The Fauna Recovery Center of La Tahonilla, dependent on the Cabildo de Tenerife, is a benchmark for the entire province when it comes to treating animals with health problems. Since April 2021, it has received or collaborated with twelve incidents, although four have been especially relevant.
The La Tahonilla Wildlife Recovery Center is a benchmark in Tenerife. But not only on the Island. It is demonstrated by the dozen collaborations and transfers of injured animals to the facility from the others in the province. Since April 2021 when Alejandro Suárez accepted the position of veterinarian at this authentic reference hospital for crows, eagles, kestrels, shearwaters or turtles that have suffered an accident. In many cases by the hand, accidental or intentional, of man.
“There is no protocol as such, but there is fluid contact between the veterinarians of all the centers to refer injured specimens that cannot be rehabilitated there to La Tahonilla.” Suárez explains it, who recalls that there are two great references in the Canary Islands: the center of Tafira, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where he worked and this one where he works now, located on the Carretera General de La Esperanza, within the limits of La Lagoon.
The Palm It has a slightly larger space in Puntallana, while El Hierro and La Gomera have small facilities in the lizards of both islands. Of the three, injured or poisoned animals arrive at La Tahonilla with some frequency. Iron is the one that derives the most animals because it is where the most income is given. Also of poisoned whose remains, Suárez explains, “are sent to analyze the only Toxicology laboratory that exists in the Canary Islands, that of the University of Las Palmas.”
Rolled turtle.
From El Hierro came the complex case of a turtle run over by a ship, which is not at all unusual in the seas of the Canary Islands. It practically broke its shell and the veterinarians of La Tahonilla had to rebuild it through a complicated operation. “It was necessary to put titanium plates to cover the huge gap it had”, Suárez recalls, highlighting the collaboration to successfully carry out the task of the Canary Islands Technological Institute (ITC). The animal was returned to its natural habitat. The idea is that this process always takes place at the origin.
From La Palma.
Alejandro remembers what he describes as “a very nice case.” A tortoise moves from La Palma with a pneuroceloma. The coelom is the secondary body cavity of animals that have neither a thorax nor an abdomen. It had air in it. Suarez explains: «When eating plastics and garbage, they lodge in the intestine and then come out, the animal inflates and is not able to sink. And if a turtle doesn’t sink, bad business. Furthermore, he continues, “it causes her enormous pain. She was cured and was returned to La Palma ».
Painful case.
The La Gomera example is described as “painful and sad” by the La Tahonilla veterinarian. He tells it: “An eagle came to us, an animal with an unfairly bad reputation, especially in the world of hunters. It abounds here and has adapted very well, although it is not endemic. Unfortunately, she was already deceased, but the interest lay in being able to analyze her remains to find out what substance she had been poisoned with. It was shown that they did it with Aldicar, an expressly prohibited herbicide but that many people keep. A key piece of information to find the author or authors if this is repeated systematically. Suárez underlines: “It is not the first case nor will it be the last, but we are working to eradicate these uses and, above all, illegal products.”
Binter’s work.
Veterinarians from La Tahonilla and from all over the Canary Islands value the facilities of the airline Binter for these transfers between islands «They do it selflessly and completely free of charge, which is appreciated. They also work very well.” There is no protocol but a prior report must be prepared and at the starting point the Civil Guard analyzes the animal and the transport element before boarding the plane’s hold. Once in Tenerife, the veterinarians of the Recovery Center are in charge of picking them up at the airport, normally in Tenerife North-Ciudad de La Laguna.
Proud.
Alejandro Suárez expresses his “personal pride” because “things are done well” is valued. “The fellow veterinarians of the Canary Islands trust us” he emphasizes. Another reason to feel proud is «the Spanish Recovery Center Network, the envy of Europe». He gives an example of the importance of spaces such as La Tahonilla: “Almost the only data from the biologist who studies the Manx Shearwater, Beneharo Rodríguez, from the ULPGC, obtains it from us.” A small specimen of which practically nothing is known, not even where it nests because it does so in inaccessible places. Rodríguez feeds on chickens that fall blind and are cared for in La Tahonilla to find out if the population increases or decreases.
He believes it is essential that “citizens become aware of how important the conservation of biodiversity is.” He emphasizes this: «We have to convey that each eagle, each blackbird or each kestrel plays a role in the chain of the natural world».
Environmental education.
The expert considers the environmental education that La Tahonilla cares for with the numerous visits of schoolchildren or other groups to be “key”. The most recent, a few days ago, from the Ecoimplicados association. Suárez highlights: «I would like the extraordinary work they do voluntarily to be known». Example of the relationship of La Tahonilla with society. With Tenerife but also, through the recovery of its animals, with the rest of the islands.
