“Extinct” Species Come Back Into the Wild!

An Argentinian foundation undertook the colossal project of turning private lands into national parks where native species like the jaguar and the macaw were successfully reintroduced, thus reversing the biodiversity loss in that part of the South American country.

Fundación Rewilding Argentina was created in 1998 by conservationists and activists to “confront and reverse the crisis of species extinction and the resulting environmental degradation,” where it aims “to restore the healthy functioning of ecosystems and to promote the well-being of local communities”.

Within the Great Iberá Park located in the northeast corner of Argentina — near Brazil and Paraguay — reintroduction programs were set up, and now, jaguars are roaming for the first time in 70 years. The idea is to reintroduce a total of 20 individuals by 2027. Red and green macaws have been reintroduced to the territory for the first time since the late 1800s. Other regionally extinct species have also been brought back into the wild, including the pampas deer, giant anteaters, collared peccaries, and coypus. The Foundation hopes to use nature-based tourism as it can potentially generate $6.8 million per year, which is three times the profit made from cattle ranching in the region.