We are thrilled to announce that our partner Rewilding Argentina has secured 164 hectares (405 acres) of precious Atlantic Forest habitat in northeast Argentina’s Andresito Peninsula. This marks Rewilding Argentina’s first land purchase in the area, with 50% of the funds provided by World Land Trust’s (WLT’s) supporters.
Atlantic Forest: The Amazon of Argentina
This site lies within the wider Atlantic Forest, one of the richest ecosystems on the planet. Stretching from Brazil into Paraguay and Argentina, it is as biodiverse as the Amazon – home to around 20,000 plant species (40% endemic) and 298 mammal species (30% endemic), alongside a remarkable diversity of birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
Initial biodiversity surveys of the newly protected site have identified 18 threatened species, including the Critically Endangered Paraná Pine (Araucaria angustifolia) which, despite its name, is not a pine at all, and the Endangered Black-fronted Piping Guan (Pipile jacutinga).
Around the size of a turkey, the Black-fronted Piping Guan has become Endangered following decades of deforestation and poaching for its meat and feathers. Credit: John Burton/WLT
A perfect location to tackle illegal hunting
The urgency of acquiring the 164-hectare site (405-acre) lay in its strategic location on the Iguazú River. This river – perhaps best known for its iconic Iguazú Falls – forms the border between Brazil and Argentina. Until now, it has been used by trophy hunters to gain easy and illegal access into the 253,000-hectare (625,177-acre) binational Iguazú–Iguaçu National Parks.
On top of that, farmers and hunters migrated from Brazil and bought up property on the Argentinian side of this river, where land is up to five times cheaper. If Rewilding Argentina had failed to purchase this site, trophy hunting and deforestation would have continued unchecked.
The Iguazú River is the site of the iconic Iguazú Falls, a system of 275 waterfalls whose name comes from the Indigenous Guarani and means “big water”. Taller than Niagara Falls and wider than Victoria Falls, it is an apt name. Credit: Ivo Antonie de Rooij/Shutterstock
The Green Bridge project
This acquisition contributes to the Puente Verde (Green Bridge) project – a collaboration with organisations including WLT partner Aves Argentinas – to build a continuous protected corridor along the Iguazú River.
This will help support thriving populations of Jaguars (Panthera onca) and other wildlife, allowing them to disperse across the region once again.
The purchase of this property forms a key part of a wider multi-NGO initiative to protect the Jaguar (Panthera onca). Credit: Tratong/Shutterstock
Conservation management begins
Land purchase is just the first step towards longer-term conservation. Rewilding Argentina are now making improvements to the property to house a full-time ranger to tackle illegal hunting, and are starting to purchase all necessary field equipment and tents.
At WLT, we’d like to say a huge thank you to all our supporters who helped make this possible.
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