Colombian conservationists are now returning 149 illegally trafficked animals back into the wild. The animals include 13 mammals like wild cats and Capuchin monkeys, 53 birds, and 83 reptiles. The animals underwent 10 months of rehabilitation. The process of getting the animals ready to be re-released into the wild included surgery to heal skin and plumage. They were also checked for diseases, so that when they would not endanger or infect other members of their species.
There are some concerns that the animals will not be able to survive in the wild after being held captive for so long. Most animals have difficulty readjusting to the wild after captivity so the animals were handpicked for the best chances of survival. Wildlife officials have taken this into account.”We selected individual animals that could defend themselves in their environment, who weren’t too far along in adulthood so they wouldn’t fall easy prey,” said Lorena Gomez, a biologist with Valle del Cauca authority. The animals were also kept in similar conditions to their native habitats to assist with the transition.
The animals were put inside crates and loaded onto a Colombian Air Force plane from Palmira to Solano, a two hour flight. After that, they will be put on a boat for the 5 hour trip into the Amazon jungle where they will finally be released.
Colombia has recaptured about 55,000 wild plants and animals from illegal traffickers in the last two years. Much of animal trafficking is used to finance criminal empires and even terrorism. The illegal animal trade generates billions of dollars each year, and that money is often used to buy drugs and guns on the black market. The illegal animal trade has adversely effected species around the planet, particularly the elephant, which, at its current rate, will be hunted to extinction by poachers seeking the lucrative ivory tusks.
Last year US Secretary of State, John Kerry, addressed the issue of illegal animal trafficking at an international conference in China. He reminded the international community that wildlife trafficking does not exist in a vacuum, and contributes to both animal extinction rates, crime, and terrorism. He added that illegal animal trafficking is an economic problem, a health problem, and a security problem.
