Mexico, our southern neighbor, possesses the confluence of species from two biogeographic regions – the Neotropical of Central and South America and the Nearctic of North America. Because of its diverse abundance of flora and fauna, Mexico has been designated as “mega diverse” – included in the group of countries that are home to the majority of species on Earth. Also important is the ancestral knowledge of the species and their environment by the Mexicas and Mayas – the reason the DWA selected its expansion in 2004 to be the Mundo Maya exhibit.
Since 2002, the DWA has been interested in the conservation of species of Mexico, such as the Resplendent quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno). For this reason, the DWA has assisted the Miguel Alvarez del Toro Zoo in Chiapas state with equipment to help with the successful captive breeding of the species. The DWA has also been involved with the conservation of the quetzal habitat which is shared with another unique species – the Horned guan (Oreophasis derbianus). Since 2007, El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve from Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas (CONANP) has been supported with equipment and economical resources to develop an educational campaign for the local villagers living in the Reserve, improvements for the Park Rangers that patrol the area and a study of quetzals as seed dispersers.
A series of projects was started in 2005 with the breeding center “Vida Silvestre Jesús Estudillo López” and its public area “El Nido” for the in situ conservation of endangered birds of Mexico, including the Resplendent quetzal, Horned guan and Harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja).
