Machu Picchu’s Master Plan In Action For Bears

Ancient Incan ruins nestled among steep mountains and lush forests at the intersection of the Andes mountains and the Amazon basin.  

This is what makes the Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary a cherished national protected area and UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also a destination for millions of tourists every year.  

But another urgent story is unfolding. Machu Picchu’s cultural marvels and pristine ecosystems are under pressure from tourism, wildfires, and habitat degradation, with wildlife caught in the balance.

This reality was the driving force behind Machu Picchu’s 5-year Master Plan recently approved by SERNANP, Peru’s protected area authority.

SBC is proud to be working alongside SERNANP to put the plan into action for spectacled bears.

Bear conservation and Machu Picchu’s Future

The Master Plan recognizes spectacled bears as a species of significance, making bear protection one of ten key objectives for securing Machu Picchu’s future.

To turn this objective into action, SBC is collaborating with SERNANP to collect the scientific data urgently needed to advance the Plan’s strategies. These include:

• Generating a baseline assessment of bear health and ecology and measuring population density as a progress indicator
• Raising awareness and providing environmental education showing bears as a conservation priority, and 
• Improving the design of monitoring actions for bears.

Putting the Plan into Action

The Master Plan is a guide for government, communities and local stakeholders to protect Machu Picchu’s future.

Importantly, it sets out shared actions that integrate conservation, cultural protection, human wellbeing and sustainable tourism.

Your support of SBC contributes to this legacy by strengthening protections for bears that make a lasting impact for Machu Picchu’s wildlife and biodiversity.