Mayan Jungle Biodiversity Project – Sierra del Lacandón, Guatemala

Coral Maya Conservation is supporting biodiversity research in the Sierra del Lacandón National Park, an ancient Mayan territory in northern Guatemala located along the Usumacinta River, which forms the natural border between Guatemala and Mexico. This project is led by biologist Luis Trujillo, in collaboration with the conservation foundation Defensores de la Naturaleza, and focuses on documenting wildlife in one of the most biodiverse regions in Mesoamerica. The area is home to jaguars, pumas, ocelots, monkeys, crocodiles, reptiles, and a remarkable diversity of birds.

Despite its ecological importance, the park faces serious threats. Over the past decades, large areas of primary forest have been lost due to deforestation driven by illegal land occupation, logging, fires, and extensive cattle ranching linked to organized crime. Through camera traps and field monitoring, this project gathers critical data on species presence and ecosystem health, helping support conservation planning and long term protection efforts in a landscape under increasing pressure.