SECOND BIRTH PARROT SPERM BREEDING HAPPY 40TH

Transcription

Nº 101 - 2012
The Newsletter of Loro Parque Fundación
HAPPY 40TH
BIRTHDAY
Loro Parque
SECOND BIRTH
of an orca
PARROT SPERM
evaluation
research
BREEDING
the vasa parrot
40 years of love for nature
Nº 101 - 2012
the newsletter of loro parque fundación
saving wildlife and habitats
penguins is inaugurated.
Cyanopsitta is printed using environment friendly, reclycled, woodfree coated paper: Symbol Freelife Satin©, FEDRIGONI©
Índex:
Message from the Founder............................................2
Happy 40th Birthday Loro Parque..................................3
Hotel Botanico receives ISO9001..................................4
7 wonders campaign of AZE..........................................4
LP/SP News..................................................................5
LPF News...................................................................11
News of the parrot collection.......................................12
Projects up-date..........................................................15
Breeding the Greater Vasa Parrot.................................27
Breeding the White-headed Parrot................................30
Avian extinctions increase...........................................33
Thank you for helping Nature.......................................34
Cover photo:
LORO PARQUE 40th ANNIVERSARY
editorial office:
Loro Parque S.A.
38400 Puerto de la Cruz
Tenerife, Islas Canarias. España
Tel.: +34 922 374 081 - Fax: +34 922 373 110
E-mail: [email protected]
editorial consultant:
Rosemary Low
editorial committee:
Javier Almunia, Wolfgang Kiessling,
Simon Bruslund, David Waugh
and Rafael Zamora.
visit our websites:
www.loroparque-fundacion.org
www.loroparque.com
www.facebook.com/loroparquefundacion
www.facebook.com/loroparque
Membership:
Become a member of loro Parque Fundación to support
us in our activities. You will then receive our newsletter
Cyanopsitta, as well as a supporter´s card permitting
free entry to Loro Parque during the validity of your
membership and a visit to our breeding centre. The
current annual membership fees are:
Adult................................................................ 100,00 €
Children............................................................. 50,00 €
Life member................................................. 1.500,00 €
Please send us your membership subscription by mail, fax
or e-mail, or call us, and we will sign you up immediately.
bank account:
Banca March, Puerto de la Cruz
Account: 0061 0168 81 005034011-8
IBAN: ES40 0061 0168 8100 5034 0118
BIC: BMARES2M
Banco Santander, Puerto de la Cruz
Account: 0049 0290 37 2113529526
IBAN: ES46 0049 0290 3721 1352 9526
BIC: BSCHESMM
BBVA, Puerto de la Cruz
Account: 0182 5310 61 001635615-8
IBAN: ES85 0182 5310 61 0016356158
BIC: BBVAESMM
2
Legal deposit: TF-1643/2003
2001 ·The new “Discovery Tour” adventure, an excursion
showing “behind the scenes”, begins.
Message from the Founder
Loro Parque has very many friends, some from the very beginning, and
with many more showing their friendship these days by using the modern
communications opportunities such as Facebook. Now the celebration of the
40th Anniversary of Loro Parque is upon us, and this grand moment gives me
yet another opportunity to express my deep appreciation of such friendship,
and for the encouragement received over the span of four decades.
This encouragement has constantly stimulated Loro Parque to attain levels of
quality in the visitor experience and welfare of its animals each time higher than
before, and always competing with the best at worldwide level. This desire to
always do better, and to always give the visitors an inspiring experience, is truly
alive and well in Loro Parque in 2012. Forty years after its inauguration, Loro
Parque has made a spectacular re-creation of its Loro Show, completed a new
Aratinga parakeet habitat and has created a new zone of very fine terrariums for
nose-to-nose viewing of reptiles. But pride-of-place must go to its brand new
South American exhibit of Giant Anteaters and Capybaras, where visitors can
observe these animals for the first time ever in a way never achieved before in
captivity, nor in nature. These innovations are what characterize the 40 years of
Loro Parque, and even as I write this there are more astonishing developments
in the pipeline.
The commitment of Loro Parque to the well-being of its animals is manifested in
multiple ways, but it gives me pleasure to mention one case in particular, which
is the gorilla Schorsch who this year shares his 40th birthday with Loro Parque.
For an age contrast, but also very much the result of excellent welfare, is the
birth this year of a second orca in the installation of Orca Ocean. Naturally, the
birth of an orca grabs the headlines, but in fact it is only one of the impressive
number of births that have happened in Loro Parque this year, and which are
reported in the pages of this newsletter.
It truly is a pleasure to know that so many of you will be able to join us for the
birthday party on the 17th of December, and equally gratifying to receive wellwishes from those not able to join us. To all of you I give my heartfelt thanks.
Wolfgang Kiessling and the first parrots
Happy 40th Birthday Loro Parque
Too much has happened in Loro Parque to fit everything into
this small space in the newsletter, but here are some historical
highlights of what the 40th Anniversary will be celebrating:
1972 ·Wolfgang Kiessling founded Loro Parque with 150
parrots and the first Parrot Show in Europe, in 13,000 m2.
