Wildlife management model
Regulatory framework, animal placement hierarchy, and territorial coordination — grounded in CARDIQUE Resolution 1972/2022 and the amended bylaws.
The naturalistic model
A bridge to freedom, not a clinic
Fundación Loros does not manage populations in the abstract: it cares for specific individuals. Every parrot that arrives —rescued from trafficking, seized, or surrendered after years as a pet— carries a history, harm to repair, and the right to a second chance.
That is why its management model is austere and naturalistic: everything is geared toward easing each animal’s transition to life in the wild, not toward indefinite captivity or the building of complex hospital or clinical facilities. We do not aspire to be a clinic; we aspire for every bird to return to the forest. When an individual needs intensive clinical care beyond the foundation’s capacity, it is referred to a specialized veterinary or wildlife center.
Captivity —even the most dignified— is not an acceptable fate when an animal’s freedom can still be restored.
Preamble · Bylaws of Fundación Loros
Restoring freedom is not simply opening a cage: it means preparing both the individual and the environment that receives it. Hence the principle of minimal handling —small cages, isolation, and unnecessary intervention are avoided— because parrots need ample space to fly and constant interaction with their own kind.
The foundation’s core is neither a botanical garden nor a theme park, but a rehabilitation and reintegration center. And the best possible outcome of all this effort is a single one: that the foundation is no longer needed.
Article 7 — Wildlife management model · Bylaws of Fundación Loros
Regulatory framework
Fundación Loros handles wildlife under registration and supervision of the Corporación Autónoma Regional del Canal del Dique (CARDIQUE), the competent environmental authority in its jurisdiction.
The registration was granted through Resolution N°1972 of December 28, 2022, which enrolls the Foundation in the Red de Amigos de la Fauna Silvestre under Law 99 of 1993, Law 1333 of 2009, Decree 1076 of 2015, and Resolution 2064 of 2010 of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development.
The administrative act is supported by Technical Opinion N°481 of November 21, 2022, issued by the Subdirección de Gestión Ambiental following a technical visit to the El Paraíso property.
Animal destination hierarchy
Article 7 of the bylaws defines a four-level hierarchy for determining the outcome of each individual received. This is the Foundation's guiding principle, always subject to the final decision of the competent environmental authority.
- Full reintegration into the wild through soft or gradual release methods, in accordance with authority protocols and following habitat assessment (food availability, presence of conspecifics, threat levels). Preferably in groups.
- Semi-freedom or intermittent freedom with continuous support while conditions for full reintegration are established.
- Temporary rehabilitative custody in preparation for freedom: physical rehabilitation, formation of social groups in aviaries, flight and foraging training.
- Indefinite care under the Foundation, only when reintegration is not viable due to individual factors. Must serve an ecological, educational, or scientific function in accordance with Article 15 §3.
As Article 7 states: indefinite captivity without an ecological, educational, or scientific function is not an acceptable outcome.
Minimum handling principle
Reintegration doesn't end when the cage opens. The protocol includes post-release monitoring, site fidelization through feeding stations and artificial nests, nucleus group formation, reforestation of receiving areas, and threat management. The measurable goal is to increase the survival rate of released individuals.
When an individual cannot be reintegrated — due to physical, behavioral, or health reasons — it may join nucleus reference groups for future releases, participate as a subject of non-invasive research, or take on a voluntary educational role while respecting its autonomy.
Territorial coordination
Reintegrated wildlife disperses, explores, and establishes territory beyond the Foundation's land. The operation runs as a network:
- Agreements with environmental authorities (CARDIQUE, EPA Cartagena, and other regional agencies) to coordinate seizures, voluntary surrenders, and release operations.
- Loan-use contracts with neighboring farmers on land where the Foundation operates under verifiable commitments to protect wildlife and ecosystems (article 9).
- Territorial stewardship agreements with local communities for biological corridors, riparian buffers, and environmental protection zones as receiving habitat.
- Agreements with national and international universities and research centers to validate protocols, conduct molecular monitoring, and publish scientific findings.
Educational experience, not exhibition
Article 15 §3 draws a key distinction: the animals in the Foundation's care are not on permanent display. Educational visits prioritize contact with the ecosystem, observation of natural behavior, and learning about conservation.
When animals are temporarily visible during an educational day, it happens as part of a regulated pedagogical experience designed to ensure animal welfare and the principle of minimal handling. No commercial activities are carried out with the received wildlife (Resolución CARDIQUE 1972/2022, Article 5.1).
Technical FAQs
Whose animals do you receive?+
Ownership of specimens received through seizure or voluntary surrender remains with the Nation (Article 5.6 of CARDIQUE Resolution 1972/2022). The Foundation receives them in custody for rehabilitation, management in semi-captivity, and disposition in accordance with the guidelines of the environmental authority.
What happens if an animal dies or escapes?+
Under article 5.5 of the CARDIQUE registry, any death, escape, or illness that threatens the life of an individual must be reported immediately to the Corporation. That obligation is structural to the environmental governance model.
Are the animals on display or used for commercial activities?+
Our animals are not on display. The wildlife received by the Foundation arrives with the goal of reintegrating into the wild: we do not operate as an exhibition zoo. This is also prohibited by article 5.1 of the CARDIQUE registration.
Article 7 of the bylaws defines a four-level hierarchy for the fate of each individual received — always subject to the final determination of the environmental authority:
- Full reintegration into the wild through soft or gradual release, in groups when possible.
- Semi-freedom or intermittent freedom, with support while conditions are consolidated.
- Temporary rehabilitative custody: physical rehabilitation, social group formation, flight and foraging training.
- Indefinite care only when reintegration is not viable, fulfilling an ecological, educational, or scientific function (article 15 §3).
Do you receive periodic oversight from the environmental authority?+
Yes. CARDIQUE conducts monitoring and environmental oversight visits to the Foundation's activities, with a technical assessment and possible service fee (article 11 of the resolution).
What kind of release do you carry out?+
Soft or gradual release in accordance with article 4 of the CARDIQUE registration. This involves a continuous process: physical rehabilitation, formation of social groups, assessment of the receiving habitat, supervised release, and post-release monitoring with support from feeding stations and artificial nests.
Environmental oversight and compliance
Fundación Loros conducts its operations under the supervision of the Regional Autonomous Corporation of the Canal del Dique (CARDIQUE), the competent environmental authority for northern and central Bolívar.
Registered in the Wildlife Friends Network · Resolution No. 1972 of December 28, 2022 and its subsequent acts.
The logo identifies the environmental authority that exercises oversight; its use does not imply sponsorship or partnership.
Did you find an injured parrot or suspect a case of illegal trade?
Report to the relevant environmental authority in your jurisdiction. In the Canal del Dique area, you can write to CARDIQUE or contact us directly to coordinate.