Nature conservation in Bolivia

Nature conservation in Bolivia

Photo: Benjamin Altorfer, Team Bolivia 2023

Next to the existing animal welfare activities, Animalma also runs different nature conservation campaigns in Bolivia since 2021.

This is the site for this vital work, which informs about current actions & reached achievements in the hope of finding even more supporters.

#NatureConservation #Firefighting #TurtleAdoption

Nature conservation is a wide term – as wide are our efforts in this field. That is why this campaign contains various parts, which are presented next.

Our goal is to help quickly and flexibly in case of emergencies as well as setting up preventive meassures.

Fire prevention

Through the purpose of donation “Firefighting”, we help people and projects combating the yearly forest fires in Bolivia. Immediate emergency help mainly includes transportation, food and materials of all kinds for firefighting-crews and vets, while preventative meassures are implemented by capacitating volunteers and profesionals with courses and safety equipment.

Whatever and whenever – our help goes where it is needed the most.

Training professionals and volunteers and providing the necessary safety materials may make the difference between life and death – for humans and nature alike.

Our emergency aid sends firefighting-crews and vets into affected areas to provide first aid. We helped La Chiquitania in 2019, Otuquis in 2021 and Noel Kempff Mercado in 2022.

In 2021 we sent a team into the protected area Otuquis, where they cared for insured wildlife and built water points for the survivors.

Nature conservation

The general fund called “Nature conservation” raises funds for a variety of causes, which we bring right to the front thanks to our wide network in Bolivia.

The park rangers of protected areas as well as activists fighting illegal gold mining in the Amazon have a special place in our heart.

Our highlight in 2023: an accident and whole life insurance for the 27 park rangers working in the Madidi National Park.

More highlights from our conservation efforts are found in the blog further below.

Turtle Adoption

The turtle adoption program in the Beni area is also part of this campaign and helps the species survival of the yellow-spotted Amazon river turtle (Podocnemis unifilis) and the rangers on-site.

You can simbolically adopt a river turtle for CHF 10.- and get an adoption certificate for yourself or as a meaningful gift for someone else.

Campaign updates / Conservation blog

-> This blog is still in the making <-

We’ve been active in nature conservation for the past two years. Here we share current topics and reached goals.

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All those miracles are made possible by our donors and the activists on the ground. Thank you all so much for your commitment!

Animalma makes a big difference in small steps for Bolivia’s nature – help us keep on going.

Team Bolivia 2023 – The travel report

Team Bolivia 2023 – The travel report

The beauty of travelling is, that you never come back the same as you left.

What once started off as a crazy idea and was harshly put to a halt by the Corona pandemic, has finally come true in Februar 2023: Three courageous people followed my call and joined the very first volunteer trip through Bolivia. My heart nearly burst of joy when they finally arrived at the airport of La Paz on the 23rd of February.

My Team Bolivia 2023

Janine, Patricia and Benny are work colleagues, friends and Animalma supporters. Despite of being tired from the long journey, they were as excited as I was to finally get to know Bolivia and the projects and people they have been supporting from Switzerland.

I happily share with you the highlights of our two weeks trip through Bolivia. For every destination you will find a short description and a picture gallery. Just click on any picture for high resolution and access to the gallery.

La Paz

La Paz is the highest-located city in the world and is nestled in the Andes with an altitude from 3800 up to 4100 meters above sea level.

We strolled through the colourful streets of La Paz, explored the markets (Beware of very high shopping risk!), observed the hustle and bustle on the plazas and got accustomed to the relaxed but nevertheless lively Bolivian groove.

We overlooked the city from the rooftop terrace from our hotel, enjoyed vegetarian and vegan dishes in the fancy district Sopocachi and shopped the first presents for our loved ones back home and the obligatory woollen jackets for our trip in the countless artesanal markets.

Lago Titicaca / Isla del Sol

The majestic lake Titicaca is situated in the north of the country, only two hours from La Paz shared by the neighbouring country Peru. We chartered a private ship in the village of Copacabana and cruised the endless-seeming waters until we reached the Sun island. Legend says that the very first Incas were sent down to this very island by the god Inti, from where they started to set up their famous empire.

We climbed up the first Inka stairs of our journey, discovered different ruins and enjoyed the tranquilitiy and vastness far away from everyday life. It was the perfect start of our adventure and a dive into Bolivian culture.

