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Amazon Rangers Battle Cartels for Rainforest
31 Oct
Summary
- Rangers safeguard nearly 160,000 acres of rainforest.
- Organization combats illegal logging, drug trafficking, and gold mining.
- Local communities and Indigenous peoples are integral to conservation.
Paul Rosolie, an American conservationist, has dedicated two decades to protecting the Peruvian Amazon. Alongside Indigenous conservationist Juan Julio Durand and local communities, he co-founded Junglekeepers. This nonprofit focuses on safeguarding the Las Piedras watershed in Peru's Madre de Dios region.
As of October 31, 2026, Junglekeepers reports that its rangers protect almost 160,000 acres of rainforest. The organization's strategy involves land acquisition, employing local people as rangers for forest monitoring, and responding to threats like illegal logging, poaching, and gold mining.
Despite conservation successes, the Las Piedras region faces escalating dangers. Rosolie highlighted in a February 2026 interview that confronting organized criminal groups, including drug traffickers, requires collaboration with Peruvian law enforcement. Junglekeepers' End Game campaign in January 2026 aimed to secure an additional 50,000 acres under threat from escalating violence.
The work of Junglekeepers is crucial for the region's Indigenous communities, including the Mashco Piro people living in voluntary isolation. Protecting the forest preserves their territory and natural resources, while buffer zones help shield them from disease and disruption. Funding, such as a $3.5 million commitment from Age of Union Alliance, is essential for maintaining ranger operations and expanding protected areas.
Junglekeepers aims to protect approximately 300,000 acres across the Las Piedras corridor. This ambitious goal requires sustained funding, community cooperation, and effective responses to ongoing illegal activities to preserve the area's exceptional biodiversity.
