Vote to Save Bolivia’s Jewel | Vota para salvar la joya de Bolivia

By El Deber:

The tiger beetle of the Chiquitania is in an international competition and needs your vote

El escarabajo tigre de la Chiquitania está en un concurso internacional y necesita tu voto

The final stretch, which will run until April 3, offers a prize of $10,000 in funding for its protection.

The tiger beetle, endemic to the Chiquitano dry forest, is part of an international species competition organized by the Indianapolis Zoo. Its scientific name is Pometon bolivianus, and it is considered a Bolivian jewel. Its rarity and its beautiful iridescent green tone on the head, along with black stripes on its body that contrast with a bright orange hue, make it very visually striking. Its beauty and uniqueness could earn it $10,000, but it is not in the competition just for that—there is also a need to take action to conserve it.

It was rediscovered in 2020 after years without records, a finding that underscores its rarity and the need to protect its habitat, according to specialized biodiversity sources.

Unlike more visible insects, many tiger beetle species have gone unobserved for decades, making their monitoring and conservation more difficult. This particular specimen is the only Bolivian entry in the competition. Initially, the Lake Titicaca giant frog was also on the list of competitors, but it did not pass the first round, while the tiger beetle is still in the running and needs Bolivian internet users to visit the Indianapolis Zoo website and vote for it.

The final stretch, which will run until April 3, offers a prize of $10,000 in funding for its protection.

What is the Uproar Conservation Challenge?

The Uproar Conservation Challenge (Uproar for Species Survival) is an international competition that, through online public voting, seeks to fund the protection of endangered species.

The contest operates through a direct elimination system, similar to sports tournaments, where users vote between pairs of species in each round. This format has generated active public participation, determining which animals advance through the competition until reaching the final stage.

The winning species will receive $10,000 in funding, which will be administered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Specialist Group, with the goal of strengthening concrete conservation actions.

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