The director of the Biodiversity Foundation, a public foundation of the Government of Spain, under the Ministry of the Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs, Ana Leiva, has participated in the presentation of the project “Owling nature”, which has taken place in the Bosque de la Herrería, located in San Lorenzo del Escorial (Madrid).

This project has been developed by Brinzal, a centre for the recovery of nocturnal birds of prey, with the support of the Biodiversity Foundation, with almost 25,000 euros, the Ministry of the Environment, Housing and Territorial Planning of the Community of Madrid, and the documentary production company Manimals.

This initiative aims to alleviate one of the problems faced by the different species of owls in the Community of Madrid: the unjustified collection of chicks from nocturnal birds of prey that seem abandoned but are not. The project “Owling into nature” aims to raise chickens in the recovery center so that they return to nature with the maximum guarantees of survival.

In addition, this project tries to raise awareness among the population that these animals do not need to be collected, since they have simply left the nest prematurely and wander around for a few days before flying, for this, Brinzal has developed an information campaign that motivates the population to deliver the chicks found outside the nest to a breeding center.

Brinzal, before returning the chickens to the environment, develops a breeding program with adoptive parents, who are irretrievable animals who care for and feed the little ones so that they develop in behaviors typical of their space. Finally, they are trained to avoid being preyed upon and for hunting.

At the presentation of the project, Ana Leiva released a tawny owl, one of the birds of prey rehabilitated by Brinzal within the framework of this project.