In 2005, Gonzalo Torrez sensed the critical need for a domestic animal rescue organization and established SPAT (Sociedad Protectora de Animales Tarija) in Tarija, Bolivia. His objectives were to provide an on-going spay/neuter program for dogs and cats; to eliminate rabies in the city (Tarija has half the cases of rabies in the country); to establish a shelter and adoption program for rescued animals; and to create an internship program for fifth-year veterinary students and vet techs.

In 2009, Gonzalo Torrez and Monica Morrison joined forces to provide a wildlife rescue center for a number of cougars and jaguars that currently reside in the Tarija Zoo, which is being closed. The big cats will live on a beautiful tract of land outside Tarija, in an area called Huakanqui, a Quechua word whose meaning is bewitched. A local landowner donated nearly 15 acres of land to build the enclosures that will house these incredible cats.

Gonzalo is a native of Tarija who has a Bachelor of Science in Ecological Science and Environmental Management from Cardiff University, Wales, and has been a consultant for numerous environmental impact studies and has led various ecological studies in Bolivia. He is fluent in Spanish, English, and Portuguese.

Monica comes from Dallas, Texas, and has a Master of Liberal Arts from Southern Methodist University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from UT El Paso. She has been working with big cats in Texas for more than 10 years.

Gonzalo and Javier Cabero began discussing a bigger scope for Sinergia in 2010 to encompass not only animal welfare but also the impact of the environment on animals. Javier is an expert in rural development and resides in Tarija.

Our ultimate goal is to establish a multi-acre wildlife park for the rescued cats that provides them relative freedom in an environment where they inhabit a natural world as they were intended to live.