Press Releases
First Release of Endangered Harpy Eagle
Panama City - December 3, 1997 -
On December 4th, Federal Express Corporation ("FedEx"), and The Peregrine Fund will deliver to Panama two young endangered Harpy Eagles, the country's national bird. The young Harpy Eagles will be released in Soberania National Park which is about 20 km from Panama City. The release is being accomplished in cooperation with INRENARE, the natural resource agency of Panama. The Peregrine Fund anticipates the young eagles will find suitable habitat in the Panamanian forest, mate and eventually help restore the species in the area.
"It is an exceptional species and we have been working toward the goal of releasing young Harpy Eagles since we started this project in 1989," stated Dr. William Burnham, President of The Peregrine Fund.
These Harpy Eagles are two of only seven ever to hatch in captivity in North America. The Harpy Eagle is the most powerful eagle in the world with talons the size of grizzly bear claws. Once common in the Central American forests, today only 12 nests are known to exist in Panama. The eagles' cause of decline is due to forest fragmentation, destruction of nesting sites, and shooting.
"We are proud to support this exchange between the US and Panama. It is symbolic of what can be accomplished when we combine our strengths. This is a good example of FedEx's ability to transport very valuable, sensitive shipments around the world", said Joseph C. McCarty, Senior Vice President for FedEx in Latin America.
The Peregrine Fund approached FedEx because of its ability to offer fast and reliable, next day service. The Harpy Eagles, each with their own handlers, are being transported courtesy of FedEx. The eagles board FedEx aircraft in Boise, Idaho on December 3rd and arrive Panama City via FedEx's International Priority Service®, the next day.
Upon arrival in Panama City's Tocuman Airport, the eagles will be transported by INRENARE to their release site in the forests of Soberania National Park. The eagles will be held in a specially designed enclosure atop a wooden tower for a brief period of acclimatization prior to their release. The eagles will be monitored closely for several months after release to ensure their successful dispersal into their new habitat. Dependant upon the success of this first release, additional releases are planned for 1998.
FedEx recently inaugurated EXPRESSfreighter® service to Panama, providing daily express service between Panama and world commerce centers. With the introduction of the EXPRESSfreighter aircraft, FedEx is the only all-cargo carrier in Panama to provide next business day service to points throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Venezuela and the Caribbean, and two business day service by FedEx International Priority® to Europe and Asia.
The Peregrine Fund was founded in 1970 at Cornell University in response to the catastrophic decline of the Peregrine Falcon throughout much of North America. The efforts to save this species resulted in breakthroughs in the field of endangered species research and today the Peregrine Fund is involved with conservation projects around the world.
Federal Express Corporation connects areas that generate 90% of the world's gross domestic product in 24-48 hours with door-to-door, customs-cleared service backed by a money back guarantee. The company's unmatched air route authorities and infrastructure make it the world's largest express transportation company, providing fast and reliable service for 2.9 million items in 212 countries each working day. The company employs approximately 137,000 people and has more than 42,500 drop-off locations, 590 aircraft and 38,500 vehicles in its integrated global network. FedEx maintains electronic connections with more than 750,000 customers via FedEx PowerShip®, FedExShip®, and FedEx InternetShipSM. Federal Express reported revenues of $11.5 billion for its fiscal year ended May 31, 1997.
On December 4th, Federal Express Corporation ("FedEx"), and The Peregrine Fund will deliver to Panama two young endangered Harpy Eagles, the country's national bird. The young Harpy Eagles will be released in Soberania National Park which is about 20 km from Panama City. The release is being accomplished in cooperation with INRENARE, the natural resource agency of Panama. The Peregrine Fund anticipates the young eagles will find suitable habitat in the Panamanian forest, mate and eventually help restore the species in the area.
"It is an exceptional species and we have been working toward the goal of releasing young Harpy Eagles since we started this project in 1989," stated Dr. William Burnham, President of The Peregrine Fund.
These Harpy Eagles are two of only seven ever to hatch in captivity in North America. The Harpy Eagle is the most powerful eagle in the world with talons the size of grizzly bear claws. Once common in the Central American forests, today only 12 nests are known to exist in Panama. The eagles' cause of decline is due to forest fragmentation, destruction of nesting sites, and shooting.
"We are proud to support this exchange between the US and Panama. It is symbolic of what can be accomplished when we combine our strengths. This is a good example of FedEx's ability to transport very valuable, sensitive shipments around the world", said Joseph C. McCarty, Senior Vice President for FedEx in Latin America.
The Peregrine Fund approached FedEx because of its ability to offer fast and reliable, next day service. The Harpy Eagles, each with their own handlers, are being transported courtesy of FedEx. The eagles board FedEx aircraft in Boise, Idaho on December 3rd and arrive Panama City via FedEx's International Priority Service®, the next day.
Upon arrival in Panama City's Tocuman Airport, the eagles will be transported by INRENARE to their release site in the forests of Soberania National Park. The eagles will be held in a specially designed enclosure atop a wooden tower for a brief period of acclimatization prior to their release. The eagles will be monitored closely for several months after release to ensure their successful dispersal into their new habitat. Dependant upon the success of this first release, additional releases are planned for 1998.
FedEx recently inaugurated EXPRESSfreighter® service to Panama, providing daily express service between Panama and world commerce centers. With the introduction of the EXPRESSfreighter aircraft, FedEx is the only all-cargo carrier in Panama to provide next business day service to points throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Venezuela and the Caribbean, and two business day service by FedEx International Priority® to Europe and Asia.
The Peregrine Fund was founded in 1970 at Cornell University in response to the catastrophic decline of the Peregrine Falcon throughout much of North America. The efforts to save this species resulted in breakthroughs in the field of endangered species research and today the Peregrine Fund is involved with conservation projects around the world.
Federal Express Corporation connects areas that generate 90% of the world's gross domestic product in 24-48 hours with door-to-door, customs-cleared service backed by a money back guarantee. The company's unmatched air route authorities and infrastructure make it the world's largest express transportation company, providing fast and reliable service for 2.9 million items in 212 countries each working day. The company employs approximately 137,000 people and has more than 42,500 drop-off locations, 590 aircraft and 38,500 vehicles in its integrated global network. FedEx maintains electronic connections with more than 750,000 customers via FedEx PowerShip®, FedExShip®, and FedEx InternetShipSM. Federal Express reported revenues of $11.5 billion for its fiscal year ended May 31, 1997.
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