Mangal das Garças celebrates professionals with special programming on Sunday, September 7
The Zoobotanical Park will welcome the public to celebrate Biologist Day and Veterinarian Day in a free event, starting at 9 AM
On next Sunday, the 7th, the Social Organization Pará 2000 will promote a special program at the Zoobotanical Park Mangal das Garças to celebrate Biologist Day and Veterinarian Day, which occur in September. The morning will be filled with activities such as: feeding turtles, Ecozoo, Ecoart, and a walk with birds of prey. Visitors will be able to see up close the fundamental work that these professionals do in caring for our fauna and flora. Participation is free and starts at 9 AM.
The program - Starting at 9 AM, the birds of prey will come out to greet the public. The technical team of the Park, along with the interns, will take Apuí, the Gavião-caboclo (Heterospizias meridionalis), Nairobi, the Corujinha-do-mato (Megascops choliba), Clocktilde, the Corujinha-relógio (Megascops usta), and Albinha, the Gaviãozinho (Gampsonyx swainsonii), for a walk around the José Márcio Ayres Reserve (Butterfly House) and the amphitheater.
Right after the moment with the raptors, the program will take place inside the Butterfly House at 9:30 AM, featuring one of the most beloved attractions by the Mangal audience: the release of butterflies. The ticket for the Butterfly House costs R$ 9.00 full price and R$ 4.50 half price, and must be purchased in advance at the ticket office.
In partnership with the Academic League of Forensic Veterinary Medicine (LaForVet), the Park will hold a memorable EcoZoo. Starting at 10 AM, participants will have the opportunity to get up close with the Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus), named Elsa, and the Toco Toucan (Ramphastos toco), referred to by the Mangal audience as Tucupi. Additionally, a surprise animal, which was recently born in the complex, will be presented for the first time to visitors attending the program.
“LaForVet from Unama has partnered on other projects here in our Park. Together with our programs, the Veterinary students from the league will support the activities, as well as address the topic of animal trafficking and awareness, a very important subject to discuss with the population. Unfortunately, this issue is still a very strong reality in our region, and the more people know about the topic, the more reports can be made. Raising awareness about caring for our flora and fauna is our main goal,” says Beatriz Tavares, environmental technician at Mangal das Garças.
And the day doesn’t stop there. Starting at 10:30 AM, for the first time, people participating in the program will be able to feed the turtles. With the help of the caretaker, each visitor will receive some food that should be thrown into the lake for the animals. Everyone will be able to participate in this unique moment.
After getting to know all these animals, at 10:40 AM, the kids will be able to unleash their creativity in Ecoart. With the natural stamp workshop prepared by Creative Workshops - Cumbuca, the little ones will be able to create their own stamps in homage to the animals they witnessed during the morning at Mangal.
“Environmental education is one of the strongest mottos of the complex. Being able to align this theme with culture and leisure, allowing more and more people to become aware is gratifying,” says Fernanda Scaramuzzini, Marketing Coordinator of OS Pará 2000.
The professionals - The Zoobotanical Park Mangal das Garças is built every day by the visiting public and, mainly, by the technical team. With one biologist and two veterinarians, the fauna and flora of the complex are preserved and cared for daily.
The biologist Basílio Guerreiro has been working at the Park since 2019 and works directly with animal management, focusing on well-being, dietary management, butterfly reproduction, and care for plants and trees. “One of the most incredible moments of working at Mangal is being able to closely observe the reproduction of butterflies. Following the metamorphosis from the birth of the caterpillars is a unique experience. Additionally, being able to have direct contact with various species of birds and reptiles, and accessing a very important botanical collection, is enriching,” he comments.
Camilo González has been a veterinarian at Mangal since August 2019 and works in various areas, such as biosafety for animals and people visiting the complex. He also works directly with the reproduction project of the scarlet ibises, which is a huge highlight at Mangal das Garças and has received various recognitions.
“Our work is very integrated. We have a team for biology, environmental enrichment, training, falconry, where I also help, in addition to the documentation and licensing part of the Park. We also work with reproduction: we take care of the babies in the nursery, always alongside biology. We also work on animal nutrition, developing specific formulas and diets,” emphasizes Camilo.
González shared a bit about the routine inside the complex: “Every day, in the morning, we perform treatments and have the support of veterinary interns. Besides helping with activities, they learn and receive practical training. We have trained more than 60 interns in these six years. In the afternoon, we also perform treatments. If any animal is in pain, we put it on analgesia; if it needs antibiotics, we administer them. We inspect all enclosures to identify what each animal needs. Sometimes we receive calls about an animal that seems more apathetic, so we go there, collect exams, and refer them. We also monitor the animals that are part of the annual reproduction plan, checking what needs to be done to stimulate the process.”
Hugo Silva has also been working as a veterinarian at the Park for a year and a half and states that the moments that stand out the most in his career are those of animal rescues. “Our team is able to promptly rehabilitate them and include them in our collection, and with that, we can provide a better quality of life for these beings, in addition to doing environmental awareness work.”
“All our honors and recognition go to these dedicated professionals, who are an essential part of the OS Pará 2000 team and Mangal das Garças, and who work every day for a greater good: caring for nature,” declares Fernanda Scaramuzzini.
The Zoobotanical Park Mangal das Garças has a regular daily program. Check it out:
8:30 AM – Feeding the iguanas
9 AM – Walk with diurnal raptors (Tuesday to Friday)
10 AM – Release of butterflies (check at the ticket office)
10:15 AM – Feeding the turtles
11 AM, 3 PM, and 5:30 PM – Feeding the herons
5 PM – Walk with the owls (Tuesday to Friday)
Service:
Date: September 7, 2025
Location: Zoobotanical Park Mangal das Garças
Time: 9:00 AM — Walk of the birds of prey
9:30 AM — Release of butterflies
10:00 AM — EcoZoo
10:30 AM — Feeding the turtles.
10:40 AM — Ecoart workshop: creating natural stamps
Text: Bianca Portela, intern Ascom/OS Pará 2000
