DistantNews
Support us
Argentina's Iberá National Park and tourism operators agree on jaguar trail access
🇦🇷 Argentina /Culture & Society

Argentina's Iberá National Park and tourism operators agree on jaguar trail access

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Argentina's Iberá National Park and local tourism operators have reached an agreement to allow visitors on trails where a reintroduced jaguar has been sighted.
  • The agreement aims to ensure visitor safety and maintain tourism while establishing protocols for coexistence with the jaguar, a top predator.
  • This collaboration involves national, provincial, and municipal authorities, along with tourism chambers and a wildlife conservation foundation.

Iberá National Park in Argentina is adapting its public use policies to accommodate the presence of a young jaguar, Ombú, who has begun frequenting areas accessible to tourists. This development presents a new challenge for park management, which has been working on reintroducing the species for five years.

With winter holidays underway and tourism being the primary economic driver for the local town of Carlos Pellegrini, the Iberá Tourism Chamber and Guide Association raised concerns with the National Parks Administration (APN). The APN responded by forming a working group, bringing APN personnel to Carlos Pellegrini to meet with tourism providers and find practical solutions.

This is the first time we have received such an efficient and decisive response from a state agency.

— Estrella LosadaPresident of the Iberá Tourism Chamber, commenting on the National Parks Administration's response.

"This is the first time we have received such an efficient and decisive response from a state agency," said Estrella Losada, president of the Iberá Tourism Chamber. She added that the APN deployed staff to discuss and reach an agreement beneficial for both the Iberá destination and responsible park visitation.

They deployed all their personnel to dialogue and reach a convenient solution for the Iberá destination and for responsible visitation in the park.

— Estrella LosadaPresident of the Iberá Tourism Chamber, describing the collaboration with the National Parks Administration.

The resulting inter-institutional effort includes the APN, the Province of Corrientes, the Municipality of Carlos Pellegrini, the Iberá Tourism Chamber, and the Rewilding Argentina Foundation. Their goal is to coordinate public use at the Laguna Iberá Portal with the existing protocols of the Provincial Park.

APN President Sergio Álvarez stated the agreement's spirit: "A technical support unit was formed with active participation from key leaders of National Directorates to reinforce operational aspects and communication regarding prevention and responsible tourism, aiming to promote harmonious coexistence with wildlife in the area." The park will remain open with scheduled monitoring and on-site staff to guide visitors on safe wildlife viewing practices, creating guidelines that respect the Iberá's specific conditions in coordination with provincial and municipal authorities.

A technical support unit was formed with active participation from key leaders of National Directorates to reinforce operational aspects and communication regarding prevention and responsible tourism, aiming to promote harmonious coexistence with wildlife in the area.

— Sergio ÁlvarezPresident of the National Parks Administration, explaining the agreement's structure.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog