Maracuya, a caracara, arrived at RAREC in January 2024 at just one month old. Based on the information we gathered, she likely fell from her nest before being taken in by locals. Realizing they were unable to properly care for her, they handed her over to the authorities, who then contacted us.

Upon arrival, our vets assessed her condition and found that she was too young to walk or feed herself. However, she quickly gained strength, learning to stand on her own and hunt small insects, fish, and amphibians. As she grew, she was moved to a larger enclosure to practice flying and further develop her hunting skills.

To prepare her for release, caretakers and vets hid her food to encourage natural scavenging. She was gradually introduced to live prey, including lizards, frogs, and fish. Once she reached the appropriate weight, she was released through a soft release process three months later, in April 2024. This meant she continued receiving food once a day but at a distance from any human infrastructure.

Despite all our efforts, Maracuya chose to establish her territory near our center, where she is often seen by our volunteers. However, she is now fully self-sufficient, hunting and feeding on her own.