Wildlife Monitoring Project in the Sierra de las Minas Cloud Forest, Guatemala

In the core zone of the Sierra de las Minas cloud forest, Coral Maya Conservation supports a long-term wildlife monitoring project led by biologist and researcher Luis Trujillo, in collaboration with Defensores de la Naturaleza & WWF Mesoamérica. As part of a combined strategy for biodiversity monitoring and conservation, camera traps have been installed across the reserve to document a wide range of species, including jaguars, pumas, ocelots, and margays, as well as Baird’s tapirs (dantas), peccaries (coche de monte), and other native wildlife.

Extensive fieldwork carried out alongside local rangers has resulted in important records, including the first confirmed jaguar presence in the area in more than 12 years, highlighting the ecological value of this protected cloud forest. In addition to scientific monitoring, the project contributes visual material to help raise awareness about the reserve and the importance of protecting Guatemala’s unique natural heritage. Together, the data and imagery generated support conservation planning, strengthen long term protection efforts, and help foster a deeper public connection to the Sierra de las Minas ecosystem.