On April 1st of this year, the Municipality of Reyes held an event to approve the roadmap for establishment of its Municipal Protected Area, with an extension of 800,000 hectares. The meeting was held with the participation of the main local stakeholders, including municipal authorities, representatives of indigenous and agricultural communities, and cattle ranchers. During this meeting, the president of the municipal council presented the proposal for the limits, categories and management objectives of the protected area. Additionally, participants voted for the name of the new protected area: Rhukanrhuka, the Maropa indigenous name for the two species of titi monkeys endemic to the savannahs of Beni (Plecturocebus olallae and P. modestus). In the coming month of May, it is expected that the new municipal law for the creation will be enacted. Finally, WCS presented the objectives of the work plan, with the opportune support from the Rainforest Trust, to consolidate the process of establishment of the Rhukanrhuka Municipal Protected Area and the development of local capacity for its management.
The importance of the municipal protected area of Los Santos Reyes lies in its natural values, as it is a key site for the protection of forests and savannas, a system of lakes and swamps and a diversity of species, some of them endemic to the Beni, some of them endemic to Beni, such as the two titi monkeys (Plecturocebus modestus and P. olallae), both Endangered under the IUCN threats criteria as well as in Bolivia’ Red Data Book of Vertebrates, and the mamaco (Crax globulosa) categorized as Critically Endangered in Bolivia’ Red Data Book as well. Its cultural relevance is expressed in the presence of indigenous communities of Tacana and Maropa origin and in traditions of a missionary past that still survive today. Because of its tourist potential, Reyes is part of the tourist destination referred to as Rurrenabaque: Madidi-Pampas, which is in the process of being internationally recognized as a sustainable tourist destination with the ‘Biophere’ certification by the UNESCO Responsible Tourism Institute (IRT). The management of the area will not only increase the benefits of sustainable tourism, but will contribute significantly to conservation and sustainable development of the whole municipality and the region.