With claws as big as a grizzly bear, it hunts monkeys with all its strength: The 'beast' thought to be extinct has returned after 20 years.

Scientists have photographed a young Harpy eagle, the world's most powerful bird of prey, which was thought to be extinct in the country and was born in Argentina.

The legendary harpy eagle, which had been missing for more than 20 years in the forests of Misiones, Argentina, has resurfaced in recent months, alarming the scientific and conservation communities.

This historic discovery was made in late July 2024, during years of fieldwork by researchers Sergio Moya and Manuel Encabo. The team captured footage of a young female harpy eagle, approximately two years old, in a reserve north of Misiones. "What I saw through the binoculars took my breath away," Moya said.

The analysis confirmed that this individual was not a visitor from Brazil, but a new life born directly on Argentinian soil.

The harpy eagle is considered the world's most powerful bird of prey. It has talons the size of a brown bear's, an impressive wingspan, and the ability to hunt large prey such as monkeys and sloths. Females can weigh up to 9 kilograms (20 pounds) and carry prey up to half their body weight. This makes it the apex predator of the tropical rainforest.

Despite its majesty, the harpy eagle's survival is in grave danger. Classified as "near threatened" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the species' situation is even more critical in Argentina.

The main threats facing the species are:

Deforestation: The destruction of habitats due to agriculture and logging.

Poaching: Hunting due to superstition or because of its size as a threat to livestock.

Slow reproduction: They only produce one offspring every two or three years, making it extremely difficult for the population to recover.

The appearance of this young female eagle raises complex questions for scientists: Are there other individuals in the area? Can a stable population be reestablished in the country? Or is this the last glimmer of a vanishing ecosystem?

Local conservation organizations like the Caburé-í Foundation have intensified monitoring efforts in the area. Protecting the Misiones rainforest is vital not only for Argentina's biodiversity but also for the last hope of a legendary species like the harpy eagle. This discovery has transformed a story of extinction into a story of resistance, for now.