Ministry of Environment released 33 wild animals in the La Conejera wetland

As part of the commemoration of International Earth Day, celebrated on April 22, the Ministry of the Environment returned 33 wild animals to freedom in the La Conejera wetland, in the northwest of the city.

Among the species released are: Eight pigeons, four warblers, two striped owls, three bell owls, two pigetons, three siriris, five savannah frogs, three possums and three white blackbirds, were the animals that returned to their natural habitats after being rescued in various parts of the city.

The release took place in the La Conejera wetland because it is an appropriate ecosystem for the establishment of the species, said the Mayor's Office of Bogotá. Figures from the Ministry of Environment show that from January to March 2022, more than 1,840 wild animals have been received and seized, of which 25 were dead.

The District Institute for Animal Protection and Welfare highlighted that during 2021 nearly 400 wild animals and more than 11,000 specimens were recovered, of which 7,058 were living individuals and 159 dead.

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“Bogotá, being the capital of Colombia, has the characteristic of being the epicenter and exit of people and, therefore, has become the obligatory passage for wildlife traffickers. Among the animals that are most marketed are: reptiles, mammals and birds,” said the district.

For her part, the Secretary of Environment, Carolina Urrutia, said that in the first three months of 2022 more than 564 products derived from wild animals and 260 kilos of animal meat and eggs were seized. The day of liberation was attended by people from the community, the Police and the Air Force.

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It should be noted that on March 31, the Ministry of Environment revealed that between January and February 2022, the 33 Regional Autonomous Corporations (CARs) released 2,362 individuals belonging to 185 species of wildlife into the country.

The group of animals with the highest number of releases is birds, with 92 species, 50% of all animals, the second is reptiles, with 49 species (20%), followed by mammals, with 37%; arachnids, four, and amphibians, with three.

Likewise, the MinAmbiente confirmed the release of 52 individuals from six species that are in some category of risk of extinction, as categorized by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In the category of endemic species, those released were eight species of snakes, turtles, turtles and tamarin monkeys were returned to their natural environment.

In the statement, Adriana Santa, director of Forests and Ecosystem Services at MinAmbiente, welcomed this news and extended an invitation to citizens. “It is a source of joy to be able to return to nature this type of individuals who were once the object of illegal trafficking throughout the national territory. We invite all people to combat illegal wildlife trafficking and not to lend themselves to that.”

In the country, with the Law on Environmental Crimes, trafficking in wildlife was enshrined in article 328A, which states that “whoever traffics, acquires, exports or markets specimens, products or parts of aquatic or wild fauna or species without the permission of the competent authority or in breach of existing regulations wild aliens, shall incur imprisonment for 60 to 135 months and a fine of 300 to 40,000 statutory minimum monthly wages in force”.

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