Evaluation of Parabuteo unicinctus rescues in urban area of ​​Baixada Santista, SP. Natália Beatriz de Mendonça Santos, Alessandra de Oliveira Lima, Ana Beatriz Alarcon Comelli

Abstract

The Zoo and Botanical Park “Orquidário Municipal de Santos” is a reference in the region of Baixada Santista for the services provided by it in regard to the sheltering and treatment of rescued wild animals. The utilization of data from these treatments can contribute to the knowledge of species which are indigenous to the aforementioned region. Belonging to the order of the Accipitriformes, the Harris’s Hawk -  Parabuteo unicinctus – is a type of local species, being considered a resident of the swamp regions of the municipalities of Santos and Cubatão. Currently, it is also frequently seen in the urban areas, mainly in the city of Santos. The aim of this work was to evaluate the incidence and most important causes of the rescues of this species in the urban area of the Baixada Santista, as well as its rate of recovery and posterior reintroduction into nature. These evaluations were based on the analysis of documents regarding a control done by the “Orquidário Municipal de Santos”, during a period that ranged from January 2005 to December 2015. The referral of 17 animals from the Parabuteo unicinctus species were evaluated, representing 31.48% of the total referrals of the Accipitriformes order that were done during that period of time. There was a predominance of arrivals in the month of March, followed by the month of December. As far as the time required for keeping them in captivity until their recovery, an average of 17 days was noticed. The rescues occurred in the municipalities of Santos, São Vicente and Guarujá. The most frequent cause of the rescues were collisions resulting in trauma, representing 57.17% of the total. Successful rehabilitations were seen in 52.94% of the animals. Looking at the data, it is possible to observe that after 2013 the occurrences became frequent, thus reiterating reports of male and female Harris’s Hawks mating in the urban area. Despite of the fact that the occurrences are spread out throughout the year, the months in which there is the highest number of rescues coincide with the mating season and appearance of young offspring. The several cases of trauma suggest an increasing anthropic interaction. There is the realization of the importance of wider ranging studies and follow-ups of these animals and of their relationship with the city.