Personnel from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of the Santa Fe province released "Ricardito," a specimen of broad-snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris) that had been transferred last October from the City of Buenos Aires after spending more than a decade in an inappropriate environment for its species in a small pool at the Malbrán Institute. According to what the Argentine News Agency could learn, the reintroduction was carried out in a protected area of the province after months at the Wildlife Rescue, Research and Interpretation Center (Criif) La Esmeralda, in the capital of Santa Fe, where the animal remained until it reached the necessary health, ecological, and behavioral conditions for its reintroduction into the wild. "This release is not just an emotional or symbolic act: it is the concrete result of a public policy that chooses to act with scientific evidence, institutional responsibility, and commitment to life. Recovering animals, rehabilitating them, and returning them to their habitats is part of the path we have chosen in Santa Fe," stated Minister Enrique Estévez. Ricardito's story Ricardito was found in a private home and taken to Malbrán more than ten years ago. His story reached the public for its uniqueness, but it also highlighted the need to provide responsible and scientifically grounded responses in cases of wildlife possession and trafficking. Following a judicial intervention promoted by the Specialized Fiscal Unit for Environmental Matters (Ufema), with the support of the Investigative Corps of the Public Prosecutor's Office of the City of Buenos Aires, the Fauna Area of the Argentine Federal Police, and the Porteño Ecopark, Ricardito was transferred to the Wildlife Rescue, Research and Interpretation Center La Esmeralda, in the city of Santa Fe, where his rehabilitation was carried out. The animal arrived with signs of having spent a long time in conditions inappropriate for the species, for which reason, for several weeks, an interdisciplinary technical team evaluated its health, nutritional, and behavioral status.
