An endangered bird has been given new hope after two of the world’s rarest parrots hatched at Chester Zoo.
Described as a ‘pivotal moment’ in saving Mitchell’s lorikeets from extinction, the ‘most precious chicks on the planet’ arrived on September 9 and 11.
Currently only seven of the birds are thought to remain in their natural habitat of Indonesia, on the islands of Bali and Lombok.
The colourful parrots are one of the world’s rarest birds after the illegal wildlife trade pushed them to the brink of extinction.
Experts say that the two chicks will now join a special breeding programme for the ‘extremely rare’ species, which was set up at conservation zoos across Europe.
Zoe Sweetman, parrot team manager at the zoo, said: ‘The hatching of two Mitchell’s lorikeet chicks is pivotal moment for the species, especially as its future on the planet hangs in the balance.
‘Given how precious the chicks are, we’ve been monitoring them very closely and weighing the duo regularly to give them every chance of fledging the nest and reaching adulthood – they really are very special.’
Chester Zoo joined the conservation breeding programme in 2018 to help protect endangered species like the lorikeets.
Ms Sweetman added: ‘We’re now home to 12 of these beautiful parrots, which is sadly more than what has been recorded in the wild in recent years.’
Zookeepers will determine the sex of the new arrivals by testing DNA samples from their feathers.
Mitchell’s Lorikeets are one of the rarest parrots in the world, found only on the islands of Bali and Lombok in Indonesia.
Little is known about the species, but they feed on nectar and migrate according to when certain flowers bloom during the year.
Less than 50 remain in the wild.
The zoo blames extensive hunting and trapping for the illegal wildlife trade as driving the drastic decline in numbers, due to birds being taken from the wild each year for pets and gifts.
As a result, the species is listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and BirdLife International.
Andrew Owen, head of birds at the zoo, added: ‘Many of Indonesia’s bird have now largely disappeared from their forest homes.
‘This is why we’ve been working with our partners in Java, the Cikananga Conservation Breeding Centre, for more than a decade to rescue birds and provide the skills to breed them in their own country.’
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