Guardian of the Heights: The Story of Fernando Males in Chakana

The páramos of the Andes are exceptional ecosystems in biodiversity and crucial for water harvesting. In our Chakana reserve, established in 2011, in the former Hacienda Antisanilla, in the province of Pichincha, Fernando Males, now protects as a park ranger, around 5,000 hectares of páramo, in an area that has deep roots in his life.

"I'm from Pintag, my parents too. My father is a native of the area where the reserve is now located and worked at Hacienda Antisanilla. My grandfather was from the Laguna de Secas area, so my family has been in this area forever. They have shared with us their experiences of chagras (people from the countryside with great skill as horsemen) and since we were children they raised us riding horses, here in the páramo. Now my family also lives here, my two daughters and my wife Cristina who works in ecotourism. Chakana is very important in my life," says Fernando.

In Chakana, as part of the conservation actions, we established an alliance with the association of Chagras de Pintag, to carry out patrols and prevent the illegal hunting and fishing of protected species, such as the condor or the spectacled bear.

"My parents have a property across the street from Chakana and my dad is from the Chagras de Pintag association. It was through them that I learned about the foundation. I first worked for the association taking care of the cattle, but I always had the illusion of working in Jocotoco, until finally I was presented with the opportunity to be a park ranger and now I can take care of the moorland, the animals and the plants and raise awareness among the people in the community," explains Fernando.

Our reserve is part of the buffer zone of Antisana National Park and the great conservation mosaic that includes the Sumaco Napo-Galeras and Cayambe-Coca National Parks. The total protected area is more than 600,000 hectares.

In this environment, we develop several actions for the protection of endangered species, including a conservation project for the spectacled bear, in collaboration with the San Francisco University of Quito, in which our park rangers actively participate. Fernando shares his experience in the project:

"I really like taking care of the spectacled bears here in Chakana. We have learned how to use camera traps and how to distinguish the marks of each bear and thus be able to identify them. One day I saw a bear with her baby bear. That was in 2016. The teddy bear had a mark on his forehead and we decided to name him Rayito. He was very active and liked to play on the moor. Then, his mother left him alone to start his adult life and a year ago, we saw him with a female, with whom he had bonded to mate. So, I've seen Rayito grow up here in Chakana."

Rayito is the first bear to which the team of researchers managed to attach a GPS collar that allows monitoring its movements and taking the necessary actions for the protection of this species, in a joint work supported by scientific research, advances in technology and supported by the active participation of the communities.

"I want to ask people to help us take care of spectacled bears because they are wonderful animals and if we don't protect them they can become extinct. We need to support them so that they have safe places on our moors. They don't cause any harm. You have to learn to live with them and take care of them. I want to continue participating in wildlife projects and the care of mammals and condors and all the beauty that Chakana has," says Fernando with great emotion, hinting at the great passion with which he carries out his work.

Fernando Males, invites us to take care of these wonderful creatures and their environment. Now we invite you to join this cause. Your donation will help keep spectacled bears safe. Donate today and be part of the mission to protect Chakana's unique beauty and invaluable biological diversity!