They release 268 specimens of ferreret to the Tramuntana mountain range to reinforce its conservation

PalmaA total of 268 specimens of ferreret have been released at two points in the Serra de Tramuntana with the aim of reinforcing the conservation of the species in the Balearic Islands. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment, one of the actions took place on a public farm, where a space with adequate conditions has been created to favor the reproduction and establishment of the species.

In this enclave, 38 have been introduced to improve connectivity between breeding nuclei and the overall population structure. With this action, the number of known populations of ferreret in Mallorca is 35. On the other hand, 230 more specimens have been released in a stream in the area to reinforce an existing population that has experienced a decline in recent years. The Government attributes this decrease to high temperatures and lack of rain during the period prior to reproduction.

The specimens come from the captive breeding program of the Barcelona Zoo and the release is part of a scientific monitoring to assess the adaptation and evolution of the populations. During the event, the Director General of Natural Environment and Forest Management, Anna Torres, highlighted that the conservation of the ferreret is "an example of the success of biodiversity protection policies based on scientific knowledge and institutional collaboration".

At the same time, she pointed out that, despite the advances of recent decades, the ferreret is still a species "especially fragile and sensitive to environmental changes", such as reduced rainfall, increased temperatures, and habitat degradation.

The director of the Barcelona Zoo, Antoni Alarcón, stressed that the program allows contributing "directly to the recovery of a unique species in the world".