Hope amidst loss Jaguars and indigenous people

The forests and communities of Chiquitanía, Bolivia, face mounting threats from increasingly frequent and intense forest fires, worsened by climate change and unsustainable land use. Following the 2024 fires, which saw millions of hectares burned in Bolivia, jaguar populations in Palmarito de la Frontera have taken a hit. All population indicators have declined, undoing years of conservation efforts. For example, in 2023, the community recorded 9 individuals, now there are only 5 showing on the camera traps.

Deforestation for agriculture also leads to habitat loss driving people and wildlife, like jaguars, closer together. This can lead to human-jaguar conflict.

In San Ignacio de Velasco, lives Boris Colombara - a rancher who refuses to deforest. Instead, he has decided to make his property a refuge for life.  Against all odds, he seeks to coexist with the jaguar. On his ranch, there are no large cleared areas or devastated pastures. The cattle walk under the shade of the trees, feed along natural trails, and freely return to the corral each evening. But his commitment to nature coexists with a difficult reality: jaguars and pumas have killed dozens of calves.  

WWF and the Government of Santa Cruz have joined forces to support Boris in his agroecological practices and in the challenge of coexisting with the jaguar. The first step was to install camera traps to learn more about the biodiversity on is farm. Electric fences, better management, and productive alternatives all contribute to achieving coexistence. Boris Colombara reminds us that livestock farming can have another face: one that doesn't expel, but coexists. 

From the millions of hectares ravaged by fires in Bolivia in 2024, another reason for hope was forged. Women from Indigenous and local communities marched toward Santa Cruz to make their voices heard. In the city streets, the march raised a clear message: the climate emergency is also social, territorial, and gender-based. That cry has not faded since. In July 2025, that call was transformed into action through the project "Chiquitanía Women Weaving Collaborative Networks for Forest Fire Risk Management".

This process, promoted by the Bolivian Foundation for Social Development and the Regional Organization of Chiquitanía n Indigenous Women (ORMICH), with support from WWF-Bolivia and the Government of Santa Cruz, held a forum that brought together forest firefighters, community leaders, universities, public organisations, and international cooperation agencies to build alliances that strengthen fire prevention, response, and recovery – with women.

In response to the growing impact of forest fires, many Indigenous women have trained as firefighters. During the meeting, they were recognised not only as forest caretakers, but also as strategists and leaders. Concrete commitments were forged at the workshops. Universities offered research, training, and opportunities to showcase community knowledge, and various public institutions reaffirmed their willingness to include Indigenous women in planning, training, and decision-making processes.