Expansion of the Machángara-Tomebamba Wildlife Refuge in Ecuador

On November 13, 2024, the Machángara-Tomebamba Wildlife Refuge, part of the National System of Protected Areas of Ecuador,  was expanded by 41,667 acres (16,862 hectares) protecting fragile high Andean ecosystems in Ecuador’s provinces of Azuay and Cañar. This expansion ensures the conservation of the region’s ecological connectivity as it connects the Wildlife Refuge with El Cajas National Park, adding to an important wildlife corridor. The protected area was previously designated as a Wildlife Refuge in September 2023 and is home to over seventy species listed as endangered or vulnerable. The Machángara-Tomebamba Wildlife Refuge now spans 103,339 acres (41,820 hectares) with the most recent expansion. 

In addition to this enhanced connectivity achieved through the expansion, the Wildlife Refuge connects to two other areas previously created with Andes Amazon Fund’s support: The Mazán Decentralized Autonomous Protected Area, and the Curiquingue – Gallocantana Decentralized Autonomous Protected Area.

This connectivity will protect the free movement of various wide-range vulnerable and endangered species like the spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus), the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus), the mountain tapir (Tapirus pinchaque) and the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), among others.

The ecological corridor conserves páramos, a high-altitude ecosystem providing habitats for species migrating to higher altitudes as a response to climate change. Páramos that were previously threatened by cattle-ranching are now better protected due to the expansion of the Wildlife Refuge.

Páramos are also fundamental for water regulation and are considered a carbon sink due to the density of their vegetation and slow decomposition rate. In Machángara, water trickles down from higher altitudes and collects in lagoons which slowly seeps into rivers flowing down the valleys. Through this process, the ecosystem manages a consistent flow of water to Cuenca, the third largest city in Ecuador.

Acknowledgements:

The expansion of the Machángara-Tomebamba Wildlife Refuge is the result of the collaborative work of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition, the Machángara River Basin Conservation Committee, ElecAustro S. A., ETAPA EP, the Environmental Management Commission, the Machángara Irrigation and Drainage Board and local governments. Technical support was provided by Nature and Culture International with financial support from the Andes Amazon Fund and the Stockell Foundation.