Los Tiempos: The Andean condor is reclassified as a species vulnerable to extinction The Andean condor, one of the largest birds in the world capable of flight, the national symbol of Bolivia and the Andean region of South America, was reclassified from a species almost threatened to vulnerable to extinction, according to the 2020 update…
Tag: endangered species
‘Scrotum frog’ facing extinction without multinational effort to save it
Jeff Parsons reports for Metro: In a time when it seems like most species are under some form of threat, spare a thought for the scrotum frog of South America. Found in Lake Titicaca on the border between Bolivia and Peru, this slimy, wrinkled little amphibian is on the edge of being wiped out. Covered…
Action plan to save Bolivia’s red-fronted macaw awaits its reboot
by Yvette Sierra Praeli on 24 March 2020 | Translated by Alexandra Skinner for Mongabay: Nature reserves involving the participation of indigenous communities have developed tourism projects for bird-watching and succeeded in curbing the capture of the red-fronted macaw, a critically endangered species that is often caught up in the illegal wildlife trade. The Bolivian government has been…
Conservationists cautiously optimistic after Bolivian government changes hands
Ivette Sierra for Mongabay: Forest fires burned across more than 5 million hectares of Bolivia’s forests and savannas last year. Sources say policy changes that encouraged more burning and clearing for agriculture contributed to the 2019 surge in fire activity. Following a contentious election, Evo Morales resigned the presidency in November. Conservationists say the new…
Blue-throated macaw
National Geographic: What is the blue-throated macaw? Brilliantly colored plumage makes the blue-throated macaw, a member of the parrot family and one of at least 17 macaw species, hard to miss. Its chest, belly, legs, and under-wing area are bright yellow, with golden swoops extending on both sides of its turquoise throat. Its wings and head…
Why rare beetles are being smuggled to Japan at an alarming rate
Eduardo Franco Berton reports for the National Geographic: Big-horned rhinoceros beetles, taken from from Bolivia, are ending up in Japan’s illegal pet trade—and in beetle wrestling matches. COROICO, BOLIVIA“We need dark nights—they don’t come when the moon is out,” Reynaldo Zambrana explains. “First comes the female, and then the male. One must run to grab…
