Endangered species in Guatemala

From the cloud-capped peaks of volcanoes to the jungle-fringed tropical beaches, Guatemala hosts a bountiful array of untamed wilderness, thriving with impressive wildlife. Caught between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, this Central American nation has a hugely varied landscape and is one of the most biodiverse places on Earth.

However, despite its rich range of habitats, Guatemala is home to some of the most endangered species on the planet, facing large conservation challenges as climate change intensifies.

Guatemala’s untamed wilderness

Despite its small size, Guatemala has no shortage of natural wonders - the country is brimming with wild places, packed with plunging blue waterfalls, luscious jungles, vast sandy beaches and active volcanoes which spurt lava into the purple night sky. The coastlines are fringed with coral reefs and seagrass meadows, and the steamy forests are dense with tropical flowers, fruits, and an abundance of wildlife.

One of the main reasons Guatemala boasts such an abundance of natural beauty is due to the country’s large focus on nature preservation - 30% of the land is protected, under national parks, natural monuments, wildlife refuges and biosphere reserves, all of which contribute to the safe-harbouring of native species. But like all places on Earth, the breath-taking wildlife found within Guatemala’s borders is not safe from threat; climate change, habitat loss and human disturbance are putting pressure on species, causing widespread declines and calling for increased conservation efforts to preserve the wilderness that remains.

Endangered species in Guatemala

Despite the vast amount of rich and biodiverse wilderness carpeting the Guatemalan land and coasts, many of the country’s native species are at risk of decline and extinction. From the towering peaks of volcanic mountains to the sunset-orange shorelines, no ecosystem in Guatemala is exempt from the pressures of anthropogenic actions. Climate change, pollution, urbanisation and resource exploitation threaten plants and animals from all walks of life - including some of the most iconic species we know - the loss of which could destabilise food chains and have a ripple effect across entire ecosystems.

#1 The jaguar

In the steaming, shady depths of the Guatemalan jungle, a streak of gold may be glimpsed between the tree trunks. Slinking through the undergrowth in graceful silence, leaving only footprints in its wake, the jaguar is a powerful predator that roams the forests by night. Once abundant throughout the cloud forests, habitat destruction, poaching, and human disturbance has reduced the population of jaguars to only a fraction of its former size.

Around 600 individuals are thought to remain in the country now, with the largest remaining stronghold found in the Maya Biosphere Reserve. The jaguar is the largest species of big cat native to the Americas, once covering a habitat range right across South and Central America and into the Southern USA. Now, only fragmented populations remain, and the species is listed as endangered in many countries including Guatemala.

#2 The Antillean manatee

Beyond the emerald hillsides and forested slopes, Guatemala’s rainforest opens out onto warm sandy beaches and indigo ocean. Here, the Antillean manatee grazes on seagrass and algae in the shallow coastal waters, estuaries, mangrove swamps and lagoons, living a slow and peaceful life.

The Antillean manatee population in Guatemala’s waters is threatened by marine pollution, coastal development, overhunting and habitat destruction, all of which are contributing to the loss of this species and its status on the endangered list. Due to their long reproductive cycles and slow growth, manatee populations are very sensitive to exploitation, taking a long time to recover.

#3 The Nassau grouper

A little deeper, cruising over the vibrant coral reefs of the Caribbean coast, a rare but important species of fish can be found: the Nassau grouper. Growing up to 1.2 metres in length and reaching a mass of almost 25kg, these fish are a highly valuable part of the marine ecosystem, and also a prized catch in local fisheries.

These enormous fish are most often found around rocky reefs near caves and crevices, where they hide in wait, ready to ambush passing prey. Like the manatee, Nassau groupers are threatened by the pressures of overfishing, marine pollution and coastal development, and are a particularly targeted by fisheries due to their large size and economic value.

#4 The quetzal bird

In the mystical cloud forests of the highlands, where tropical fruits and flowers grow amongst the mist-shrouded canopy, the rare quetzal bird can be found. Once a common inhabitant of these forests, quetzals are now highly endangered, due to habitat loss through deforestation.

With iridescent green feathers and ruby plumage, these remarkable birds are a striking sight and a prized species for birdwatchers, however the chance of seeing one is continuing to decrease as the population declines. The birds naturally feed on wild berries, nuts and avocadoes, helping to spread plant seeds around the forest - but as forest habitats become more fragmented with logging and clearing for agriculture, the quetzal and its range are threatened with an uncertain future.

Challenges to conservation

One of the main challenges facing conservation of Guatemala’s biodiversity is the loss of vital habitat. Deforestation is the driving cause of this, for both commercial logging and clearing of forests for the expansion of agricultural land. Due to the vast number of species supported by forest ecosystems, deforestation affects thousands of species and additionally pollutes the land and atmosphere with noise, disturbance and greenhouse gases. Patchy loss of forest is leading to fragmentation of the country’s rainforest habitat, which has a particularly damaging effect on larger animals such as jaguars.

These animals require expansive, unbroken habitat zones to support enough prey and to enable them to maintain a defined territory - where the forest has been broken up by roads, farmland and clear-felling, territories become difficult to defend and prey numbers may reduce below the numbers needed for the jaguar’s survival. Another major hurdle is poaching. The wildlife trade is a highly profitable market, with animal parts and whole live animals sold for high values, driven by demand for exotic pets, traditional medicine, and the fashion industry. Each of these facets specifically target rare species which are already low in number, further threatening their existence.

Exotic birds such as quetzals and scarlet macaws are commonly sold as pets to other nations, whilst parts of jaguars, sea turtles and snakes are sourced for use in fashion. A number of mammal species such as monkeys and deer are also subjected to poaching for bushmeat, sold at illegal markets and used in unregulated food preparation. Many reptiles, amphibians and insects are sought after for traditional medicinal uses, which are not supported by science and also play a role in the species’ decline.

The biggest and most difficult issue facing biodiversity conservation in Guatemala is a shared problem across the globe: climate change. As the climate warms and weather patterns become increasingly unpredictable, natural processes are being altered and species are having to adapt at unusually rapid rates to keep up. Without urgent mitigation, changes in species distributions, habitat stability and ecological processes may cause extinction of hundreds more species and the subsequent collapse of many ecosystems.

Hope for conservation

To prevent extinction of Guatemala’s unique wildlife and loss of its untamed wilderness, conservation initiatives have been implemented across the country aiming to preserve and protect biodiversity. The government have established a National Council of Protected Areas to manage the dedication, monitoring and management of conservation areas, promoting increased enhancement of biodiversity. Laws and enforcements have also been implemented to prevent the trade and trafficking of wild animals, and public awareness campaigns are helping to educate the public on the importance of protecting the country’s natural wonders.

Community-based conservation projects are also working to involve local people, indigenous communities, businesses, landowners and stakeholders to reach conservation agreements from a balanced, multi-sectorial approach. This forms more stable nature-protection methods for the long-term, and helps strengthen communication and positive relationships between opposing viewpoints. Many of these projects involve habitat restoration, especially reforestation of the rainforest which supports a huge proportion of Guatemala’s wildlife, ecosystem processes, and resilience to climate change.

Through collaboration, national agreements, education and community action, Guatemala is working to face these major challenges to conservation in aid of preserving and restoring its natural places, wildlife, and people’s relationship with nature. With a multifaceted and holistic approach, positive change can be made, and biodiversity can flourish in synchrony with humans.