The first Lear’s Macaw hatchling has been born in the wild (in situ) from a pair born and raised in a conservation centre (ex situ).
CANARY ISLANDS, Spain, Aug. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — A transcendental milestone for the conservation of endangered species has just taken place: the first Lear’s macaw chick was born in situ (in its natural habitat) from birds born and raised ex situ (outside of their natural habitat).
The reintroduced birds that were born and raised under human care at the Loro Parque Fundación have not only been able to survive in their natural habitat and fully adapt to their environment, but have also been able to reproduce.
Lear’s Macaw pair with its offspring
More than 40 birds have been born in the Foundation’s breeding centre, 19 have already been sent to Brazil, of which 8 were successfully introduced into the wild.
This is one of the major projects of the Loro Parque Fundación, which has succeeded in changing the category of this species on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) from “critically endangered” to “endangered”. This achievement meant its salvation from their imminent extinction, something that Loro Parque Fundación has managed to do with a total of 10 species to date.
The protection and progressive recovery of the Lear’s Macaw has been a long and hard-working process, in which the ex situ work carried out by Loro Parque Fundación stands out, to whom the Brazilian Government transferred two pairs 16 years ago, in 2006, with the aim of breeding and saving a species that was in a very vulnerable situation.
In 198, there were only 60 specimens of this species left in the wild and thanks to the dedicated work of the Loro Parque Fundación their numbers are now much better, exceeding 1,200 individuals.
It also reinforces the key role of zoos as protectors of endangered wildlife, as they provide the animals with a safety net, which they often lack in the wild.
These actions are part of an integrated project with birds bred ex situ and in situ in which Loro Parque Fundación collaborates with more than 10 institutions around the world.
More information at: https://www.loroparque-fundacion.org / https://www.loroparque.com
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Photo : https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1876891/Macaw_pair_with_its_offspring.jpg
Contact : Natalya Romashko, [email protected], +34922373841 ext 319
SOURCE Loro Parque Foundation
