Conservation organization Jungle Keepers is on the frontlines in the Peruvian Amazon, facing escalating violence from narco-traffickers who are clearing rainforest for coca production and have issued death threats against the team.
The organization's target conservation area of 200,000 acres is the primary territory of the uncontacted Mashco-Piro tribe, who violently defend their land from outsiders, as evidenced by their recent killing of two illegal loggers.
Jungle Keepers employs an innovative model of hiring former illegal loggers and miners as rangers, providing alternative livelihoods while directly protecting over 130,000 acres of critical habitat.
The conflict represents a complex intersection of environmental protection, indigenous rights, and organized crime, where the fight to save ancient ecosystems is also a fight against a violent drug war.
12 quotes
Concerns Raised
Escalating violence and direct threats from narco-traffickers, including murder and kill orders.
The immense scale of deforestation driven by logging, mining, and coca cultivation.
The risk of violent conflict with the uncontacted Mashco-Piro tribe while trying to protect their territory.
The potential for donor apathy and the difficulty of sustaining funding for a dangerous, long-term mission.
Opportunities Identified
The ability to protect a critical 300,000-acre corridor of pristine Amazon rainforest.
The success of the operational model, which converts perpetrators of deforestation into protectors.
Proven ability to leverage social media for rapid, high-impact fundraising for land acquisition.
The chance to safeguard the territory and existence of one of the world's last uncontacted peoples.