Almost five years after the closure, decided after the death of the elephant Pelusa, the property where the historic La Plata Zoo operated reopened this Thursday as a Biopark, a project designed to end the exhibitionism of animals and generate a proposal educational.
The reopening of the place was led by the mayor Julio Garro, the same one that at the end of 2018 decided the paradigm shift. He did it by presenting in society “Biopark Explorers”the educational proposal that includes school visits and seeks to raise awareness and publicize the profound work of transformation that was carried out in the place.
From this initiative, which began with students from the Municipal Kindergarten No. 14, children from educational establishments have the opportunity to learn about the importance of caring for different species through a one and a half hour circuit.
“We reopened the doors of the Biopark to show the transformation of the zoo into a space for awareness, which is in line with the objective of the 2030 Strategic Plan of a green, sustainable and resilient city,” said the community chief from La Plata during the inauguration.
Throughout the tour, specialized guides reveal the history of the old zoo y its conversion in this new spacewhere they work Municipal professionals together with members of the National University of La Plata (UNLP) and international NGOs.
The visit contemplates different stations throughout the property in which, based on the explanation of the guides, the students will understand the importance of the work that takes place there. In addition, it includes an exchange of ideas, a group closure and the delivery of seedlings and seeds.
Before the opening, the director of the Bioparque, Alexander Serenaexplained to 0221.com.ar that “native animals will form part of the educational proposal” promoted by the Municipality. While the exotic animals housed that could not yet be transferred will remain in the Biopark and “if it is viable, we will evaluate the possibility of transferring them.”
Interested schools can apply through https://bioparque.laplata.gob.ar/. The visits take place in two shifts (morning and afternoon) and the Commune confirms via email to the different educational institutions.
RELOCATED ANIMALS
Along with the evolutionary leap from the zoo to the Bioparque that put an end to exhibitionism, the Municipality relocated 104 copies in different destinationswith the collaboration of various organizations.
In this way, they were transferred to the Berazategui Wild Animal Breeding Station (ECAS) for their readaptation to the environment to which they belong a kite, an owl, an Asian buffalo, a pampas fox, a lady deer and two capybaras.
In the same way, they were sent to the Costa Salvaje Recreational Park of the Partido de La Costa four mouflon, nine female Somali sheep, eight hybrid between mouflon and Somali sheep and seven male Somali sheepalready Marine World a sea lion.
On the other hand, two lemurs were taken to the Batán Recreational Park in Mar del Platawhile three donkeys and five ponies arrived at the Equidad de Córdoba horse sanctuary.
Also, 56 birds of the passerine order were released in the Municipal Ecological Park, a puma in the Arroyo de los Gauchos Reserve in the Buenos Aires city of Tres Arroyos, a yak in the Tekove Animal ecological reserve of Entre Ríos y three chimpanzees at the Anami Institute in Brazil.
Finally, two African lions went to a cat sanctuary in Minnesota (United States), and a tigress to the Ubuntu Reserve in South Africa.
