Andres Laguna

Andres Laguna is a director of research into the Andean bear Conservation Project north of Ecuador. He has worked since 2009 studying human-bear conflict in the area and is now implementing a longterm study of the Andean bear and its ecosystems. Andres collaborated in the development of Ecuador's National Strategy for the Conservation of the Andean Bear. Andres has participated in a documentary for French-German TV ARTE, and another for South Korean KBS television. His work has also been featured in the Smithsonian Magazine's article "What should be done with Yachak, the cattle-killing bear of the Andes?" Although the article introduces the somewhat irrelevant opinions of a foreign researcher about a different bear species, in a different habitat, with different cattle-management techniques in a different situation, the article does highlight the difficulty and importance of Andres' work, and the diplomatic tightrope he has to walk to reconcile the needs of Andean bears and local communities. Andres started his career with the Ecuadorian Museum of Natural History in 2006, with the Mastozoology Division (study of mammals) where he worked and wrote his thesis on primates. He has published at a local level about other mammal groups, for example bats. Some of his studies on mammals have been used to justify the declaration of new protected areas in the north of Ecuador. Andres Laguna has led various workshops about methods of studying mammals and management of reserves. In the last few years he has focused his efforts on leading talks encouraging the conservation of the Andean bear in various universities, government institutions, and rural and urban NGOs in Ecuador. His objective is to introduce more people to more knowledge about the experiences, myths and truths of conserving this endangered species vulnerable to extinction. Andres has participated in over 20 research projects around Ecuador, and published more than 15 scientific articles. Some of the early studies carried out by Andres Laguna focused on finding more scientific bases to strengthen the conservation criteria for the important biological role played by the Andean bear in the development and stability of ecosystems in the cordillera of the Andes. Two examples: 1) Pattern and frequency of consumption of Puya clavata-herculis (BROMELIACEAE) and Espeletia pycnophyla (ASTERACEAE) by Tremarctos ornatus (URSIDAE) in 2 habitat types, Andean Rim (a type of subalpine cloud forest at the transition between high montane forest and páramo) and Frailejon Páramo, Guandera Reserve, Carchi, Ecuador. 2) Diversity and frequency of consumption of plant species by the Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus) in the Pululahua Geobotanic Reserve, Pichincha, Ecuador. Currently Andres is researching human-bear conflict due to cattle depredation, a serious and growing problem. Andres is consulted by Ecuador's Ministry of the Environment on this topic and also maintains a national database of information about bear attacks on cattle. His years of work in this area have allowed him to provide valuable information about predatory behavior of the Andean bear in the north of Ecuador. Most of his work is in Spanish but his recent works in English include: * Suggestions for Mitigating Cattle Depredation and Resulting Human-Bear Conflicts in Ecuador, International Bear News IBA, pags. 16-18, August 2011 Andres directs our rural environmental education program, which is focused on raising the awareness of both children and adults in communities which are suffering from conflict with Andean bears. Andres thinks that "It's not possible to carry out studies and find solutions to this kind of human-bear conflict without suitable training for rural communities, because those same studies, and the future of the species, depend on this factor". Andres is also part of the Tapir Specialist Group. Andres Laguna is researching the interactions of the mountain tapir (Tapirus pinchaque) with Andean bears in the north of Ecuador.