CMS COP14, An Historic Opportunity to Protect the Guanaco Migrations

• This iconic herbivore of the arid grasslands and the Andes Mountains in the Southern Cone, depends on vast and connected habitats to feed, reproduce, and rest. 
• WCS is working with range-countries governments and other civil society organizations in championing the proposal to include the guanaco in Appendix II of CMS and promoting the regional and multi-organizational initiative #GuanaConnects
• High Res Pics HERE

Newswise — Samarkand, Uzbekistan, February 12, 2024 – WCS is championing at the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CoP14) the listing of guanaco (Lama guanicoe) onto CMS Appendix II, which would facilitate transboundary collaboration and cooperation around guanaco and its habitat conservation. 

During CMS CoP14, governments are meeting to agree on strategies for the conservation of migratory species and their habitats. 

This listing for guanaco would strengthen cross-border conservation initiatives between its range countries: Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Chile, and Argentina. And would also encourage those countries to establish sustainable management guidelines for the species. 

Achieving this is a step toward protecting the migrations of this iconic South American species. WCS Vice President for International Policy, Susan Lieberman, said: “It is necessary to make agreements to ensure the ecological integrity of ecosystems, so that their habitats have connectivity and threats are reduced.” 

The Largest Ungulate of South America grasslands

Over the last two centuries, guanaco population numbers in South America have dropped drastically, from between 10 and 30 million individuals to approximately 2.5 million today, and most remaining populations in the northern part of the range are threatened.

Many guanaco populations are migratory. They depend on extensive and connected habitats to feed, reproduce, and rest. These movements are also important for the ecosystems they inhabit. Guanaco grazing likely promotes the regeneration of soil and grasses, favoring carbon sequestration and contributing to climate change adaptation and mitigation. 

Restricting guanaco seasonal migrations may threaten its survival. Many of the species migrations likely have already been lost, and those that endure face a range of threats depending on the region. To protect the guanaco migratory processes, it is essential to create a network of large and interconnected protected areas, preserving grassland biodiversity and facilitating species adaptation to their shifting surroundings. 

What will happen at CMS COP14? 

WCS is working with range countries governments and other partners in championing the proposal to include the guanaco in CMS Appendix II. 

On February 13th, Lieberman will be moderating the side-event “The Largest Ungulate of South America” at the Bukhara Room from 13.45 to 14.30, co-organized with the government of Perú. The day of the vote that will define whether the guanaco is included in this Appendix or not will be February 17. The vote of the countries in its distribution range is decisive. 

Lieberman said, “For the conservation of migratory species, in addition to what each country does, collaboration between governments and conservation organizations throughout the distribution range of these species is important.”

#GuanaConnects Movement

Through their migrations, guanacos connect environments and cultures of the Southern Cone of America. #GuanaConnects is a regional and multi-organizational initiative seeking to raise awareness about the guanaco by highlighting its migratory nature to promote transboundary conservation strategies. In each country, the guanaco and its migratory processes face different challenges. For that reason, it’s necessary to coordinate efforts regionally to achieve a strategy that promotes the coexistence of rural communities with the species and its conservation. Around 18 political and civil society organizations from guanaco range-countries joined forces to promote this movement to protect the migration of the species that connects landscapes and cultures in South America.

WCS at CMS CoP14

To learn more about WCS’s policy positions at CMS CoP14 go HERE.

Watch this video with WCS VP of International Policy Sue Lieberman on the importance of CMS CoP14

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)

WCS combines the power of its zoos and an aquarium in New York City and a Global Conservation Program in more than 50 countries to achieve its mission to save wildlife and wild places. WCS runs the world’s largest conservation field program, protecting more than 50 percent of Earth’s known biodiversity; in partnership with governments, Indigenous People, Local Communities, and the private sector. It’s four zoos and aquarium (the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, and the New York Aquarium ) welcome more than 3.5 million visitors each year, inspiring generations to care for nature. Founded in 1895 as the New York Zoological Society, the organization is led (as of June 1, 2023) by President and CEO Monica P. Medina. Visit: newsroom.wcs.org. Follow: @WCSNewsroom. For more information: +1 (347) 840-1242. Listen to the WCS Wild Audio podcast HERE.