Credits: AKAE Conservación
Akae Conservancy is Colombia’s largest private protected area, safeguarding 20,000 hectares of rewilded grasslands, wetlands, forests, and savannas in the Orinoquía region. Formerly cattle ranchland, Akae was transformed by a family-led decision to protect nature, highlighting the growing role of private and family stewardship in global rewilding efforts. The reserve protects 210 km of rivers and wetlands that contribute to 30% of Colombia’s freshwater and hosts exceptional biodiversity, including Jaguars, Pumas, Ocelots, Giant Anteaters, and over 250 bird species. Working with national parks, scientists, and other partners, Akae combines rigorous biodiversity research, community collaboration, and long-term protection to create a lasting legacy for people, wildlife, and ecosystems in Colombia.
In the sweeping grasslands and wetlands of Colombia’s Orinoquía, a story of transformation is unfolding. What was once a cattle ranch is today 20,000 hectares of protected and increasingly wild ecosystems, a landscape now known as Akae Conservancy, our newest Alliance Partner.
The land has been in the same family since 1995, stewarded first by parents who, even in the ranching years, refused to kill predators that took their cattle. In 2019, three siblings – Camila, José and Martin – inherited the land. By 2020, when a large-scale development project threatened to slice through it with a road, they made a pivotal choice: to protect, not exploit. As Camila puts it, “Akae is priceless – you cannot put a price on it.”
Akae’s story matters far beyond the Orinoquía. Around the world, rewilding often begins with families who make the pivotal choice about the future of their land. These family-led efforts are a growing and powerful part of the rewilding movement, rooted in love, heritage and a willingness to resist short term pressures in favour of long term renewal. Family stewardship offers something rare, the ability to protect the land through generations regardless of shifting politics or funding streams.
Tayra (Eira barbara), an omnivorous animal from the mustelid family. Credit: Wilmer Ramirez – Asociación Calidris
From Ranchland to Refuge
Led by Camila, Martin and José, the team has turned vision into action. Starting from the humility of “we ourselves are not scientists,” they reached out to professionals, institutions, and communities, determined to do things right.
In 2021, they invited 18 scientists to assess the land. The conclusion was unanimous: Akae’s biodiversity and freshwater systems are of irreplaceable value. With 210 kilometers of rivers and streams and vast wetlands that connect two major river systems, the reserve is part of the lifeblood of a region that produces 30% of Colombia’s freshwater.
By 2023, their commitment was formally recognized: Akae became the largest private protected area in Colombia, in partnership with Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia. That same year, efforts were initiated to obtain recognition as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (AICA/KBA), in collaboration with Asociación Calidris.
Credits: AKAE Conservación
A Thriving Mosaic
Today, Akae is home to 37 ecosystems: forests, marshes, savannas, and wetlands where biodiversity thrives. Recent monitoring has recorded 234 species of plants, 76 fish species, 63 mammals, and 257 bird species. Camera traps have revealed Armadillos, Ocelots, Pumas and, in July 2025, for the very first time, a Jaguar.
Crestless Curassows (Mitu tomentosum) seen on Akae’s camera traps. Credit: AKAE Conservación
Tapir seen on Akae’s camera traps. Credit: AKAE Conservación
Ocelot – one of the three feline species present on the reserve – seen on Akae’s camera traps. Credit: AKAE Conservación
People and Place
For Akae, wildness can only thrive if people thrive. Through alliances with groups like Resnatur and RARE, the team is exploring sustainable food systems and compost-based crops that support local communities. They host environmental education programs, health awareness workshops, and activities that weave pride and stewardship into daily life.
As they put it, this project is not only a biodiversity reserve, but a legacy for their children and for Colombia. The dream is long-term: to build a professional, self-sustaining institution rooted in biodiversity research, protection, and positive social impact. The team is grateful to have the help and commitment of the community that lives and works in AKAE, without them none of this would be possible.
Credit: AKAE Conservación
A Call to Imagine
When asked to describe Akae, the siblings often return to one phrase:
Think of Akae as a playground, come and imagine with us.
Here, dreaming and imagination have set the foundation for rewilding. Orinoquía, a place once destined for cattle and concrete, is becoming a sanctuary where Jaguars roam, Rivers flow freely, and communities find new ways to thrive.
Akae reminds us that true wealth lies in protection, and not extraction. After all, what value can we place on water, on life, on the wild? Some things, as Akae shows us, are indeed priceless.