NEWS
The First Community-Based Conservation Center for the Mountain Tapir
Sept 05-2025
Texts by Sergio Sandoval
In the Andean mountains, the conservation of the mountain tapir (Tapirus pinchaque) is taking an innovative path: local communities are becoming the main actors in its protection. From Sacha Huagra Foundation, we have launched the creation of the first Community Conservation Center (CCC) for the mountain tapir, a pioneering initiative that combines science, rural tourism, and sustainable development.
During the first phase of the project, we worked on two main fronts.
On one side, we strengthened the capacities of eight local women in rural tourism and community-based lodging management. Through five workshops, they learned about customer service, basic finance, and promotion strategies, laying the foundation to host researchers and visitors with quality standards.
At the same time, we trained nine participants—mostly young people—in tapir monitoring using camera traps. After a series of practical workshops, they now have the autonomy to install equipment, retrieve data, and process records, enabling them to work as local co-researchers and earn income linked to conservation.
The second phase, which will also last six months, will focus on the infrastructure of the CCC Puraguá (named after its location between Puracé and Cueva de los Guácharos National Parks). The center will not be a single isolated building, but rather a network of community and private spaces: from rooms and cabins hosted by local women, to a new community classroom that will serve for meetings, fieldwork, and scientific exhibitions. Abandoned houses are also being restored to serve as field stations or as the headquarters of the foundation.
The CCC Puraguá will welcome university students, researchers, professors, and volunteers, offering a space for learning, science, and cultural exchange. This way, mountain tapir conservation becomes a real opportunity to create jobs, strengthen the territory, and improve local livelihoods, while protecting one of the Andes’ most emblematic and threatened species.
With this initiative, we show that conservation not only saves species—it also builds community and hope.
This is an initiative led by Sacha Haugra Foundation, supported by IUCN Save Our Species and Fondation Segré Conservation Action Fund