Estrela's Journey: A Muriqui's 120km Trek Home

For months, a small troop of researchers and local residents in eastern Minas Gerais held onto hope. Their subject: Estrela, a female northern muriqui who had vanished from her protected habitat. What followed was not just a search, but the tracking of an epic journey across the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

Estrela's story is one of survival, instinct, and the dedicated human effort to protect one of the world's most endangered primates. Her successful rescue underscores the fragile existence of her species and the lengths to which conservationists will go to ensure their future.

The search began in July of last year. Estrela, who lived in the Reserva Particular Mata do Sossego in Simonésia, left the safety of the forest. This behavior, while natural for muriquis seeking new groups for reproduction, carries immense risk outside protected areas.

What made Estrela's case extraordinary was the distance she covered. Over several months, she was tracked across multiple municipalities, covering an astonishing 120 kilometers. Her path took her through:

• Manhuaçu and the district of Santa Luzia
• Caratinga, near the local airport
• The rural community of Córrego dos Campinhos

Her eventual sighting was almost accidental. Local resident Eduardo Campos initially mistook her for another bird species until his sister spotted the primate in the farmyard.

Confirming Estrela's location triggered a carefully coordinated operation. The rescue team functioned as a mobile ICU, bringing together multiple disciplines to ensure a safe capture.

The biologist Theo Anderson described the complexity of the mission. "The animal needed to be anesthetized because it was at the top of a tree, which requires a lot of care," he explained. The team had to monitor the situation, prepare climbers, and have veterinarians ready for immediate action.

The situation demanded extreme caution. Even after being hit with a tranquilizer dart, Estrela's survival instincts kept her firmly attached to her branch. To prevent a dangerous fall, the team made the difficult decision to carefully cut the branch itself before securing her.

"It's a team with several fronts: people monitoring, people prepared to climb the tree, and veterinarians waiting. The animal had to be anesthetized because it was high in the tree, which requires a lot of care. Fortunately, everything went right."

Following the rescue, Estrela was transported to a nearby farm for stabilization. There, veterinarian Laura Castro led a thorough clinical evaluation, checking vital signs, weight, height, and overall health.

The prognosis was excellent. According to Dr. Castro, Estrela responded well to the anesthesia and was quickly reversed. Her heart and respiratory rates were within normal ranges. While slightly dehydrated—a common issue after such an ordeal—this was expected to resolve naturally upon her return to the forest.

The Muriqui Instituto de Biodiversidade (MIB), which has monitored Estrela since birth, orchestrated the medical care. For the institute's president, biologist Marcelo Nery, the rescue embodies their core mission.

"This institute was born from a passion for this species. We do not admit that the muriqui be extinct. When we achieve a successful action like this, returning a reproductive female to the group, it is a feeling of ecstasy for the entire team."

The urgency of Estrela's rescue is rooted in the dire status of her species. The northern muriqui is a primate found exclusively in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, where it plays a vital role as a seed disperser, helping to maintain the biome's ecological balance.

Current estimates suggest that fewer than 1,000 individuals remain in the wild, living in isolated fragments of forest. This makes every reproductive female, like Estrela, critically important to the species' survival.

Researcher Fernanda Tabacow, who has tracked Estrela since her birth, emphasized the stakes. "This female makes a big difference. We have been monitoring Estrela since she was born. She has enormous potential for the reproduction of the species. After months knowing she was at risk, managing to reach her is an indescribable emotion."

After months of uncertainty, the moment of recovery was charged with emotion for the team. The relief of finding Estrela safe was palpable.

Dr. Laura Castro admitted the weight of the moment. "It's very emotional. It makes you want to cry, but at that moment I needed to take care of her. Knowing that she will be well and that we did everything for her is very gratifying," she said.

For Fernanda Tabacow, the connection was even deeper. Having named Estrela and watched her grow, the rescue felt like a pivotal moment for conservation efforts.

"I saw her be born, I gave her that name. I followed her whole life. Knowing that she will have another chance, that we are all united in favor of biodiversity and this very Brazilian and very threatened primate, is a huge relief. This is a first step to changing the history of the species."

With her health secured and her strength returning, Estrela faces the final leg of her journey: reintegration. She will be released back into the forest, where conservationists hope she will fulfill her biological purpose.

The expectation is that Estrela will rejoin a social group and contribute to the reproduction of her critically endangered kind. Her 120km odyssey, while perilous, has ended not in tragedy, but in a renewed commitment to preserving the muriqui. For the team at MIB and the broader conservation community, Estrela represents hope—a living symbol that dedicated effort can still change the fate of a species on the brink.