Juan Carlos Huayllapuma Cruz was born in Cusco, the heart of the Andes of Peru, and later moved to the Amazon where he studied Ecotourism at the Universidad Nacional Amazónica de Madre de Dios. Passionate about conservation and sustainability, he has worked with various NGOs and national institutions as a wildlife researcher in natural protected areas in southeastern Peru. More recently, he has been working with native communities, helping them with the preservation of their forests and culture, as well as sustainable development projects.