Scared and unable to walk well. This is how a harpy eagle was found in the La Trinidad district, in Convencion, Norte de Santander, with several wounds on its wings.
The community immediately alerted the Regional Autonomous Corporation of the Northeastern Border, Corponor, and the Police about the presence and condition of the animal; while protecting her while she received the veterinary care she required. This event occurred last Wednesday, April 24.
However, Despite the community’s efforts to protect the eagle, it died around noon on Thursday, April 25. According to the inhabitants of the La Trinidad district, the bird died due to the lack of attention from the competent authorities and due to the serious injuries it had.
“The harpy eagle died from the wounds generated by the impact of a firearm. The bird was already badly injured, the community notified Corponor to take care of the animal, this entity never arrived and they sent the Civil Defense that arrived when the bird had already died,” said Yorgen Herrera, a rights defender from Catatumbo.
Given the death of the eagle, the inhabitants of Convencion have expressed their concern about the alleged lack of immediate response from the entities responsible for the protection of wildlife.
“Since Wednesday morning, the entities in charge at the Mayor’s Office were asked to come and help her, but they appeared the next day when the eagle no longer had any strength. These facts show how we live abandoned in this territory by the States, our needs are ignored,” said a resident of Convencion.
The Harpy Eagle is a species in danger of extinction in Colombia, so its death represents a great loss for the country’s biodiversity, an environmentalist told RCN Ocaña. This bird is the largest in the Western Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere.
It is expected that environmental authorities will take the necessary measures to investigate this case and to guarantee timely and adequate attention to wildlife in the region. As well as a statement from Corponor.
These animals are considered the most powerful and largest in the world, since their claws can measure up to 12 centimeters—they are larger than those of a grizzly bear—and with them they can lift prey weighing up to 9 kilograms.
