Paraguay Conservation Action Partnership

CAP Paraguay Agreements Since its 1994 inception Republic of Paraguay Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Municipality of Asunción, Paraguay Itaipu Binacional, Paraguay - to be signed Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2007 Fundación Para Desarollo Sustentable del Chaco Sud Americano in collaborative interaction with Nature Conservancy International Guyra - an organization dedicated to bird conservation Fundación Moises Bertoni para la Conservación de la Naturaleza Municipality of Sáenz Peña, in the Argentinian Chaco Vesty Pakos Zoo, La Paz, Bolivia

Conservation Action Partnerships (CAPs), are special committees designed to coordinate conservation and scientific activities of Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) institutions working in specific geographic regions around the world.

CAP Paraguay is one of four CAPs established under the guidance of AZA and is headquartered at Sunset Zoo. The zoo's Director of Conservation and Research, Bob Klemm, Ph.D., serves as co-chair alongside Mike Quick, Curator of Mammals at Sedgwick County Zoo. The long term goal of CAP Paraguay is to:

• Work with Paraguayan agencies to develop and maintain a national Wildlife Conservation Plan and
• To assist Zoos in Paraguay to meet high standards of animal care and exhibitry.

Since its inception in 1994, CAP Paraguay has developed affiliations with governmental and non-governmental groups in Latin America. These groups facilitate the development and implementations of conservation / research activities in Paraguay in collaboration with AZA member Zoos.

Paraguayan Amphibian Crisis
In mid 2007, CAP Paraguay, in association with Kansas zoos, university faculties, Paraguayan biologists and Itaipu Binacional Paraguay, began development on a conservation project for Paraguayan amphibians. The project is in conjunction with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Amphibian Crisis program and tentative discussions are to establish the project as part of the Ju'i Rupa Biopark being constructed in Paraguay. The goal of the committee is to develop breeding and holding facilities for selected amphibians in light of the chytrid fungal disease, a skin disease, currently threatening amphibians worldwide.

To learn more about the Itaipu Binacional Paraguay or the Ju'i Rupa Biopark please visit the Paraguayan Zoo Projects.

The Paraguay Educators Program is part of CAP Paraguay which initiated, sponsored and has funded it since it's inception and is supervised by the AZA's two co-liaison educators to CAP Paraguay.