Exploring the swamps of the municipality of Montecristo (southern Bolívar, northern limit of the Serranía de San Lucas), a group of researchers found, through direct observations and testimonies of locals, the presence of several species of wildlife that currently face some level of threat.

This was the case for, among others, the River turtle (Podocnemis lewyana), the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), the jaguar (Panthera onca), the endemic freshwater fish (Prochilodus magdalenae), the Neotropical catfish (Pseudoplatystoma magdaleniatum) and the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus).

With regard to the last species, people recognized their presence because of the damage they cause to fishing nets due to accidental entanglement. This situation, it should be noted, is also one of the main factors that increases vulnerability of the West Indian manatees.

There is no doubt that the presence of these and other species in the wetlands of southern Bolívar, highlights the ecological value of the region, and fully justifies all conservation efforts that have been made to protect both aquatic and terrestrial wildlife that exists here.