchase lifts the last hurdle for the
Guatemalan government to declare the area a National Wildlife Sanctuary,
something that local communities and conservationists have been desperately
awaiting since 2000.”
“We were very
impressed with FUNDAECO’s track record of working with local communities and
involving them in conservation, including creating good long-term jobs at their
reserves”, commented Anne Lambert of the International Conservation Fund of
Canada. “Sierra Caral is also stunningly beautiful, on top of its
conservation significance”, she added.
The inauguration
of the new Sierra Caral Amphibian Reserve occurred on May 2, 2012 and was
presided over by Mr. Rafael Estrada, Governor of Izabal, and other dignitaries
from local government. Over 200 local community members attended and
participated in environmental education activities and festivities,
highlighting a win for nature and people.
“The Sierra Caral reserve is a jewel in the
biodiversity crown of Guatemala
and of the world. This success story demonstrates how international alliances
and local and national conservation leadership capacity can come together and
protect unique species and habitats for future generations to enjoy.” said Dr.
Claude Gascon, Co-Chair of the IUCN/SSC Amphibian Specialist Group.