Country/Region: Iberá Park & El Impenetrable National Park, Argentina
Partner: Fundación Rewilding Argentina
Jaguars and giant river otters have experienced severe declines in Argentina, with jaguars now occupying just 5% of their historical range, while giant otters have been locally extinct for 30 years. Fundación Rewilding Argentina is working to counteract this crisis by reintroducing these apex predators into two protected areas in northern Argentina: Iberá and El Impenetrable. A founding population of jaguars has already been established in Iberá, and giant otters are being bred for release.
In the coming years, the project will intensify efforts in Iberá and expand to El Impenetrable, aiming to restore viable populations of both species in these areas. The project aims to demonstrate that conservation can provide sustainable economic benefits for local communities while reducing poaching and habitat loss with knowledge gained from the initiative being used to replicate similar interventions in other areas of the region.
