On 1 June 2004, members of the Bonyic and Solon communities in Bocas del Toro, representatives from ANAM (the environmental authority), and members of the media joined The Peregrine Fund-Panama (TPFP) for the release of a three-year-old Harpy Eagle, named “2001.” 2001 was hatched and raised in captivity at TPFP’s Neotropical Raptor Center in Panama. She was released as a young bird into Soberania National Park. There, biologists monitored her regularly and provided her with food, until they were sure that she was able to successfully hunt on her own. Since she reached complete independence of our care, it was time to re-release her into a more remote forest within Panama.

Read more...

Find more articles about Harpy Eagle, Neotropics

Some of the most gratifying moments that I have experienced since I began working with The Peregrine Fund’s Environmental Education Program in Panama have been when I have witnessed the looks on children’s faces that are filled with curiosity and enthusiasm. A short while ago, the children of the Frijolito School helped me to remember this. We returned to this school after not having worked there for about half a year. It was a surprise for them since the school is located very far and the notices we sent out announcing our visit arrived late. However, we were still very well received, as always.

Read more...

Find more articles about Harpy Eagle, Neotropics

Who said that a survey is boring? A bed in a rustic house, the floor of a pre-school classroom, or a cot at a health center, all of these have been places where we spent the nights while working at rural communities of the Panama Canal area. These communities comprise the small villages and towns adjacent to former or potential release sites for Harpy Eagles. We visited them during the last four months to obtain information on the level of knowledge that people have on Harpy Eagles, the reasons why these eagles are shot around human settlements.

Read more...

Find more articles about Harpy Eagle, Neotropics