Sometimes during the mining process we discover things we are not expecting.

The Las Bambas mine in Peru is located in a mountainous Andean region that is home to a range of plant, bird, animal species native to the area. Some species are protected by national legislation and international conventions.

As part of the  2011  Environmental Impact Assessment studies we discovered the presence of a lizard species of the genus Liolaemus. Further biodiversity monitoring revealed that the characteristics of this species were not entirely consistent with the various species of Liolaemus documented in scientific literature.

Las Bambas engaged an expert team of biologists to undertake further studies to describe the lizard. This work investigated the genetic relationship between lizards collected from the Liolaemus population in the Las Bambas project area and lizards of the same gender and group collected from other areas in southern Peru. The results of genetic testing support the conclusion that the Las Bambas population represents an undescribed or new species of Liolaemus.

A relocation protocol has been developed and Las Bambas is currently working on securing the best area for a successful relocation of the lizard population. Relocation is a challenging activity but essential to give this unique lizard every opportunity to continue to thrive in the area.

Pictured: We manage our material environmental risks, meeting regulatory requirements set by the Peruvian government.