Quechua women transform ancient conflict with pumas into revolutionary conservation model in peru’s andes

High in Peru’s Ayacucho region, Indigenous Quechua women are rewriting centuries of human-wildlife conflict, turning their fear of mountain cats into a groundbreaking conservation success story. A new documentary, “Women Secure a Future with Pumas in the Andes,” chronicles this remarkable transformation in the remote community of Ccarhuacc Licapa.

For generations, families here killed pumas, pampas cats, and the endangered Andean cat in retaliation for attacks on their alpaca herds—the community’s economic lifeline. The cycle of fear and revenge hunting seemed unbreakable until shepherd Ida Auris Arango, despite her own traumatic puma encounter, joined forces with biologist Merinia Mendoza Almeida to launch an innovative approach.

Together, they founded Mujeres Quechua por la Conservación (Quechua Women for Conservation), training dozens of local women to use camera traps to document the area’s elusive wildcats. This hands-on research fundamentally shifted community perspectives, helping families—especially mothers and children—see these predators not as enemies but as vital members of their shared ecosystem.

The women’s work represents more than conservation; it’s a powerful blend of cultural revival and environmental stewardship that’s transforming daily life in the high Andes. By placing Indigenous women at the center of wildlife protection efforts, this community has created a replicable model that honors traditional knowledge while embracing modern conservation science. Their success offers hope for resolving human-wildlife conflicts across Latin America’s mountain regions, proving that coexistence is possible when communities lead the change.