Sernap: The Andean Condor lives in 14 protected areas | El cóndor andino habita en 14 áreas protegidas

By Germaine Barriga, Vision 360:

The Andean Condor lives in 14 protected areas, reports Sernap on the National Day of the Species

The executive director of Sernap, Cecilia Miranda, emphasized that its ecological role as a scavenger bird is fundamental for the sanitary balance of high-Andean ecosystems, and that its figure holds a deep spiritual and cultural meaning in the Andean worldview.

Mañana 4 de febrero, se celebra el Día Nacional del Cóndor Andino. Foto Sernap

Tomorrow, February 4, the National Day of the Andean Condor is celebrated. Photo: Sernap.

The Andean Condor inhabits 14 protected areas of the national territory, recalls the National Service of Protected Areas (Sernap), on the National Day of the Andean Condor celebrated on February 4.

The executive director of Sernap, Cecilia Miranda, reported that this species has confirmed presence in important national protected areas, among them the Apolobamba Integrated Management Natural Area (ANIN Apolobamba), the Madidi National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area (PN-ANMI Madidi), and Cotapata National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area (PN-ANMI Cotapata).

It also inhabits Sajama National Park (PN Sajama), Tunari National Park (PN Tunari), Carrasco National Park (PN Carrasco), Amboró National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area (PN-ANMI Amboró), El Palmar Integrated Management Natural Area (ANMI El Palmar), and Toro Toro National Park (PN Toro Toro).

Its presence is also recorded in the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve, the Tariquía National Flora and Fauna Reserve, the Aguaragüe National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area (PN-ANMI Aguaragüe), and the Sama Cordillera Biological Reserve.

National Day of the Andean Condor

The declaration of the National Day of the Andean Condor is established in the Comprehensive Law for the Protection and Conservation of the species, a regulation that sets measures to guarantee its conservation in the national territory, according to a Sernap press release.

Law 1525, enacted in November 2023, establishes that the Andean condor “Kuntur Mallku (Vultur gryphus)” is declared a “symbol and Natural and Cultural Heritage,” and therefore sets protection measures, environmental education, scientific research, and inter-institutional coordination to guarantee its conservation throughout the national territory.

For her part, Miranda highlighted that “its ecological role as a scavenger bird is fundamental for the sanitary balance of high-Andean ecosystems, and its figure holds a deep spiritual and cultural meaning in the Andean worldview.”

Sernap reports that, in coordination with municipal governments, protected areas, and allied organizations, it will carry out various activities aimed at promoting environmental awareness, spreading the ecological and cultural value of the Andean condor, and strengthening the actions provided for in the new law.

“The Andean condor is one of the most emblematic species of the high-Andean region. It is categorized as vulnerable at the global level by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and as near threatened in Bolivia,” Miranda stated.

Law No. 1525 establishes the responsibility of the State to coordinate programs, plans, and actions for the protection of the Andean condor, including the absolute prohibition of its hunting, the protection of its natural habitat, and the incorporation of educational content on wildlife in the Educational System.

Likewise, the regulation enables mechanisms for scientific research and provides for criminal sanctions against wildlife trafficking and poisoning, with penalties that can reach up to eight years of deprivation of liberty.

Municipal bill for its conservation

The director of Carrasco National Park, Tomás Calahuma, reported that, within the framework of the commemorative activities for this day, the draft Municipal Law for the Conservation of the Andean Condor will be presented, which proposes, among other aspects, declaring its conservation of municipal interest, identifying—

In addition, the document proposes protecting critical sites such as roosts, feeding areas, and flight corridors, establishing restrictions to avoid disturbance and poisoning, and promoting environmental education, community awareness, and municipal monitoring.

The project, according to Sernap’s explanation, seeks to complement and “operationalize” Law No. 1525 at the local level, strengthening the protection of the species in a municipality that is key for its distribution.

On the other hand, the director of the El Palmar Integrated Management Natural Area, Lisbeth Callejas, reported that an educational fair will be held in the city of Sucre in Plaza 25 de Mayo, located in front of the Casa de la Libertad.

“The activities will include educational talks on the conservation of the Andean condor, a themed photographic exhibition with records from the Condor Bathing Site, the promotion of sustainable tourism in the protected area, the acquisition of the Passport of Protected Areas of Bolivia, and the sale of local products such as the traditional janchi coco cookies,” she explained.

The fair aims to raise awareness among the urban population and make visible the ecological, touristic, and cultural value of the Andean condor, especially in one of the sites where the species is most frequently observed, she said.

According to the Sernap press note, these actions are framed within the strategic lines of the Action Plan for the Conservation of the Andean Condor 2020–2030, approved by the Vice Ministry of Environment, an instrument that promotes a comprehensive approach based on scientific research, habitat management and protection, institutional strengthening, and mobilization of knowledge.

“The Plan guides public institutions, protected areas, municipal governments, social organizations, and territorial actors to coordinate efforts to mitigate threats such as poisoning, habitat loss, and food decline; promote non-lethal practices of coexistence with wildlife; protect roosts, nests, and flight corridors; and promote permanent community environmental education programs,” Miranda concluded.

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