Fernando Faciole
Rainy Release
Release of a giant anteater, Brazil, 2023
Category - Change Makers: Reasons for Hope
Hanna, a female giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) was released back into her habitat in the Brazilian Cerrado after undergoing a series of cardiac examinations. In the frame of groundbreaking research, the Wild Animal Conservation Institute (ICAS) team performed radiography and echocardiography on 11 wild and healthy anteaters. The results have established a valuable reference standard for improving the diagnosis of cardiac dysfunctions for captive anteaters in Brazil and beyond, one of the main threats to these animals held in enclosures. The release was witnessed by Arnaud Desbiez, ICAS’s founder, and veterinarian Rafael Ferraz from the partner project TamanduAsas. As the rain began to fall heavily, Hanna quickly recovered from the sedation and headed straight into the forest.
14-24 mm f/2.8 Lens - 1/250 sec at f/6.3 ISO 800