Opened in 2022, the Eco Park offers a unique experience of respect and interaction with living beings. Discover that there is life outside cities and what you can do to build a better world. Experience the countryside, the forest and remember that we are all part of nature!

Eco Park was born out of a dream, a long time ago, when Leandro Mautone, from São Paulo, emigrated to Italy. There, he spent 15 years working in renowned institutions such as the Oltremare Park and the Genoa Aquarium, where he learned the techniques of falconry.

This is an ancient art that encourages the partnership between humans and birds of prey, recognized as Intangible Heritage of Humanity by Unesco in 2010. Back in Brazil in 2017, Leandro went to work at the Rio de Janeiro Zoo, which was then looking to implement Falconry to improve bird care, provide new educational experiences and control synanthropic animals (wild animals that can adapt and live alongside humans).

The work in Rio de Janeiro yielded good experiences and fruits, making it possible to meet biology students Bruno Nogueira and Larissa Vasconcelos who, as interns, learned all the techniques of falconry with Leandro. But something was missing. Leandro still wanted to create something that would not only spread the word about falconry in Brazil, but also increase people's connection with birds of prey. After two and a half years in Rio de Janeiro, it was time to take to the air.

In 2019, Leandro and now biologists Bruno and Larissa founded the Falconry Center in Foz do Iguaçu, located on Silmar Benitez Street. It was just the three of them as employees to carry out all the institution's activities, which included not only looking after owls, hawks, hawks and vultures, but also giving training demonstrations of these animals to incoming visitors. This training is a fundamental part of the birds' routine, stimulating natural behaviors and helping to rehabilitate those that have been rescued from accidents or mistreatment.

The Falconry Center has established itself as a well-known and respected institution in the city. However, the land on Silmar Benitez became too small to house the birds that arrived in need of care and it soon became clear that an expansion was needed to provide a better service to the animals. So, in 2021, Leandro started a partnership with the Dreams Group, which sought to fulfill its socio-environmental mission.

The partnership with the Dreams Group led the Falconry Center to change location and evolve to become the Eco Park, which opened in December 2022. Its mission has also grown. Now, it is not just a center for the treatment and rehabilitation of birds of prey and the promotion of falconry, but an institution dedicated to telling the story of humanity's relationship with animals. Eco Park has created a small farm with domestic animals and an immersion nursery to be a new home for birds and reptiles that have suffered at human hands due to mistreatment. 102 animals were sent to Eco Park by the Water and Land Institute of Paraná during its first year of operation alone.

Visitors are invited to learn about this work through controlled interaction with the animals on the little farm and by watching demonstrations of exercises by the Creole horse, a typical Brazilian breed, and the flight of birds of prey. This demonstration is based on Leandro's presentations in Europe and is the only one of its kind in South America so far.

The Eco Park's commitment to building a better world for all forms of life leads it to celebrate its anniversary on December 4, the date set as World Wildlife Conservation Day.