Peruvian government has enacted a law declaring of national interest the protection and conservation of the Andean condor, the largest flying bird on the planet, it was reported Tuesday.
With this declaration, the country's regional governments and the corresponding entities will implement measures to comply with the provisions of this law, which is signed by the head of State Ollanta Humala and Prime Minister Rene Cornejo.
These giant scavengers are considered near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature or IUCN. It is threatened by habitat loss and by secondary poisoning from carcasses killed by hunters.
The Andean condor is a national symbol in Peru and in other South American countries such as Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and plays a prominent role in folklore and cultural mythology.
They have been represented in the Andean art since 2500 B.C. The Incas believed the condor brought the sun into the sky every morning and was a messenger to the gods.
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Published: 6/10/2014