El Chontal is a 6,000 hectare cloudforest reserve in the Intag zone of Ecuador's Imbabura province.The Zoobreviven Foundation has taken charge of the Reserve and is now designing a management plan for this important area.

There are current problems in this area of great concern, the rare Mountain Tapirs are being killed for food and Current urgent concerns are the Spectacled Andean Bears are being hunted and eaten by locals and their fat turned into candles. The latter formerly also occurred at Alto Choco prior to our work there.

Also illegal logging is taking place - please see news for a similar situation with Alto Choco.