Encosh | Cerro Guido sustainable model ranch

Initiative
description

Leader name

Estancia Cerro Guido

Entity type

Private ranch

Launching Date

18 January 2019

Assessment initiative

Not assessed

Initiative Type

Hotspots avoidance

Information sharing

Livestock guarding dogs

Other Communication, information and awareness

Other Livestock management

Wildlife species

Issues

Intervention area

BACKGROUND

Cerro Guido is a ranch located in Patagonia, about 15 kilometers to the East of Torres del Paine National Park, in Chile. This has been a traditional ranch, working for more than a hundred years in livestock raising, mainly sheep. Since its beginning, local populations of puma depredated upon the livestock, generating a conflict who continues until today. Like other local ranches, the pumas have been seen as an enemy, being persecuted and killed. But since 2018, the ranch decided instead to be a contribution to the conservation of the puma and local wildlife, but maintaining the traditional Patagonian way of living.

DESCRIPTION

This project looks for the coexistence between livestock raising and wildlife

PRINCIPLE

We aim to promote the coexistence between the conservation of pumas and livestock raising in a ranch of Patagonia through the design of a respectful tourism program and the implementation of management strategies focused on reducing puma attacks and minimize the losses of livestock. Through those approaches we expect to contribute to the protection of pumas and other local wildlife and promote the local and public awareness towards the species. In this way, we will seek to demonstrate that wildlife conservation and sustainable ranching is possible in the short and long term

CONDITIONS OF SUCCESS

One of the key aspects for the success of this project is to have the support of the owners of the ranch but also the support of local people who are already working inside the ranch. Also, the collaboration with other conservation and touristic initiatives is relevant for the long term conservation of pumas and the protection of wildlife in Patagonia.

Advantages

- A unique place located few kilometers away from one of the most visited national parks in Chile: Torres del Paine.
- Part of Torres del Paine Biosphere Reserve.
- An extensive area of ~100.000 square km.
- The area already has infraestructure for tourism.
- High diversity of wildlife and beautiful landscapes.
- The owners are already keen to implement management practices for livestock to minimice losses due to pumas, and already started to use livestock guarding dogs.
- Financial and administrative support by the owners of the ranch.
- Highly skilled and motivated team.

Disadvantages

- Traditional way of living is deep rooted in the ranch, so is hard to bring new initiatives and be accepted by locals.
- Pumas are still being persecuted and killed in some ranches outside Cerro Guido.
- Tourism in the area is highly competitive and some local ranches are already working or looking to work in a future with wildlife tourism focused on pumas.

Implementation, use
and maintenance

IMPLEMENTATION

Workforce

Workload

Training

Moderate from 1 to 3 months

Training duration

Depends on the training, and the field skills are constantly being developed and trained.

Financial cost

Currency financial cost

IMPLEMENTATION KEY STEPS

1) Initial knowledge of the pumas within the ranch (density, identification of individuals, habitat use, areas of interest)
2) Knowledge of livestock management inside the ranch (number of livestock, extension of fields, movement of livestock, main killing sites, annual losses, measures taken this far to manage the conflict)
3) Evaluation of livestock guarding dogs, and other tools or management practices to minimize livestock predation by carnivores
4) Design of a respectful tourism initiative of puma and wildlife tracking inside the ranch

EQUIPMENTS

- Camera traps, livestock guarding dogs, deterrants

USE & MAINTENANCE

Workforce

Workload

Training

No specific training required

Training duration

Financial cost

Currency financial cost

Annual period of use

All year

Daily period of use

Day and Night

STEPS OF USE

1) Maintenance of a puma monitoring system inside the ranch through camera traps and direct sightings.
2) Look for new areas of interest for tourism
3) Implementation of successful management tools extensivelly through the ranch
4) Implementation of a tourism offer of puma tracking inside the ranch