CPSG Mexico

Convenor

Convenor: Luis Carrillo (Zoofari)

 

About CPSG Mexico

CPSG Mexico was founded in 1995 in response to the needs of endangered species conservation in Mexico. It is based at Zoofari, a safari park located in Morelos, Mexico. CPSG Mexico is comprised of Luis Carrillo, current convenor and facilitator who works at Zoofari as General Curator. CPSG Mexico’s mission is to catalyze conservation actions in Mexico, assisting in the development of holistic conservation programs for threatened species and ecosystems.

 

2015-2016 activities

Mexican Jaguar Specialist Group meeting

CPSG Mexico was invited to facilitate a one-day meeting for the government of Mexico’s Mexican Jaguar Specialist Group. The goal of the meeting was to analyze, update, and propose actions for jaguar (Panthera onca) conservation in Mexico. Twenty-five people attended, including field biologists and representatives from NGOs and the federal government. The meeting began with researchers presenting updates on the species and research status at their study sites. The government then presented their plans for jaguar conservation, including:

•    the National Information System for the Jaguar, a database for compiling data about jaguar sightings and research information;
•    the National Standardized Photo-ID Monitoring Program, where photographs of Mexican jaguar spot patterns are accessible to researchers for identifying individual specimens; and
•    roads designed with jaguar conservation in mind.

Using CPSG tools and methodologies, CPSG Mexico guided participants to develop priority actions for short- and medium-term jaguar conservation in Mexico. The workshop was held at the Zoológico Los Coyotes and financed by the Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas – PROCER program.


Blue-billed Curassow PHVA

Blue-billed curassows (Crax alberti) are among the most threatened bird species in the world. Wild populations of these Critically Endangered cracids survive only in small patches of remaining habitat in Colombia, making them an Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) species. In December 2015, a Population and Habitat Viability Assessment (PHVA) was held in Cartagena, Colombia to create the basis for the development of a National Conservation Plan for the blue-billed curassow in Colombia. Participants included representatives from governments both national and local, field biologists, zoos from Mexico and the US, and NGOs. CPSG Mexico designed and facilitated the workshop, guiding the participants through the development of actions for the conservation of the species.

The workshop began with an opening by Farah Ajami, President of the Colombian Zoos and Aquariums Association (ACOPAZOA), after which participants introduced themselves and shared their concerns about blue-billed curassow conservation. After presentations from field biologists about the biology and conservation status of the species, participants were divided into groups where they identified challenges in conserving the species and developed goals and accompanying actions. CPSG Mexico and Juan Cornejo (Loro Parque Fundación) modeled different scenarios to assess the viability of the species and its various populations. The workshop, which was supported by Houston Zoo and ACOPAZOA, closed with a visit to the Aviario Nacional, the only institution that has successfully bred blue-billed curassows in captivity in Colombia.

Andrew Schumann, Animal Collection Manager at White Oak Conservation, said about the PHVA: “I feel confident that CPSG Mexico made this one especially productive. There are many challenges ahead for this species but with such a passionate group of people there is no doubt in my mind that the blue-billed curassow will be conserved in Colombia, especially with CPSG facilitating along the way.”

 

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