More than 10,000 species of plants and animals are currently facing extinction due to the degradation of the Amazon rainforest, with 35% of its area already deforested or altered. To counteract this phenomenon, it is imperative to massively restore the already destroyed areas and achieve a complete stop of deforestation and forest degradation within the next ten years. This is crucial not only to combat climate change but also to ensure the preservation and restoration of natural habitats that harbor thousands of species.
Peru ranks among the top ten countries globally rich in biodiversity. According to the Peruvian Ministry of Environment, it stands second, just after Colombia, in terms of bird diversity and is among the top five in the world for amphibians, mammals, and plants. However, this biological richness has led the country to become a significant hotspot for wildlife trafficking, posing an additional problem exacerbating the considerable pressure on wildlife due to forest degradation.
The National Forest and Wildlife Service (Servicio Forestal y de Fauna Silvestre - Serfor) is responsible for designing and implementing the national strategy to combat wildlife trafficking. It is also accountable for enforcing the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an international agreement governing the hunting and trade of these species.
In the Huayabamba Valley, several species are now considered vulnerable or threatened with extinction. This includes two iconic mammals in the region: the South American tapir (Tapirus terrestris) and the spider monkey (Ateles belzebuth).
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