Red River Foods has partnered with Junglekeepers, a Peruvian NGO, to help protect wildlife habitats, including those that are home to many endangered and threatened species like the Agouti. These small rodents, similar in appearance to Guinea pigs, are native to South America and are important members of the ecosystem because they are the only mammals in the rainforest that can open the husk of a Brazil nut.
Red River Foods supports the Junglekeepers work to conserve nearly 30,000 acres of the Madre de Dios region of the Peruvian Amazon. Through our partnership, we help to employ and train local and indigenous community members to act as Forest Rangers and protect their native land. These Rangers monitor conservation concessions, maintain trails and report any illegal logging or mining on the land. Rangers also track wildlife to contribute to broader scientific datasets in the region. For local Peruvians, the Ranger Program is a critical source of employment in an area where jobs can be scarce and provides a source of income as they act as stewards of their land.
As we continue to scale the program, Red River Foods is working with Junglekeepers to propagate native populations like Brazil nuts that have suffered from deforestation.
