First wild jaguars in over 70 years born in Argentina National Park. When Kristine Tompkins and her late husband Douglas Tompkins left successful careers in international business for the extraordinary wilderness of southern Chile, they began a trail-blazing conservation journey that has protected nearly 6 million hectares across Chile and neighbouring Argentina.

The Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative is supporting their legacy of ecosystem restoration through their offspring organizations Rewilding Chile and Rewilding Argentina, as they regenerate ecological communities that can continue in perpetuity.

RESTORING HOPE
Team members from Rewilding Argentina gather eagerly around a computer, watching a jaguar carry its cub across the screen. Caught on one of the camera traps placed around Iberá National Park, it represents a moment of accomplishment in a long and challenging quest to bring back jaguars since they became extinct in the area over 70 years ago.

When the Tompkins first purchased land in Iberá, one of the world’s largest freshwater wetlands, they recognized that they needed to go beyond preserving what remained, to the reintroduction of native species. Decades of cattle ranching and overexploitation had severely degraded the wetlands and many native plant and animal species were driven to extinction. Ranchers saw jaguars as a threat to their livestock.

“LANDSCAPE WITHOUT WILDLIFE IS JUST SCENERY. [WE AREN’T IN THE SCENERY BUSINESS, WE’RE] IN THE BUSINESS OF CREATING FULLY FUNCTIONING ECOSYSTEMS.” 
Kristine Tompkins, Co-Founder and President of Tompkins Conservation

To rebuild most efficiently, key species are brought back that naturally regulate the environment and encourage the return of other wildlife. Top predators like jaguars have a cascading effect that brings balance to the local ecology. After years of work there are now at least 12 jaguars that are completely wild, and the Rewilding Argentina team now expect a baby boom. But the team still recall how momentous the first release was; a world-first. 

“IT WAS THE FIRST TIME ANYONE HAD SUCCESSFULLY REINTRODUCED JAGUARS. NOW, THE PEOPLE SURROUNDING IBERÁ CALL IT ‘THE PROVINCE OF THE JAGUAR.’ IT’S A SOURCE OF PRIDE.” 
Sofía Heinonen, Executive Director, Rewilding Argentina

The team at Rewilding Argentina are working with several other species. Giant anteaters were brought back, that, like the jaguar, had become extinct in the Iberá wetlands. As their numbers rose to the hundreds, they kept the countless ant species in check and helped the grasslands and forests to recover. Then came pampas deer, macaws, and soon ocelots and giant otters, all of which play a critical role in re-establishing Iberá’s ecosystem, from acting as landscape engineers to spreading seeds. The team hopes that all of these key species will reach self-sustaining populations and continue to do their vital work for hundreds, if not thousands, of years to come.

INVESTING IN THE FUTURE 
There is a similar picture in Patagonia National Park in Chile. What is now a rugged and robust environment was home to extensive livestock farming that had left the land heavily degraded before it was purchased by the Tompkins and turned into a National Park. The team removed hundreds of kilometres of fencing, which broke up the land into sections and prevented animals like guanacos from moving freely. As the guanaco recovered its range it bolstered populations of its predators, including pumas. Opening the landscape has also allowed Rewilding Chile to manage the recovery of small, isolated populations of species like the ñandú, or Rhea, a flightless bird that resembles an emu and spreads seeds across the landscape; and the national symbol of Chile - the huemul, or south Andean deer.

“ROLEX IS PLAYING A PIVOTAL ROLE IN SUPPORTING OUR REWILDING EFFORTS HERE IN PATAGONIA NATIONAL PARK. WHAT WE’RE DOING HERE ACTS AS A MODEL, NOT ONLY HERE IN CHILE, BUT AROUND THE GLOBE.” 
Cristián Saucedo, Wildlife Director for Rewilding Chile

The population of huemul has gradually increased, bringing a new vitality and struc¬ture to the forests they inhabit. It’s something Daniel Velásquez has seen change over the last two decades. Velásquez initially farmed sheep and cattle in the area, but the arrival of the deer allowed him to begin working as a specialized huemul ran¬ger. This ability to transition into a sustainable economy is essential to the long-term success of these projects, a goal aligned with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative.

“I HAVE WORKED IN THE CORPORATE WORLD FOR 50 YEARS SO I UNDERSTAND THE POWER THAT COMPANIES HAVE. THE MORE I [LEARN ABOUT ROLEX, THE HAPPIER I AM THAT REWILDING CHILE AND REWILDING ARGENTINA ARE PARTNERING WITH THEM TO AFFECT CHANGE AROUND OUR SHARED VALUES.” 
Kristine Tompkins, Co-Founder and President of Tompkins Conservation