White-bellied heron ex-situ conservation

DesertRhino150

DesertRhino150

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
I have just seen this article on the website of Prague Zoo about the work currently ongoing in Bhutan to create an ex-situ programme for the white-bellied heron, one of the largest and rarest heron species.

Since 2017, keepers in Bhutan have been trained in heron care at Prague Zoo and a breeding station has also been constructed in Bhutan. The breeding station will be stocked with birds hatched from eggs where chicks are unlikely to survive - although white-bellied herons can lay up to four eggs at most only two chicks will survive.

The first egg rescue was carried out in April 2021 and now two chicks have successfully acclimatised to the outdoor aviaries. More rescues will be carried out next year.

More information can be found in the link below:
Prague Zoo aids white-bellied heron conservation
 
Another cooperating zoo in Europe on this project is Zoo Zlín who donated some funds, equipment and training for RSPN staff.

Two short articles, only in Czech, but you can see map of last surviving herons and a few pics from training (artificial incubation, hand-rearing, basic bird keeper routines).
zoo zlín kriticky ohrožená volavka císařská Asie
ZOO Zlín Bhutan volavka

I hope this whole project succeeds and this species survives long-term. Nice to see a bhutanese organisation so interested in protecting their local wildlife heritage.
 
A recent study has given cause for concern for Bhutan's important population of White-bellied Heron.

The Himalayan kingdom is home to some 40-50% of the world's population of the Critically Endangered species, as well as the largest number of breeding birds. The heron is already extinct in Nepal and possibly Bangladesh too, with the entire global population now restricted to northern Myanmar, north-east India and Bhutan.

World's rarest heron facing extinction - BirdGuides
 
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