Defensores del Chaco

Declared in 1975, it is the largest protected area in Paraguay and preserves one of the best-kept dry Chaco forest ecosystems in South America, critical habitat for the aguará guazú, the largest wild canid in South America, as well as for jaguar and giant anteater. The Chaco Boreal region was the setting of the bloody Chaco War (1932-1935) between Paraguay and Bolivia, driven in part by a dispute over territory mistakenly believed to be rich in oil; thousands of soldiers on both sides died not only in combat but from the extreme harshness of the climate and the Chaco's lack of drinking water, and trenches and blockhouses from that conflict can still be found in the park today.