Slow but sure assimilation to culture and ecotourism of reintroduced scarlet macaws in Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico

ABSTRACT

After five years of the scarlet macaw's return to the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve, México, and intense awareness campaigns with the local population, the scarlet macaw is recognized as an incentive for ecotourism activities in the region. Tourism service providers, especially those that assist tourists as guides, and less those who provide services in the nearest city, are aware of the reintroduction efforts. All agree that the scarlet macaw presence can be a trigger for this economic activity in the near future. There are also signs of recovery of the species in the cultural symbolism of Veracruz.

KEYWORDS:

• Biodiversity conservation
• parrots
• Psittacidae
• rainforests
• Neotropics

ORCID

Patricia Escalante-Pliego http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5531-263X

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [grant number F16AP00235, F17AP00515].