Anteater rescued from a light pole in Bogotá was released at Meta

On March 20, the Bogotá Official Fire Department announced through its social networks the rescue of an anteater that had been found on a light pole in the Las Ferias neighborhood, in the town of Engativá. A week after the rescue, the Ministry of Environment reported that, after remaining under the care of the entity, the copy was released in the department of Meta.

The individual, of the species Tamandua tetradactyla, known as honey bear, was released into a forest suitable for its life cycle, located near Villavicencio (Meta), in a joint work between the Secretariat and the Corporation for the Sustainable Development of the Special Management Area La Macarena (Cormacarena) and the Police National.

For her part, the Secretary of Environment, Carolina Urrutia, recalled that, after the honey bear was rescued on March 20, it remained for eight days at the Center for Attention, Assessment and Rehabilitation of Wild Flora and Fauna (CAV), of the Ministry of Environment.

According to the official, in the CAV a group of medical specialists monitored the specimen in order to monitor its state of health, behavior, and food consumption, in such a way that they could ensure that it was in optimal conditions to return to its natural habitat.

Although the reason why the specimen was found in that area of the capital is unknown, Urrutia indicated that the honey bear is naturally distributed in areas of Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, in eastern Ecuador, Peru and Argentina, and in the case of our country it is possible to observe it in primary and secondary forests, savannas and flooded areas in the southeastern part of the territory.

In this regard, the Secretary of Environment called on citizens to report to the district lines any case that endangers or threatens wildlife, such as illegal trafficking.

“We remind citizens that wild animals are better free and at home. This is very good news of a release that could happen quickly and that has a good prognosis, but most of the animals that are trafficked or adopted as pets do not have the same fate, and despite a process of trying to recover their natural conditions to be released, many of them fail to do so,” he said. Urrutia.

Remember that, to report any case of threat to wildlife in Bogotá, you can contact fauna@ambientebogota.gov.co, or call the Mobile Wildlife Rescue Unit: 317 4276828.

In the following video you can see the process of releasing the honey bear:

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