Salar de Uyuni

The biggest salt desert on earth (as you see Bolivia is definitely a superlative country) is in Uyuni, about 12 hours from La Paz. Our driver Jésus and his little bus “Jota” drove us savely through the country, while we enjoyed the view of the stunning Andes as well as little villages in the middle of nowhere filled with friendly people and doggies.

After a short stay at the salt hotel (yes it is a hotel built of salt), we got picked up by our guides at 4 o’clock in the morning and drove out into the salt flat. We were all in awe of the endlessness of this mystical place and were watching how a beautiful starry sky changed into a stunning sunrise.

During the following day tour, we visited the train cementary, a traditional salt production and then drove through this surreal world of the salt desert – a day filled with magical moments, countless photo sessions and a wonderful lunch.

Our guides from America Tours gave us an unforgettable Uyuni experience and also made us aware of the threats facing the salt flats (lithium exploitation) and how they still need side jobs to survive, as tourism hasn’t fully recovered since the pandemic.

Madidi National Park / Las Pampas

The salt desert was followed by another highlight – visiting the Bolivian Amazon. We embarked with a small boat from Rurrenabaque and traveled up the river, got to know indigenous villages and traditions along the way, learned more about the Madidi National Park at the checkpoint of the rangers and arrived in the middle of the rainforest at the beautiful camp of Mashaquipe.

& my travel companions had the very same experience as myself when first arriving in the jungle: It is a purely magical place far away from our hectic civilization, it instantly calms one down and brings peace to the mind and happiness to the heart. It roots one back to the core values of humanity, showing a unique biodiversity living in symbiosis and the thought of its destruction is deeply affecting.
So in this special state of mind, we hiked on small paths through the jungle, listened to the interesting facts and stories of our guide and the mighty, omnipresent sounds of nature. We spotted sloths, primates, birds, butterflies and marvelled at beautiful flowers and trees as old as 300 years.


The nature reserve “Las Pamas” is discovered by boat and so this wetland with its countless arms of rivers (and even more mosquitos) is an easy, relaxing way to spot wildlife close-up.
Caimans were waiting patiently for their next prey, river dolphins swam around the boat, squirrel monkey troops foraged in the bushes and turtles as well as birds took a sunbath on the rocks and trunks along the river benches.

Senda Verde

As the “grande finale” of our time in Bolivia, we visited our heart project, the wildlife refuge Senda Verde, and my “Team Bolivia” helped on the forefront by volunteering at the centre.
They supported the animal caretakers in breeding butterflies, cleaning and feeding in the big bird aviary, taking care of howler monkey babies, capuchins, Andean bears and many more fascinating animals.

The harsh fate of these animals, being victims of wildlife trafficking within the Amazon and some held as pets for years or even decades, visibly affected my friends. But this heaviness got compensated by the satisfaction of helping these beautiful beings and this unique project – be it through volunteering on-site or from far away Switzerland with a donation.

It was a very special pleasure for me to show my Team Bolivia, where their donations are going, how they are used and how valuable this support via Animalma is – at Senda Verde as well as through different nature protection campaigns.

The conclusion

Bolivia is a fascinating travel destination with a wide variety of sites and activities. Even though we have been on the road nearly non-stop during those two weeks, we have only seen a little part of this diverse country. All three members of the “Team Bolivia 2023” were deeply impressed by it and all of them want to go back one day – but with more time 😉

Besides an incredible nature with fascinating flora and fauna, the Bolivians also inspired us with their friendliness, generosity and their leisureliness.

& for me personally, it was a huge milestone to finally realize this dreams of mine, this volunteer journey, and it was an honor to be able to show “my Bolivia” to my friends and supporters.

For now, I leave it open if or when I will offer this volunteer trip again, but interested people can contact me (via info@animalma.org) and who knows, maybe there will be a “Team Bolivia 2024”!

In the meantime, help the projects we’ve visited:

Newsletter 2023

Newsletter 2023

Making a big difference in small steps – this is Animalma. Also in 2023.

Dear Animalma family

It has been quiet here in the news section for a while, although a lot has happened since the end of last year and the beginning of 2023. I’m happy to give you, dear supporters, an update on what’s been going on.

8 years Animalma

On the 29th of October we celebrated Animalma’s 8th anniversary with a great food buffet, a sweet stall and a presentation of our history. It was just wonderful to spend the evening with you all – looking back and celebrating what we have achieved together for and in Bolivia.

