The president of the Generalitat, Carlos Mazón, has announced today the implementation of a statute for volunteering in animal protection in the Valencian Community.
The head of the Consell has highlighted the work carried out by the volunteers during his visit to the new facilities of the ‘Santa Faz’ wildlife recovery center in Alicante, where he learned about the work carried out in this space for the rehabilitation of wild animals. the province.
On his visit, he was accompanied by the Minister of the Environment, Water, Infrastructure and Territory, Salomé Pradas, and the mayor of Alicante, Luis Barcala, as reported by the GEneralitat in a statement.
Mazón has stressed the importance of citizen collaboration for the recovery of the Community’s wildlife, and has pointed out that “without it it would not be possible”, while stating that the work of volunteers “has not been well treated or recognized.” “.
For this reason, he has announced that the Generalitat is going to implement the statute of volunteers in animal protection “to recognize their work in the conservation and rehabilitation of wildlife in our Community.”
The head of the Valencian executive has also highlighted the creation, for the first time in the Generalitat, of a General Directorate of Animal Protection that “bears fruit” and is working on the creation of the volunteering statute and on “an important strategy for the wildlife and pets aimed at zero abandonment of animals and the care of our fauna.
As stated, the Valencian Government is going to take “a big step in this legislature” in this regard.
During his visit to the ‘Santa Faz’ wildlife recovery center in Alicante, he praised the “extraordinary work and coordination carried out in these spaces for the conservation and protection of the biodiversity of our territory” and ratified the commitment of the Consell to empower them and boost their activity.
The new Santa Faz facilities will make it possible to provide better veterinary care to wild animals that have suffered injuries, diseases or are in a vulnerable situation so that they can be reintroduced into their natural habitat in optimal health conditions, according to sources. .
After touring the facilities, Carlos Mazón has participated in the release of specimens of birds of prey that have been treated for their injuries in the Alicante center.
New “Santa Faz” facilities
The ‘Santa Faz’ wildlife recovery center in Alicante has a new building financed with FEADER funds that houses a large area dedicated to the care of wild animals and is made up of two operating rooms, an X-ray room, a treatment room and an ICU.
Among other infrastructures, the breeding cages for gray teal stand out, a species classified as being in critical condition, as well as facilities for the recovery of birds of prey in which these animals exercise their muscles in the phase prior to their release.
Thanks to these new facilities, a greater number of animals will be able to be cared for, which currently stands at around 4,700 annually. It should be noted that since the launch of this center 25 years ago, the number of animals cared for has increased every year and has exceeded the figure of 63,000, of which approximately 75% correspond to the group of birds, according to the Generalitat.
Record number of animals cared for in 2023
The Valencian Community currently has three wildlife recovery centers: Forn del Vidre (Castellón), La Granja (Valencia) and Santa Faz (Alicante).
In 2023, these centers have surpassed the record of animals cared for in the Community, with a total of 13,046 specimens, of which 4,366 correspond to Alicante, 7,652 to Valencia and 1,028 to Castellón.
Since the creation of these facilities, a total of 172,135 animals have been collected for recovery.
