Mayerly Jhoana Delgado, seen here Oct. 17, 2024, is a biologist at the Amazon Experimental Center in Putumayo, in southeastern Colombia. She’s part of a team working closely with Colombia’s rural and environmental police, as well as with academics and local communities, to try to halt wildlife trafficking.
Collaboration – and measured hope
Saving wildlife is a collaborative effort, says Mayerly Jhoana Delgado, a young biologist at the Amazon Experimental Center (known by its Spanish acronym, CEA) in Putumayo, in southeastern Colombia. She stands in the baking sun chatting to her colleagues – biologists, veterinarians, educators, and engineers – as fish leap from the water surrounding the floating pavilion upon which they stand. Her team at CEA works closely with Colombia’s rural and environmental police unit, Carabineros, as well as with academics who investigate wildlife and local communities that voluntarily hand over species that may have ended up in their care – no questions asked.
Last year, the Carabineros rescued three trafficked animals every hour on average and dismantled 34 criminal organizations involved in wildlife trafficking, according to government data. The unit’s efforts include patrols to detect online trafficking and inspections of markets, airports, ports, pet shops, and courier companies.
Ms. Delgado also collaborates with colleagues in other Amazonian countries, sometimes sharing pictures of unknown animals that arrive at the center to get input on the animals’ possible origin. The CEA has received hundreds of animals over the past nearly four decades, including alligators, macaws, turtles, and snakes.
In this work, one of Ms. Delgado’s biggest fears is the wrongful reinsertion of an animal, which can pose a threat to the animal’s survival as well as to humans in the vicinity. Central to a successful reentry into nature is making sure that captured animals don’t bond with human beings, says Abelardo Rodríguez Bolaños, a professor specialized in biodiversity management at Francisco José de Caldas District University in Bogotá.
Even once they are in the care of a center like CEA, the scientists must stay vigilant. “Every day in captivity, we get closer” to making it impossible to return an animal to their natural habitat, Mr. Rodríguez says. Strategies to keep animals wary include disturbing them with noises, smells, or even mild electric shocks that make them want to avoid humans.
“Everyone loves liberating animals,” he says, “but without proper [preparations], it can lead to worse outcomes.”
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Publish date : 2024-11-26 04:29:00
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