I still think back to this event with a big smile on my face and want to thank everyone for being there. A special “Gracias” goes out to Ximena for her beautiful handicrafts and for managing the sales.

If you also want to remember this evening, you can do so through the following post:

8 years Animalma

Animalma was founded on the 22nd of October 2014 – so it was high time to finally celebrate our anniversary.
A large part of the Animalma family found their way to the youth club in Effretikon on the 29th October 2022 for the birthday party.

Going back home

In January I treated myself to a one month timeout in Costa Rica; a country well known for its high standards of animal welfare and nature conservation. It was fascinating to see how humans and animals coexist mostly peacefully next to eatch other – an achievement made possible by decent and free education, as well as strict laws and even stricter enforcement.

Relaxed and with new strength I headed on to Bolivia, where my friends and projects were waiting for me. With the donation pot as full as never before, I couldn’t wait to get it right there to the front where it belongs.

Here are the highlights made possible by your donations:

The most heartwarming donation…

…came from Anna, Finja, Iara and Kian. These four young animal welfarists were so inspired after the Animalma anniversary, that they started making handicrafts the day after and sold them in their neighbourhood.

They raised CHF 300, which I used to buy nappies, special milk powder and vitamins for the baby monkeys at Senda Verde Wildlife Refuge. These are vital but expensive items for the sanctuary and they were over the moon when I told them the story behind this very special donation.

This dedication deserves its own post: Little animal welfarists going big.

The most consistent support…

…keeps going on thanks to the Emergency Fund for Senda Verde and the refuge is very grateful for our continuous contribution to food and medical supplies for the animals.

Several individual and monthly donations added up to an amazing amout of CHF 1’000.- assisting with the daily care of the 1000 wild animals living at Senda Verde. We are keeping up this vital campaign:

#SOSSendaVerde – Emergency fund

Help the animal shelter Senda Verde through the afthermath of the Corona crisis.
The emergency fund helps to feed the 1000 wild animals of the refuge and gives them medical care.

The most innovative help…

…was made possible by our anniversary. I promised to donate a third of all donations to a conservation cause, and this came in the form of an accident and life insurance policy for the 27 park rangers working in Madidi National Park.

Since March, the rangers and their families will be taken care of in case of an accident or worse, which is a great relief in this high-risk job.

Only you, dear Animalma family, have made this huge milestone possible. Once again, there are no words to express the gratitude of the rangers, nor my own. So I’ll just say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.

This very special help has its own post too.

Setting up the insurance in Februar 2023 with the “jefe de protección” of the Madid National Park and thanks to the activist Marcos Uzquiano.

& also the most personal campaign…

…my yearly birthday appeal, goes to conservation. All your gifts in form of donations will help setting up a new fire prevention centre in Rurrenabaque. Perfectly located between the nature reserves Madidi, Pilon Lajas and the EBB, this project will provide a central storage and distribution point for fire-fighting equipment, as well as training for volunteer firefighters.

The volunteer journey

Next to all the miracles made possible by your support, there was another highlight waiting: the very first volunteer trip through Bolivia.

A small but powerful group of the Animalma family visited me in Bolivia and the two week journey was full of adventure and inspiration:

  • We strolled through the lievely, colourful streets and markets of La Paz – at a leisurely pace due to the altitude.
  • We cruised the Titicaca lake and followed the traces of the first Incas on the sun island.
  • We stood in awe in the middle of the Uyuni salt flats, watching the stary night give way to a legendary sunrise.
  • We visited the Bolivian Amazon rainforest, encountered sloths, primates and birds and listened to the wisdom of wonderful people, letting us know their culture.
  • & we finished our trip by volunteering at Senda Verde, taking care of animals as diverse as Andean bears, butterflies, tapirs and various primates.

It was incredibe to show “my Bolivia” to my supporters and friends. Despite altitude sickness, countless mosquito bites and many hours on rocky roads, there was only one conclusion: Bolivia is amazing! & the whole “Team Bolivia” wants to go back one day – but for longer. 😊

Team Bolivia – The travel report

Here it is – the travel report of our very first volunteer trip. Find out more about the places we visited & get lost in the Bolivian feeling by browsing through the photo galleries.

& what’s next?

