New protected area preserves vital forests and endangered wildlife

Colombia has created a major new protected area to conserve endangered species, safeguard water supplies, and strengthen ecological connections across important mountain ecosystems.

The new Estrella Hídrica de Caldas Regional Protected Area protects fragile cloud forests, wetlands, and high-altitude grasslands that provide essential water resources for nearly 250,000 people in five municipalities across Colombia.

Covering 23,972 hectares, the protected area shelters 880 recorded animal species, including 108 endemic species and 33 classified as threatened. Conservationists also documented a newly recorded rain frog species in the genus Pristimantis, while rare plants such as the orchid Lepanthes cuatrecasasii survive in only two known locations worldwide. The reserve strengthens ecological connectivity with nearby protected forests and Los Nevados National Park, while helping reduce habitat fragmentation and pollution caused by agricultural expansion.