By Colum Muccio | Development Director
Guatemala is one of the world's most biodiverse nations, with a wealth of critically endangered species exclusive to its lands. ARCAS acknowledges Guatemala's significance as a sanctuary for these imperiled wild animals and is dedicated to safeguarding the habitats crucial for their survival, while combatting the illicit trade threatening their existence.
Illegal trafficking poses a grave menace to global wildlife, with the vast Maya Biosphere Reserve, the last extensive forested area in Mesoamerica, serving as a prime target for traffickers. Along the Pacific coast, traffickers target sea turtles and yellow-naped parrots. Compounded by governmental resource constraints, ARCAS assumes a vital role in supporting enforcement efforts to protect these invaluable ecosystems.
This progress report offers an update on ARCAS's ongoing crowdfunding campaign, aimed at fulfilling the essential needs of animals undergoing rehabilitation and managing protected areas in Peten, the Pacific coast, and the highlands of Guatemala.
Over the past months, ARCAS has received various injured and confiscated animals at its rescue centers in Peten, San Lucas, and Hawaii. Among them were three grey fox cubs, an emerald toucanet, a tamandua, a hawksbill sea turtle, three brown pelicans, and two baby howler monkeys orphaned due to a car collision. Additionally, ARCAS received 23 parrots, including yellow-naped, mealy, and white-fronted parrots, from the recently closed El Salvador national zoo.
At the Hawaii site, ARCAS continues its efforts to conserve the olive ridley, leatherback, and green sea turtles that nest in the area. In 2023, a total of 7,119 sea turtle eggs were collected, with 5,961 hatchlings released back into the Pacific Ocean. The sea turtle conservation season concluded on March 10th with the release of the last nest.
Amidst the dry season in Guatemala, ARCAS has collaborated in responding to severe wildfires on the Agua Volcano and various parts of Peten, preparing to receive injured wildlife from these blazes.
Details about these wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and release activities are available on ARCAS's social media platforms.
ARCAS’s overarching objective is to conserve Guatemala's biodiversity, ensuring this invaluable legacy endures for future generations. Across all project sites, ARCAS actively promotes sustainable practices such as ecotourism, birdwatching, and handicrafts production, offering to local residents avenues to benefit from biodiversity without imperiling its existence.
Your support in this crowdfunding endeavor transcends a mere contribution; it represents an investment in the preservation of Guatemala's natural marvels and the establishment of a sustainable, harmonious coexistence between humans and wildlife. Together, we can effect lasting change in Guatemala's conservation landscape.
We are currently working on our 2023 Annual Report and hope to be able to send it out by the end of May.
Gratefully,
The ARCAS Team
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