Once again this trip to Bolivia has strengthened me in my mission: Animalma makes a big difference in small steps. And we continue to do so – currently through the following campaigns:

#SOSSendaVerde – Emergency fund

Help the animal shelter Senda Verde through the afthermath of the Corona crisis.
The emergency fund helps to feed the 1000 wild animals of the refuge and gives them medical care.

Protecting Bolivia’s nature

Whether it is fighting and preventing forest fires, providing direct aid to frontline activists, or donating equipment to rangers in protected areas, we are working to protect Bolivia’s environment.

This vital work finally has its’ proper campaign site too, hopefully reaching even more supporters.

There will be another celebration of Animalma’s 9th anniversary in the autumn. It will most likely take place on the 11th of November – details to follow 😉.

Apart from that, 2023 has been declared a “cleanup year”. Overhauling the website, optimising the newsletter & flyer, creating a meaningful give-away and many more to-do’s and inspirations are waiting to be brought to life and finally get the space they need.

I wish you all a wonderful, relaxing summer and hope to see you all in autumn at the Animalma celebration at the latest. Thank you so much for your loyal support – it means the world to me! <3

Your Sarah
from Animalma

Safety for the rangers of Madidi National Park

Safety for the rangers of Madidi National Park
3 of the 27 rangers, who now have an accident and whole life insurance thanks to our help from Switzerland.

We help the green heroes, the rangers of protected areas in Bolivia – for example with an accident and whole life insurance.

The Madidi National Park in the Bolivian Amazon is the most biodiverse conservation area worldwide.

It is protected by 27 rangers; they are in the crossfire of illegal wildlife trade, exploitation (especially gold and wood) and slash-and-burn for meet and cocaine production.

It is a dangerous, hard job in the middle of nowhere, too often outnumbered.

The Madidi, its’ preservation and thus its’ rangers have become a strong part in our mission since first visiting this natural wonder.

A big donation made possible due to the Animalma anniversary was waiting to be spent meaningfully and sustainably in the beginning of 2023. The rangers lack all kinds of equipment to do their work well prepared and safely. Unfortunately, it does happen that donations in kind disappear without a trace.

This is why we decided to invest in an accident and whole life insurance for the 27 rangers of Madidi National Park. For many of them, it is the very first time to fall back on an insurance, if something happens to them while doing their vital work.

The insurance covers

  • Accidental death USD 10’000.-
  • Permanent partial or full invalidity USD 10’000.-
  • Reimbursement for medications USD 1’000.-

and has cost USD 51.72 per person.

The coverage started on 15th of March 2023 for one year.

We thank all guests from the Animalma anniversary as well as other anonymous donors, who gave us financial aid without a special purpose. You made this help possible.

It is thanks to you, that the rangers and their families can feel saver this year!

Jungle magic

Impressions of our very first trip to Madidi National Park

8 years Animalma

8 years Animalma

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.

Animalma was founded on the 22nd of October 2014 – so high time to finally celebrate our annivesary. A huge part of the Animalma family found their way to the youth club in Effretikon on the 29th of October 2022 for the birthday bash.

We’ve cheered at the bar, tasted delicious Bolivian and international meals, shopped for a good cause at the sales booth and throughout the location one could discover big and small milestones of our associations’ history.

The “party room” was packed when Sarah held her presentation. She took the 50 people – longtime and new donors, friends & family, animal welfare buddies, Bolivians and Swiss all mixed up – on a journey. A very personal journey of all the people, who have been part of her way, who have inspired and strengthened her.
As a highlight, Sarah sang her new song “From the woods” – a call for humanity to protect the forest of this world – for the very first time publicly.

It was an amazing evening filled with inspiring and touching conversations and encounters. And it turned into just another milestone in the history of Animalma. The buffet, bar, sales booth and donation box & online presence all added up to a staggering amount of CHF 3’000.- in donations. They will be used one third each for Senda Verde, nature conservation effort in Bolivia and the growth of Animalma as an association. THANK YOU all so much!

A very special THANKS goes to

  • Ximena for her handicraft efforts and managing the sales booth
  • Andrea, Chanti, Rahel, Je und Mirj for helping with the setup, behind the bar and taking care of the dog
  • Fany and Alba for the Bolivian dishes
  • & of course everyone else cooking and baking in for the buffet

We at Animalma are filled with joy, pride and love looking back to this event and therefore finish this article with a gallery filled with the most beautiful moments of our anniversary.

