The Minister of Environment and Climate Change, María Inés Zigarán, explained for her part that the world today suffers – among others – a crisis due to the loss of biodiversity. In fact, she specified that “wildlife trafficking is one of the illegal businesses that moves the most money in the world, after drug, weapons, and human trafficking.”
“That is why the role played by this Wildlife Rescue and Recovery Center is so important, because it also guarantees that these individuals, who fulfill fundamental ecosystem roles, return to their natural habitat,” he explained.
Regarding the tapir specimens, Minister Zigarán anticipated that they will be part of liberation processes in the Yungas area of Jujuy. “In the case of the female tapir,” she said, “which arrived at CAFAJu five years ago, she will join a project that we are defining with other institutional actors that are dedicated to the conservation of biodiversity.”
Regarding the baby tapir, the official recalled that it had been found on farms of the Ledesma company, in agonizing conditions, and thanks to the work of professionals from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, it managed to survive.
“The CAFAJu teams did an exceptional job and managed to recover the tapir that is already five months old, and that we are going to release once the conditions are in place for it to return to life in the wild,” he concluded.
Finally, the governor, together with the minister, participated in the release of a specimen of the barn owl (Tyto alba). And throughout the visit they were accompanied by the Secretary of Biodiversity and Sustainable Development, Ana Rodríguez, and the Director of Biodiversity and Protected Areas, Malvina Quintana. Biologists, veterinarians, and technicians from CAFAJu were also present.
