Peru

Survival International

(www.survival-international.org)

Survival International estimates there are 15 uncontacted tribes in Peru. All of them live in the most remote, isolated regions of the Amazon rainforest.
They include the Cacataibos, Isconahua, Matsigenka, Mashco-Piro, Mastanahua, Murunahua (or Chitonahua), Nanti and Yora.

All of these peoples face terrible threats – to their land, livelihoods and, ultimately, their lives. If nothing is done, they are likely to disappear entirely.

Uncontacted tribes are extremely vulnerable to any form of contact with outsiders because they do not have immunity to Western diseases.
International law recognizes the Indians’ land as theirs, just as it recognizes their right to live on it as they want to.

Survival is urging the Peruvian government to protect these isolated Indians by not allowing any oil exploration, logging or other form of natural resource extraction on their land.

 

Andean Cat Alliance (Alianza Gato Andino)

http://www.wildnet.org/andean_cat.htm

The Andean Cat Alliance, Alianza Gato Andino (AGA), works to protect the Andean cat in all four range countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru). Conservationists from these countries, as well as from the United States, created the Alliance in 2004. Collaboratively, they review current threats to the cat and coordinate their conservation activities.

AGA's integrative approach has yielded groundbreaking accomplishments, including:

• first capture and radio-collaring of an adult-female Andean cat
• first photographs of Andean cats in Argentina
• use of camera trapping and DNA analysis of feces to confirm the Andean cat's presence in three additional departments in Peru and one additional province in Argentina
• completion of cat diet studies in Bolivia and Peru, yielding important
• information on prey abundance and preferences

The Andean cat is the most endangered cat species in the Americas. It is also one of the most rare and least known felines worldwide. In the last 25 years there have been fewer than 10 documented sightings of this small carnivore, which lives exclusively in the remote high-altitude deserts of the Andes in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru. In addition to natural rarity and habitat loss, the prime threat to the survival of the Andean cat is direct persecution by humans. Some local residents kill the Andean cat because they consider it dangerous to humans and domestic animals, though it is only slightly larger than domestic cats. Other local people use stuffed cats and skins in traditional dances and religious ceremonies and believe that killing a cat will bring good fortune.