Tas breeding program aims to save endangered parrot
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 at 7:45 A captive breeding program in Tasmania is trying to increase the number of orange-bellied parrots released into the wild as the population falls to just 100.
The bird is verging on extinction and re-release survival rates are low. In the Tasmanian aviaries there are 55 birds and 25 chicks.
For the project officer of the breeding program, Mark Holdsworth, it is worth the work to help the species.
"We know that we can breed these birds successfully in captivity and maintain a captive population indefinitely, we're pretty sure of that," he said.
Senior keeper Jocelyn Hockley is hand-rearing the chicks before release.
"In six months' time we're going to be releasing them back into the wild and that's a really great feeling," she said.
About 50 birds from Tasmania will be let out of captivity this year.
Tas breeding program aims to save endangered parrot