Animalma anniversary – the gallery

Summer newsletter 2022

Summer newsletter 2022

Making a big difference in small steps – this is Animalma.

Dear Animalma-Family

I am so happy to finally write this newsletter for you. It is full of pictures of my Bolivia trip from February / March and will show you what your help has achieved on site and what we have made possible during this year. We also have a peek what the future holds and I have fantastic news! But let’s take it step by step…

La Senda Verde

Our heart project is now home to 950 animals – every week, new victims of wildlife trafficking arrive at the shelter. Tourism is only recuperating slowly, international visitors and volunteers are still scarce. All the more reason to be happy and proud, that I arrived with CHF 1’000.- in donations to help out our wildlife family and that another CHF 350.- came in during my stay. Vicky’s words “You’ve saved us” symbolize the harsh situation Senda Verde is still facing.

The enclosure for the howler monkeys is finished and the youngsters are enjoying this save space and especially its’ height. The caretakers are also very happy about the easier and safer management.

A huge THANK YOU to all the supporters of both campaigns; the following video is for you:

PS: For once the shelter was busy as a bee hive when I arrived in February. The famous photographer Nick Brandt and his massive crew were at Senda Verde for a whole month. The results are absolutely stunning and the big hope of Vicky and Marcelo to spread their message internationally and receive more support. You can check out his amazing work here.

My first conclusion: Our emergency fund is still vital – we keep on pushing it!

#SOSSendaVerde – Emergency fund

Help the animal shelter Senda Verde through the Corona crisis. The emergency fund helps to feed the over 950 wild animals of the refuge and gives them medical care.

Ranger style

I travelled on to visit the rangers of the Beni nature reserve.

They proudly showed me the petrol they’ve purchased thanks to our turtle adoption program from last year. We enabled them to patrol within their protected area for two whole months.

Adopt a turtle now and support nature conservation in Bolivia.

There was a small donation in my bag pack from another turtle donation, but I was wondering what we could acutally achieve with CHF 40.-… Do you know what? Quiet a lot – like fixing two motorbikes and treat the 7 horses of the camp El Porvenir against parasites and with vitamine B!

Conclusion #2: No donation is too small to spark a miracle!

Before I left, an anonymous birthday donation refilled the petrol reserve of the Beni rangers. There are no words which would truly do justice to describe the greatfulness of the people on-site. All I can say is, that I’m completely enchanted every time I can help directly, specifically and exactly when it is needed.

Thank you for your trust, thank you all for your valuable support!

In love with Madidi

I did it – I’ve realized my dream of going into the Bolivian Amazon! It was magical, adventurous, wild, enchanting… and unsettling.

I was standing under trees that are more than 300 years old – mighty beings full of wisdom, which put us humans back in our place and make our megalomania disappear for a moment. Seeing my first howler monkey in the wild made me tear up; on one hand out of pure happiness and humility. On the other hand because I knew during this whole trip that illegal gold mining further up the river is destroying all the stunning nature around me.

The Madidi National Park is the protected area with the highest biodiversity worldwide and it is getting destructed right now in front of our eyes out of greed for money. This disaster accompanied me during my whole stay in Bolivia and hit me hard. So I posted about it, I wrote to let the grief out, I gave a little interview within my beloved Madidi and I was able to push this topic through my journalist friend Edwin… but I honestly still stand puzzled in front of this massive disaster.


Thanks from the heart to everyone who donated to my guerilla campaign for the Madidi. Part of your help supported people fighting at the forefront, the rest is still waiting to hit the miners where it hurts the most.

I got to know the Madidi rangers during my trip and am pleased that we could bring back light and power to the checkpoint “El Bala”, thanks to another donation. Three new batteries put the existing solar panels back up and running and provide electricity for the rangers, making their vital work a whole lot easier for the next two years. Thank you Fabian!

So what’s the main conclusion of my journey?

Small good deeds can have a massive impact, especially when carried out right on the spot.
As valuable as the monetary worth and their effects is the moral support for the animal rights activists and nature conservationists on the forefront receiving our help.

They are moved profoundly that there are people in faraway Switzerland caring about Bolivia and engaging in their mission. Knowing this gives them willpower, hope and new courage to continue their fight.

