Two Protected Areas Created in Bolivia to Safeguard the Andean Guanaco

In November 2021, two municipal conservation areas were established in the department of Potosí. Known for its Andean mountains and plains, Potosí is now home to the Cordillera de los Chichas – Mochará Municipal Conservation Area in Tupiza created on November 16^th (89,854 acres) and the Cordillera Crucero – La Tranca Municipal Conservation Area in Cotagaita created on November 3^rd (19,897 acres). The two adjacent protected areas are home to populations of the Andean guanaco (Lama guanicoe), a critically endangered species in Bolivia.

A wild ancestor of the llama, the Andean guanaco mainly roams in the Andes of Peru and Bolivia, although its habitat stretches as far as Tierra del Fuego between Chile and Argentina. Along with the declaration of the protected area, the Municipality of Cotagaita now formally considers the species as part of their natural heritage, further marking the cultural importance of this vulnerable species.

The protected areas also harbor other notable species such as the Andean mountain cat (Leopardus jacobita), Andean condor (Vultur gryphus), Andean fox (Lycalopex culpaeus), puma (Puma concolor), and the north Andean deer (Hippocamelus antisensis).

The Municipal Conservation Area in Tupiza is in the Mochará mountain range, which occupies the entire sub-basin of the Limeta River, while the Municipal Conservation Area in Cotagaita includes the Crucero mountain range. The Limeta’s water flows into to the neighboring Cotagaita River that in turn feeds into the Pilcomao River that crosses Bolivia, Argentina, and Paraguay. Conserving this valuable mountain ranges guarantees that these headwaters are protected and that the freshwater they provide is safe for use by local populations as well as those downstream.

The establishment of the Tupiza and Cotagaita Municipal Conservation Areas was made possible thanks to a collaboration between AAF grantee PROMETA, the municipal governments of Tupiza and Cotagaita, the Departmental government of Potosí, and the General Directorate of Biodiversity and Protected Areas (DGBAP) of the Ministry of the Environment and Water of Bolivia.

Thanks to recent expansions achieved in April 2025, the Cordillera Crucero — La Tranca Municipal Protected Area now spans 102,196 acres (41,357 hectares) and the Cordillera de los Chichas – Mochará Municipal Protected Area now spans 120,157 acres  (48,626 hectares). The expansions connect both Municipal Protected Areas, strengthening protected habitat connectivity. Both of the protected area expansions encompass continuous Polylepis forests which provide habitat to birds and other native wildlife.