Ecoparque currently works with the following species as conservation targets:
Argentine Boa (Boa constrictor occidentalis);
Chaco tortoise (Chelonoidis chilensis);
Red-footed tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonarius);
Chaco Side-necked Turtle (Acanthochelys pallidipectoris);
Black Spiny-necked Swamp Turtle (Acanthochelys spixii);
Mud Turtle (Kinosternon scorpioides).
This Program it seeks to:
Position and promote Ecoparque as a reference center for the reception, quarantine, rehabilitation, reproduction and release of the species object of conservation.
Develop ex situ reproductive plans for the species object of conservation, under conditions that prioritize animal welfare, in order to contribute individuals to reintroduction plans in the natural environments of the Chaco region.
Position and promote Ecoparque as a reference center in terms of conservation, promoting environmental educative actions where content related to biodiversity and the socio-environmental situation of the Chaco region are developed.
Manage the production of posters, didactic material and other educational tools to spread information about the problems affecting the species object of conservation.
Generate capacities and guidelines for field research on different aspects of the natural history of the species objects of conservation.
Obtain field information on the ecology, genetics and behavior of the species that are the object of this program, to contribute to the knowledge of their natural history and lay the foundations for the design of future conservation strategies.
In relation to science and research, the following actions have been carried out:
Sampling for genetic analysis, with the consequent development of the "Protocol for the collection of genetic samples of herpetofauna", all of them obtained from individuals under human care from different institutions in the country.
Biometric data collection of all sampled individuals.
Publications on herpetology in international conferences and journals.
Participation in the Workshop "Research and conservation of land and freshwater turtles of the southern cone" in the XIX Argentine Congress of Herpetology held in La Plata in 2018.
Coordination of the Round Table: "Ex situ breeding for Conservation" in the XX Argentine Congress of Herpetology that took place in San Juan in 2019.
Planning and management with provincial and national organizations of field survey campaigns and genetic sampling.
Regarding ex situ conservation, the following actions have been carried out:
Chelonoidis carbonarius, Kinosternon scorpioides and Acanthochelys spixii Breeding Protocols were prepared.
One individual of Acanthochelys spixii and one of Kinosternon scorpioides were incorporated into the faunal population of Ecoparque, both from the Aguará Conservation Center located in the province of Corrientes.
Likewise, eggs belonging to the species Chelonoidis carbonarius, Acanthochelys spixii and Kinosternon scorpioides are being artificially incubated.
Work is being done to transfer to Ecoparque specimens of Chelonoidis carbonarius from Paraguay in order to form reproductive pairs to specify reintroduction plans in the sites that require it.