Inka Terra Association (ITA) Opens Rolin Island Fauna Rescue Center In The Peruvian Amazon

Lima, Peru – October 23, 2008: Inkaterra, through its partner NGO, Inka Terra Association (ITA) has launched a rescue center on a secluded island across the Madre de Dios River from Inkaterra’s Reserva Amazonica. The 55-acre island has been developed into a rescue, rehabilitation, and re-introduction facility for wildlife confiscated by INRENA (National Institute of Natural Resources), Tourism Police, and the National Ecology Police of Peru (formerly Green Police).

The island refuge — also known as Isla de los Monos or “Monkey Island” — is located adjacent to the Tambopata National Reserve and provides an ideal setting to restore the health, eating habits and behavior of wildlife in a semi-captive setting in the wild. The natural island setting gives the center a controlled environment that allows ITA and its partners to monitor and research specimens before re-introducing them to the wild.

The creation of the center came as a result of research findings conducted on the region’s fauna. In 1989 a University of Kansas study (with support from the National Geographic Society) found 13 primate species in the region. A 1998 TReeS-Ramos-Tambopata assessment found only six species present in the area. The rapid drop in population — from 13 to 6 in a nine-year span — raised concern over the future of Tambopata National Reserve’s primate population and prompted ITA to focus its efforts on the rescue and protection of its current primate inhabitants. As a result, the Rolin Island project prioritizes work with four of the region’s most affected species: Brown Capuchin (Cebus apella), White Fronted Capuchin (Cebus albifrons), Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri boliviensis) and the Saddle-backed Tamarin (Saguinus fuscicollis).

InkaterraThe Rolin Island Fauna Rescue Center is comprised of various medical and research facilities. It includes an Interpretation Center for visitors wishing to learn more about the Island’s wildlife and ITA’s conservation initiatives. Guests from Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica can take advantage of the center in guided half-day excursions through a system of observation and feedings trails that include sloth and reptile viewings.

For more information on ITA and the Rolin Island Rescue Center, visit: http://www.inkaterra.com/ita-peru/index.html

ABOUT INKA TERRA ASSOCIATION:
ITA is an NGO founded to conserve the environment, ecosystems, cultural and archaeological natural resources, and maintain an ecological equilibrium while preserving Peru’s cultural identity. Since its creation in 2001, ITA´s sustainable development initiatives have brought an array of programs carried out at INKATERRA RESERVA AMAZONICA (Tambopata, Madre de Dios) and INKATERRA MACHU PICCHU (Machu Picchu, Cusco). Its strategic partnerships and agreements with institutions throughout Peru and the world have established a network in which private business profits are invested in the conservation, education, and social development of native communities.

ABOUT INKATERRA:
Inkaterra is a Peruvian organization with more than 30 years of experience in sustainable tourism initiatives. It focuses on preserving and rescuing Peru’s geography, nature, customs and cultures and sharing them with the world.

It currently operates INKATERRA MACHU PICCHU, a 12-acre property at the base of Machu Picchu Mountain; INKATERRA RESERVA AMAZONICA, located on the Madre de Dios River; and INKATERRA LA CASONA, a newly opened 11-suite boutique hotel in the historic city of Cusco.

October 24, 2008   Posted in: Peru