[Animals] The garden of broken animals

[- !el Catire *O*]

 

 

The La Reserva Biopark, one hour from Bogotá, cares for a hundred wild animals rescued from illegal trafficking. This also pioneering educational project emulates various ecosystems in the country and wants to lay the foundations for "another form of conservation"

Sitting on a wooden log and under a relentless sun, a boy about eight years old enthusiastically raises his hand and asks:

-Teacher, why does the vulture king have those little holes in his head?

The environmental communicator takes off her mask a little to relieve the heat and responds to the student, looking askance at the huge white bird, which limps closer to a piece of meat that smells from afar:

-Do you remember when I told you that the little animals here were rescued from various trafficking networks? We don't know exactly what happened to them, but we do know that they were not treated well. Perhaps the trafficker of this bird of prey did not like or was afraid of scavengers and that is why he was beaten. But those holes are not normal… It shouldn't have them.

It's Wednesday and for more than 20 students at The Victoria School today is a special day. They are on an excursion in the Bioparque La Reserva, in Cota, about 30 kilometers from Bogotá, and the emotion is uncontrollable. This space of 1.5 hectares built and 19 reserved, emulates seven of the typical Colombian ecosystems; ranging from the tropical rain forest to the high Andean forest. That is to say, spaces were created imitating the humidity, temperature and the specific smells of the territory. This green labyrinth also cares for a hundred confiscated animals – rescued from mafias and traffickers. These, after the mistreatment received, could no longer survive in their natural habitat; that is why this corner is the second (and only) opportunity for them. The message of this educational expedition for Colombian biodiversity is forceful: the fauna and flora are in danger (because of humans).