Guaynabo – The reactions to the doors opening were different. Some immediately took flight, but others preferred the safety of walking on the short platform surrounding the space or staying sheltered while they tested the mood in their new habitat.
They were normal reactions, after all, since similar cages were their home since the Hurricane Maria devastated, exactly seven years ago, the aviary of Marquesa Forest Park. Eleven birds, with their respective personalities and colorful plumage, were preparing to return to the now sanctuary, where their caretakers will seek to provide them with the best quality of life.
“It is a very special day for us, because we are in the final stage of the release of the birds that are part of the collection of the La Marquesa Forest Park. We released hyacinth macaws, scarlet macaws, military macaws, which join the great social family that we have here.”he said on Friday Marilyn Maldonado Urbinathe park manager, who highlighted that a quarter of the birds were born in this municipality.
One of the most eagerly awaited species was the hyacinth macaw, with its thick blue plumage and a touch of yellow around its eyes and beak. This bird – which gained notoriety by starring in the animated film River and is in danger of extinction– is at the top of the hierarchy of the “society of birds” that inhabit the aviary.
The excitement was palpable in the voice of Maldonado Urbina, who can name each of the 128 birds that live in the aviary – the 11 that were still to be released on Friday – and speak fluently about the characteristics of their respective species. Seeing the repopulated space, where the birds can feel the sun and the rain on their feathers, “is a very special moment because we know that this not only contributes to the physical stability of the animal, but also to its emotional stability,” he said.
The release process began just over three weeks ago, when the mesh of the aviary was finished being sewn, and in 10 days, the caretakers will begin to place nests, since the birds themselves are the ones who define what their space will be in the sanctuary.
In preparation for returning to the wild, caretakers massaged their wings and allowed them outside, albeit in a limited space, to regain muscle strength.
Maldonado Urbina said that one of the park’s cockatoos, Coco, who was born in the years after Maria, had never been able to fly in such a large space. His keepers taught him to move and, when he left his cage, he began to move his wings timidly until he realized that he could take flight for the first time, and so he did.
The mayor of Guaynabo, Edward O’Neillhe said that The rehabilitation of the aviary was one of the most complex and important parts of the reconstruction of La Marquesa, where only the activity room where the birds were and the new restaurant remain to be finished. The trails are expected to open to the public between October and November.
“The park is alive again; we see the birds already released. We see that it is clean, that it is organized, that we are close to finishing it,” said the municipal executive, who emphasized that the project –of $4.2 million– had resilience measures against the impact of future atmospheric phenomena.
Next to the aviary, the butterfly house was restored, which will be home to monarch butterflies that are bred in the park’s laboratory and that worked on reforesting the space through pollination.
Meanwhile, the birds throughout the space seek to interact with those present, and no wonder, since they have been receiving loving direct care for seven years. Although their caretakers will still be present, the birds’ lives will be more independent and in harmony with their environment.
“Here, they are going to be the protagonists. We are going to safeguard their safety, dignity and everything they need. I am not going to skimp. As long as I am healthy and this work group – which is a group of very good boys and girls – is healthy, we are not going to skimp on efforts or on what we have to achieve.”said the administrator, who is not a scientist, but her 18 years at the park have made her an expert on the species in this metropolitan lung in the Sonadora neighborhood.
