Founded 2003 (2003) Area served Bolivia | Location Coroico, Bolivia Services Wildlife refuge | |
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Founder Vicky Ossio
Marcelo Levy Type Non-governmental organization | ||
La Senda Verde is a non-government organization dedicated to environmental education and the care of sick, mistreated and abandoned wildlife. It is a privately run animal refuge in the Yungas area of Bolivia. The organization is co-founded by Vicky Ossio and Marcelo Levy in 2003.
Contents
Yungas Road
Yungas Road leads to the La Senda Verde animal refuge. It is a popular tourist destination starting in the 1990s, drawing approximately 25,000 thrillseekers. This is one of the few routes that connects the Amazon rainforest region of northern Bolivia, or Yungas, to its capital city. Upon leaving La Paz, the road first ascends to around 4,650 metres (15,260 ft) at La Cumbre Pass, before descending to 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) at the town of Coroico, transiting quickly from cool Altiplano terrain to rainforest as it winds through very steep hillsides and atop cliffs.
Legal restrictions
Laws in Bolivia strictly forbid the return of certain endangered animals back into the wild. However, the same law does not prevent animals living in semi-captivity, where the animals fulfil a pedagogic role as the refuge regularly hosts both school and university groups.
Mining issues
In 2010, Corporación Minera de Bolivia began works on a gold mine in a riverbed of Coroico River. In January 2010, the movement of the river channel caused by backhoes machines flooded some parts of La Senda Verde. In the aftermath, Vicky Ossio, owner of Senda Verde, stated that the damage to the animal shelter has been tremendous.