A number of birds of prey were released back to the wild on Cerro Gordo at the beginning of last month, after being cared for at the CREA

The Centro de Recuperación de Especies Amenazadas (CREA) took in and cared for five kestrels, two little owls (aka, Minerva owls)  and a scops owl after they had fallen from their respective nests located in different municipalities along the coast.

Once found, they were reared with the minimum human intervention by the endangered-species centre, preparing them for release, which took place on the Paraje Natural Acantilados de Cerro Gordo in La Herradura.

The centre, which is in Pinos Genil, handled 913 creatures (814 birds, 40 mammals, 58 reptiles) during the course of last year, which represents a 21% drop in the number taken in during 2021 (1,164).

Not all of the animals rescued survive, of course; 58 birds, five mammals and two reptiles belonging to the 2022 intake died despite the care given, but even so, this means that nearly 93% of the intakes led to successful releases back into the wild.

The Paraje Natural de los Acantilados de Maro Cerro Gordo is a narrow strip some twelve kilometres long running parallel with the shoreline, but extending over an area of seabed, giving it a total area of 1,912 hectares, most of which (almost 80%) is marine area.

In fact, it is the seabed rather than the land that has the most diversity, not only because it is more extensive but because of its unique species in the presence of subaquatic Poseidonia meadows and corral colonies.

(News/Noticias: Herradura, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)