Refaunar to protect biodiversity: new Native Wildlife Rescue Center in Puerto Madryn

The REFAUNAR conservation program aims to preserve wildlife and contribute to reforestation—repopulating with native species—of the natural areas of Puerto Madryn (Chubut, Argentine Patagonia) and the region. It is promoted by the Club of Rome Foundation and La Ciudad Posible, along with other organizations.

On April 25, REFAUNAR inaugurated the first phase of its Native Wildlife Rescue Center at Estancia San Guillermo, 17 km from the city of Puerto Madryn. Víctor Fratto (Bachelor of Environmental Management and Director of REFAUNAR), who, along with Marisa Mora, is in charge of the program, considers this "a fundamental step to expand our impact and strengthen rescue and rehabilitation efforts." Municipal and provincial authorities participated in the event, and the Provincial Legislature's Declaration of Interest was presented to the Rescue Center. A guided tour of the site was also provided, including details of the next steps planned to further strengthen the Program.

The Center has seven spaces adapted for the use and type of animals to be housed:

-Medium mammals: wild cat, gray fox, skunk, and mara.

-Waterfowl: ducks, flamingos, and cauquenes.

-Land birds: eagles, vultures, falcons, choique, barn owls, and owls.

-Armadillos: hairy and piches.

-Pre-released: birds raised from chicks spend the previous few days in this enclosure built on a 4-meter-high tower.

-Quarantine: for newly admitted animals with suspected diseases that can be transmitted to other animals.

-Turtle Sanctuary: houses abandoned turtles or turtles that have been captured or trafficked illegally.

Specific environmental enrichment techniques are applied in each enclosure to ensure that the animal finds a friendly environment that presents challenges and is not hostile. Furthermore, the enclosures feature the same natural vegetation as the surrounding area.

In a second phase, the Center will have a space that will include a clinic, hospitalization, a nursery, food preparation, a compost bin, and a biodigester, among other amenities. This will allow REFAUNAR to expand its rescue, rehabilitation, and prevention efforts to the breeding and conservation of endangered species.

In each enclosure, specific environmental enrichment techniques are applied, so that the animal finds a similar environment, which presents challenges and is not hostile

Víctor defines REFAUNAR's activities as a service, both to society at large and to businesses and public organizations. The basic objective of this service is to protect the biodiversity of a unique ecosystem where whales, penguins, sea lions, guanacos, pumas, and hundreds of other species coexist. "The loss of wildlife caused by urbanization, hunting, and pollution challenges us to act, and REFAUNAR is our response to that challenge," he adds.

The program's tasks include preventing threats or risks to native fauna, rescuing vulnerable or endangered native fauna due to human causes, and reintroducing rescued and rehabilitated animals into natural areas. The Rescue Center will be available for qualified researchers and professionals to complement and expand their studies and practices on protected species, as well as for special training activities.

Since its inception in 2023, REAFAUNAR has carried out 290 interventions with wildlife, 205 animal rescues, 150 animal rehabilitations and releases, and more than 300 training sessions for people in public agencies and companies. Víctor mentions as special cases the case of peregrine falcon chicks that fell from a building and were fed with puppets, without human presence; they now reside in Cerro Avanzado. A flamingo with one leg amputated by a rock was trained to stand up and take flight with its healthy leg, and was then released with other flamingos. A gray fox fell into a trap and lost a paw; it was surgically restored, trained to capture prey, and returned to its natural habitat.

The program's tasks include the prevention of threats or risks to native fauna, the rescue of vulnerable or endangered native fauna due to human causes, and the reintroduction of rescued and rehabilitated animals into natural areas.

Also highlighted was the cleaning of nests and the rescue of Rock Cormorant chicks. This species, which typically nests on cliffs, began nesting on the cruise ship mooring area at the Luis Piedrabuena Pier. By the start of the cruise season, 17 cormorants had already hatched. Given the risk of death from being crushed by the mooring lines, REFAUNAR carried out an operation that consisted of sailing to the area, removing all the chicks from their nests, placing them in a corral we set up on the site, and allowing the cruise ships to moor. Each day, after casting off, the chicks were returned to their nests. This operation continued until the birds became independent.

Other rescues involved seabirds (penguins, cormorants, and other species) that appeared on public beaches, some resting and others with injuries or stuck hooks. “We also intervened in two special cases: the appearance of a crabeater seal, an Antarctic species, and the sighting of a humpback whale with a rope around its body,” says Víctor. “We also carried out rescues of terrestrial species, the most frequent being snakes in private homes, roadkill, and baby guanacos.” And in cooperation with the Municipality of Puerto Madryn, REFAUNAR coordinated field operations for the outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, which caused the death of more than 300 sea lions in a three-month period. A direct consequence of this influenza outbreak was the large number of puppies that lost their mothers and were appearing every day in urban areas, even off the beach, crossing streets and entering private property. "We moved up to five puppies per day."

Since its inception in 2023, REFAUNAR has carried out 290 wildlife interventions, 205 animal rescues, 150 animal rehabilitations and releases, and more than 300 training sessions for people in public agencies and companies.

Puerto Madryn is a prominent tourist center on Patagonia's Atlantic coast; more than 4,000 families depend directly on its economy. Every year, more than 2,000 right whales, 600,000 Magellanic penguins, and thousands of sea lions, dolphins, and seabirds arrive on the region's coasts as part of their migratory cycles. Inland, the extensive steppe and forest provide refuge for guanacos, pumas, foxes, birds, reptiles, and rodents. All of this creates a natural spectacle of free-roaming wildlife and is one of the most important drivers of the regional economy. The expansion of urban and productive frontiers, illegal hunting, habitat degradation, pet ownership, and pollution pose significant risks to the survival of many endangered species and are causing the defaunation of Patagonia's natural areas. REFAUNAR works to enhance the value of endangered species, preserve and restore ecosystems, strengthen protected natural areas, prevent coastal pollution, design regenerative tourism experiences, mobilize citizens, and engage businesses to mitigate the impact of productive activities on wildlife.

REAFAUNAR's rescue efforts are possible thanks to the support of committed companies, organizations, and individuals. Víctor mentions SCJohnson (as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility commitments), Goldwin and Genneia (wind energy), and the Municipality and Port Authority of Puerto Madryn, to whom environmental services are provided. The Austral Veterinary Center generously collaborates with the recovery of animals in need of care.

Prevent coastal pollution, design regenerative tourism experiences, mobilize citizens, and engage businesses to mitigate the impact of productive activities on wildlife.

From REFAUNAR, the conservation program promoted by the Club of Rome Foundation and Ciudad Posible, we took another major step toward protecting and restoring the wildlife of Puerto Madryn and the region.

LCP

REFAUNAR's rescue efforts are possible thanks to the support of committed businesses, organizations, and individuals.

You can collaborate with the program here.

Through its social media channels, Ciudad Posible generates information and audiovisual materials to prevent risks to native fauna. Here, REFAUNAR on Instagram.

Article published in the May issue of Café de las Ciudades Digital Magazine:

https://cafedelasciudades.com.ar/articulos/refaunar-para-proteger-la-biodiversidad/