The Chamber of Deputies approved the second reading of the bill that seeks to protect and foster the breeding of the Ridgway’s Hawk, also known as Hispaniola Hawk or the Dominican Hawk. The Ridgway’s hawk (Buteo ridgwayi) is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae endemic to the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean.
The passing of the bill is a continuation of efforts spearheaded by the Punta Cana Foundation to ensure the bird can continue to make this island its home. The bill orders local environmental protection for the bird. Internationally, the bird has a critical endangered status by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The hawk had been losing its habitat in Los Haitises, where farmers killed as many as possible out of misguided beliefs that the hawks preyed on their chickens.
The Puntacana Foundation is working with the international Peregrine Fund, the Propagas Foundation and the National Zoological Park on the Program to Conserve the Gavilán de la Española in the Dominican Republic.
For years, the Puntacana Group’s Puntacana Foundation has backed efforts to create a safe haven for the majestic birds in the area. Tourists visiting Punta Cana can participate in the conservation efforts and visit the observatories to see the birds soar in the skies.
Read more:
DR1 News
Peregrine Fund
Grupo Puntacana
3 October 2024