What happened since

Even though it was quiet around Animalma on the outside, a lot of stuff has happened since I’m back in Switzerland:

  • We sent another donation through the Emergency fund to Senda Verde and are continuously supporting the primary care of the wildlife shelter.
  • Thanks to the purchase of the firefighting equipment last year, we set the base to connect the company KPN with the Beni rangers. Together they organised a course in preventing & controling forest fires for the park rangers of different protected areas, voluntary firefighters & indigenous communities in June.
  • We’ve received a generous donation and already used part of it for more firefighting equipment for the rangers. The rest of the money is ready immediately, if the situation literally gets heated up and emergency relief to combat wildfires is needed. We are in the middle of the dry season in Bolivia and dry season means slash-and-burn season…

Become part of our story / Forecast

If you have read until this very line (sorry my newsletter always get longer as expected), you are probably feeling a certain fascination for Bolivia and / or Animalma’s work. Become part of our story…

Volunteer trip 2023

What started as a crazy idea back in 2020 and was on hold during Corona now becomes reality! From end of February until mid March I am organising the very first volunteer journey to Bolivia. Get to know Senda Verde, the rangers and the stunning Bolivian nature. Let yourself get charmed, inspired and maybe even healed… 😉

I will be your tourguide and together we are going to travel through my spirit home, help out in different projects and also just enjoy the South American vibe and adventure.
If you want to join, write me an e-mail to info@animalma.org.

It’s Animalma’s birthday

Animalma turns 8 years old in October and I want to use this opportunity to celebrate with all of you and finally bring the Animalma-family together again. Location and program are still wide open, but please already book Saturday 29th of October 2022.

Ideas / Inputs needed

Of course you can actively support me and Animalma from Switzerland aswell. Right now I’m looking for:

  • Someone who loves research and would check a little list of laws so I can import the famous Madidi coffee and wild bee honey from Bolivia.
  • Creative hands crafting goods with donated materials to be sold before Christmas.
  • People who want to support the bday bash (location hint, behind the bar, with food or a stunt for everyone…)
  • Cool ideas for merchandising products. An association-bound donation is waiting for a while now to be put to use for sustainable goodies. Let me know your inputs in the comment section below or via info@animalma.org.

I always appreciate feedback and ideas from the Animalma family on how we can spread our message even further and increase our impact.

Nevertheless, I want to finish this newsletter with the insight sticking with me the most from my last journey:

In small steps we are making a big difference for the animals, people and nature on the ground. Thank you to each and every donor – you make all of this possible!

Your Sarah from Animalma

Light for the Madidi

Light for the Madidi

We help the green heroes, the rangers of the protected areas, in Bolivia – for example with batteries for the solar system of a checkpoint.

The checkpoint “El Bala” is located about one hour upstream in the Madidi National Park. A simple hut serves as both workplace and accommodation for the park rangers. They control the boats going in and out of the nature reserve and guard the national park.

For more than a year, the checkpoint had no electricity because the batteries of the solar system stopped working. As a result, the rangers had no light during their 20-day missions. They used power banks to charge their GPS devices.

Thanks to a donation from a zookeeper-friend and a contribution from Sarah, we were able to fund three batteries and their transport to El Bala. The checkpoint and its rangers now have power for the next two years.

Thank you dear Fabian for your renewed support – it effectuated a small big miracle in Bolivia!

The miracle as a video

The mircale in pictures

The miracle on social media

Bolivia 2021 in pictures

Bolivia 2021 in pictures

Senda Verde

The green mountains of the Yungas region – down in the valley lays the refuge.
The bridge leads into the shelter…
Capi das Capybara
Silala, a heavily traumatised spider monkey, who could not have been integrated into the existing monkey troop so far.
View towards the capuchin area…
Without Carla, “Project Dron”…
Senda Verde from above
Cubai
Scared by wildlife trafficking…
…but at least with a partner.
Carla: veterinary, animal activist and wonderful friend.
…would not have been finished so quickly and nicely!

The Emergency fund…

…is filling the food prep room…
…and feeds the animals of Senda Verde.

The Emergency fund was triggered by policital tensions in 2019 and just kept going feeding the 900+ animals of Senda Verde during the Corona crisis.

Animalma keeps fundraising for food supplies until tourism in Bolivia is back to normal.

