About the threat
Deforestation
The Amazonas region, in which Peroles is situated, suffers from one of the highest rates of deforestation in Peru, fuelled by immigration and the lack of government intervention. NPC Peru has worked in the El Toro area, in the Amazonas region, since 2007. They recently published the results of a study that found that deforestation levels within the area had dropped below national and regional averages and the population of Critically Endangered Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkeys (Lagothrix flavicauda) had increased by approximately 30% since the start of its work. Consequently, this is likely to be the only place in the world where the population of Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkeys is increasing. The monkey group that NPC Peru follows in El Toro is completely habituated, such that researchers can study the ecology and conservation needs of the species as a whole.
The owners of the land where NPC Peru conducted its study provided free use of their land, and local communities had pledged to stop hunting and logging in the area. Unfortunately, some of the local landowners now wish to sell their lands, and NPC Peru is concerned that new owners will log the wood species and clear the forest for pastures.
About this land
Why Vote for This Habitat
Peroles is a high priority for conservation because it is part of the Tropical Andes Biodiversity Hotspot, the most biologically diverse region on Earth, and also one of the most threatened areas on the globe. The area also lies within the Condor-Kutuku conservation corridor; it is considered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to be a priority for protection as it will allow organisms to travel between areas and reduce forest fragmentation.
To date, NPC has registered 234 bird species, 44 reptile and amphibian species, and 37 large mammal species, including an especially dense population of the endemic and Critically Endangered Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey (Lagothrix flavicauda) and the endemic and Endangered Andean Night Monkey (Aotus miconax). Other threatened species include:
- Endangered White-bellied Spider Monkey (Ateles belzebuth)
- Vulnerable Spectacled Bear (Tremarctos ornatus)
- Vulnerable Long-whiskered Owlet (Xenoglaux loweryi)
- Near Threatened Royal Sunangel (Heliangelus regalis)
- Near Threatened Jaguar (Panthera onca)
Peroles lies between six nationally and privately protected areas. The terrain is rugged with high ridges and deep valleys between 1,800 and 2,400 meters above sea level. The habitat is characterized by primary premontane and montane forests, dominated by Ficus spp.
Cost of Land Purchase
Total Amount requested
$50,000 US
Minimum purchase
$40,000 US
Size of suggested purchased land of this application
50 ha
Minimum size that can be purchased
50 ha
Land purchase (50 ha @ $800/ha)
$40,000
Legal fees (50 ha @ $20/ha)
$1,000
Salary for park guard
$7,000
Fences/equipment
$1,500
Car maintenance
$500
Total
$50,000
Local Partner NGO
Status of registration at the national level
Nonprofit association in Peru
Governance and management structure
NPC Peru is an independent office of NPC, which is a registered charity in the UK (#1131122); NPC also has offices in Colombia and Argentina. NPC Peru reports on its activities internally to the UK office and submits its accounting to the Peruvian government.
NPC Peru’s major activities in the past three years have been land-protection initiatives with local communities, scientific investigation and monitoring of biodiversity, and environmental education.
Conservation Plans
Peroles is titled land belonging to the Yambrasbamba Campesino Community. According to Peruvian law, land situated within the Campesino communities can only be sold to community members or the community itself, therefore the land purchase would be in the name of the community but with a contract between NPC Peru and the community stating that “the purchased land will be registered as a Private Conservation Area co-managed by NPC Peru.”
The proposed land purchase and a previous land purchase are adjacent, and the monkeys and other species move freely between them. Until now, so have the researchers, students and volunteers, following the monkeys and other species. The site has been available for research and tourism for 15 years, but insecurity over land ownership has limited its capacity.
After a hiatus due to the pandemic, NPC Peru plans to begin its own research again around the middle of 2023, and will put calls out to universities and professors it has previously worked with. Attracting international students will hopefully make the area economically sustainable, providing income for local people employed as guards and guides, etc. Also, since the end of the pandemic, the site has been visited by three tourist groups, and there is at least one specialist “monkey-watching” agency which includes the site on its itinerary.