The Chontayacu Reserve
Chontayacu Reserve is a 250-acre (100-hectare) privately-protected area in the cloud forest of Ecuador, on the Eastern slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes.
Nestled between Cayambé-Coca and Sumaco Napo-Galeras national parks, it lies where the the Andes mountains meet the humidity of the Amazon.
High on the eastern slope of the Ecuadorian Andes, wrapped in constant mist, lies the Chontayacu Reserve. Straddling steep ravines and moss-covered ridges, the reserve shelters Andean bears, elusive Clouded tiger cats, and a rich community of birds, frogs, and beetles that depend on intact, humid forest. Yet this forest is under growing pressure from expanding pastures, small-scale agriculture, and new access roads that nibble away at the forest edge. To respond to this threat, we are working towards expanding the reserve, and secure more of the forest watershed to protect the all the species that lives there.
Where is Chontayacu?
Explore the map and find our cloud-forest sanctuary.
The Tropical Andes are considered the most biodiverse place in the world. A great mosaic of ecosystems that exist in the Andes at short distances and marked environmental gradients.
The understudied ecosystem in Chontayacu harbors a wealth of plant and animal species, many endemic and endangered.
The IUCN Red list shows a potential 6 critically endangered, 20 endangered, and 36 vulnerable species in the area. We have already recorded the presence of some of them, including Andean Bears, Mountain Tapirs, and Siren Glass Frogs (Nymphargus siren).
We are returning the Chontayacu valley to its role as a biosphere buffer zone: to allow for environmentally-sustainable activity while protecting ecological diversity.
Timeline of Activities
From bears to beetles: discover who lives here.
The Chontayacu Reserve lies within the Sumaco–Napo–Galeras Key Biodiversity Area (KBA). As such, it is recognized as home to critical populations of some of the world’s most vulnerable and endangered species. So far, xx threatened species have been recorded in the reserve. Those include the Andean bear, the Mountain tapir, the Clouded tiger cat, the siren glass frog, the little red brocket, the Black chestnut eagle etc.. Other iconic and elusive species like the puma can also be found here.