Help the Emergy fund here

The how of help from the howlers…

…has been heard – the construction of the nursery cage is ongoing. The cage itself is finished, but the interior still needs to be financed.

The framework is finished – thanks to the donations of Animalma and the Senda Verde community. Amazing!
The young howlers are waiting (more or less) patiently in their temporary enclosure for their new home to be finished.

Howl of help from the Howlers

Mission Matafuego

Let the adventure begin…
The local press was present for the handover of the firefighting materials.
On the way to “Los Petos”
The artificial beach, where hundreds of turtle eggs could safely hatch.
On patrol with the rangers

On the river Maniqui – an unforgettable moment

Turtle Adoption programm

Mission Matafuego: Fire extinguishing and protection material for park rangers

Mission Matafuego: Fire extinguishing and protection material for park rangers

We help the green heroes, the rangers of the protected areas, in Bolivia – for example with fire fighting materials.

What started with a spontaneous call for donations for firefighting causes just before a trip to Bolivia in 2021, triggered the initial spark for our conservation efforts and established the contact to the rangers of the protected areas, which is so valuable for us.

Thanks to a large donation, we were able to buy three firefighting backpacks, four breathing masks and two fire extinguishers worth CHF 1’850.- and hand them over to the protected area “Reserva de la Biosfera Estación Biologica del Beni”.

These materials are very expensive, but the quality ultimately determines the effectiveness and safety during the operation and also the sustainability of the purchases.

The rangers are the people who know their protected area best and go out in case of fire; unfortunately often without the necessary protective equipment and extinguishing materials to effectively fight the fires and protect themselves in the process.

Therefore, we are especially happy about this first great success of the “Mission Matafuego” and thank from the bottom of our hearts…

……our longtime major donor, who makes such miracles possible again & again

& the company KPN for the materials including a conservation discount as well as

Benjamin Altofer & Marcos Uzquiano for the expert advice.

Our visit to the rangers as gallery

We are happy to share a few impressions of the Beni protected area and of the ceremonial handover of the donations below.

News

News

Photo by Kristi Odom

All Animalma news about our animal welfare activities fly in here…

Animalma-News

All newsletters, travel reports and association work

Team Bolivia 2023 – The travel report

The beauty of travelling is, that you never come back the same as you left. What once started off as a crazy idea and was harshly put to a halt...

Read more

Newsletter 2023

Making a big difference in small steps – this is Animalma. Also in 2023. Dear Animalma family It has been quiet here in the news section for a while, although...

Read more

8 years Animalma

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. Animalma was founded on the 22nd of October 2014 – so high time to finally celebrate...

Read more

Summer newsletter 2022

Making a big difference in small steps – this is Animalma. Dear Animalma-Family I am so happy to finally write this newsletter for you. It is full of pictures of...

Read more

Current campaigns

Updates from on-going projects – currently #SOSSendaVerde & Nature conservation in Bolivia

News “Fighting wildfires with knowledge”

“What counts most in life are the helpers – and the helpers of the helpers”. Project goal In April and May 2025, Animalma is organising three two-day forest firefighting training...

Read more

Update birthday campaign 2024

Small things are responsible for big changes. – Paulo Coelho So many gifts in the form of a donation were received for Sarah’s birthday in March 2024, so that we...

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Insurance for the rangers of Madidi National Park 2024

We help the rangers of Madidi National Park for the second time with an accident and whole life insurance. The Madidi National Park in the Bolivian Amazon is the most...

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Sarah’s birthday campaign 2024

After “to love”, “to help” is the most beautiful verb in the world. Like every year… Sarah is sponsoring her birthday to do something good – in Bolivia of course...

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Little animal welfarists going big

Even freezing winter temperatures of 0 degrees did not stop the little acitivists with their sales booth “I learned that you are never too small to make a difference.” Greta...

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Safety for the rangers of Madidi National Park

We help the green heroes, the rangers of protected areas in Bolivia – for example with an accident and whole life insurance. The Madidi National Park in the Bolivian Amazon...

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Light for the Madidi

We help the green heroes, the rangers of the protected areas, in Bolivia – for example with batteries for the solar system of a checkpoint. The checkpoint “El Bala” is...

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Mission Matafuego: Fire extinguishing and protection material for park rangers

We help the green heroes, the rangers of the protected areas, in Bolivia – for example with fire fighting materials. What started with a spontaneous call for donations for firefighting...

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