Wild Animals Do Not Want to Be Pets: Environmental Education to Reduce Traffic and Possession of Wild Animals as Pets in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Phase II
The aim of the project is to promote the knowledge and conservation of wildlife in the people of Santa Cruz, through an educational circuit “itinerant fair for the wildlife conservation” in parks, zoos and museums.
It is pretended to generate an attitude change in the population of Santa Cruz, developing a sense of belonging and proud for the natural patrimony of the department, educating the people (children, youth and adults) in a fun and simple way about the importance of biodiversity. This will be accomplished informing about the problems around the illegal traffic and the use of wild animals as pets, bringing the necessary elements preventing the citizen to become “an involuntary accomplice of the illegal traffic”, generating sensibility and education in the public scenarios through the “itinerant fair for the wildlife conservation”, that will be developed in a creative and playful way the proposed theme. Also it is pretended to increase the institutional cooperation between different entities related to the wildlife theme: Natural History Museum, Municipal Zoo of Santa Cruz, Noel Kempff Mercado Foundation, the biology career of the Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno (public university), with teachers and students from the departments of zoology and environmental education, strengthening educational initiatives in public spaces.
Finally educational material about the theme will be made (Games for the children, colouring papers, thematic brochures, etc). The problematic will also be treated in the media (Press, TV, and Radio) in order to generate public opinion about the illegal traffic and use of wild animals as pets, as well promoting all activities associated with the project.