1978 ·First other animals arrive: Galapagos tortoise, alligators
y chimpanzees.
1982 ·Construction of the Black Continent with the “LoroVision” cinema and expansion to 60,000 m2.
1983 ·Construction of the first parrot breeding centre with 100
aviaries, under the advice of John Stoodley.
1986 ·I International Parrot Convention.
1987 ·Inauguration of the largest “Dolphinarium” in Europe.
1989 ·Opening of the “Orchidarium” and arrival of the sealions.
1990 ·The Gambian Market inaugurated by the President Sir
Dawda Kairaba Jawara
1991 ·Opening of “Tiger Island”.
1992 ·Expansion of the park to 135,000 m2.
Wolfgang Kiessling
President, Loro Parque Fundación
1993 ·H.R.H. Princess Galyani Vadhana of Thailand gives her
name to the Thai Village.
·Exhibits of gorillas, aquarium, Sea-lion Show and Porcelain
Parrot Museum.
1994 ·Loro Parque Fundación is constituted.
·Birth of the first dolphin.
1996 ·H.M. Queen Sirikit de Thailand visits Loro Parque.
·“Naturavisión”, a spectacular building replaces “Loro-Vision”.
2002 ·Arrival of the white Bengal tiger and his partner.
·“El Pacífico”, home for the Humboldt penguins, is created.
·Loro Parque lays the first stone of “Siam Park” in the south
of Tenerife.
2003 ·Arrival of the puffins from Iceland..
·Construction of the ‘kindergarten’ for parrots at the side of
the Baby Station,
2004 ·Second visit of H.R.H. Princess Galyani Vadhana of
Thailand.
·Inauguration of the new veterinary clinic “Villa Colina”.
2004 ·Breeding success of Spix’s Macaws.
2005 ·Inauguration of “Kinderlandia”, adventure park for
children.
2006 ·Inauguration of “OrcaOcean” and the “Aula del Mar”
education centre.
2007 ·First breeding in Europe of Lear’s Macaws.
·Construction of a free-flight aviaries for lories.
2008 ·Loro Parque is the world’s first zoological park to
receive the Animal Embassy certification.
·Loro Parque S.A. inaugurates Siam Park, in the presence of
Princess Maha Chakri Shirindhorn of Thailand.
2009 ·H.R.H Princess Chulaborn Mahidol of Thailand visits
Loro Parque.
·Inauguration of the spectacular aviary “Katandra Treetops”.
2010
·Inauguration
of
the
Short-clawed
otter
exhibition.·VII
International
Parrot
Convention.
·Birth of orca Adán.
2011 ·Premiere of the educational documentary “Planet Life”.
·Arrival of Morgan, an orca rescued in the Wadden Sea,
Netherlands.
2012 ·Arrival of the new white Bengal tigers.
·Premiere of the new Loro Show with presentation and
scenery totally renewed.
·Opening of new exhibitions: Aratingas, reptiles, giant
anteaters and capybaras.
·Birth of orca Vicky.
1998 ·The new exhibit for the chimpanzees, “Chimpland”, is
inaugurated.
·The first eggs of King Penguins arrive.
And finally the great 40th Anniversary Celebration taking
place in Loro Parque on 17th December, with Canarian food
tasting to enjoy throughout the park from 15:00h and then at
16:00h the actual Anniversary Celebration in OrcaOcean, and
culminating at 18:00h with a cocktail and closing show at the
entrance of the park.
1999 · “Planet Penguin”, a gigantic representation of
Antarctic habitat housing King, Gentoo and Rockhopper
Happy Birthday Loro Parque, and congratulations for all your
achievements.
1997 ·The “Arab Palace” is inaugurated for the Parrot Show,
and the jaguar crater.
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The Hotel Botanico receives the ISO 9001 certification and intensifies its
commitment to quality and sustainability
The Hotel Botanico intensifies its commitment to offer the
maximum quality to its clients, as well as to respect to the
environment and adds to its seals of quality the ISO 9001
certification, validated by the TÜV Rheinland Group of
certifiers. This recognition is an international norm that
endorses the evolution and the constant improvement of the
system of quality management that increases the satisfaction
of the guests and guarantees an optimum service.
This new accreditation complements the rest of the
certifications which this 5-star great luxury hotel already
has, reflecting its responsibility to the environment as
well as its care of nature and the isle of Tenerife as tourist
destination. Among the others there are the ISO 14001,
EMAS III and BIOSPHERE HOTEL. The Hotel Botánico is
the property of a company owned by Loro Parque and is
managed by Inserhotel, S.L.
Seven Wonders Campaign of the Alliance for Zero Extinction
On the 10th of September 2012, at the World Conservation
Congress in Jeju, South Korea, a new initiative was
announced by the Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE).
The congress was hosted by the International Union
for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and about 8,000
people gathered there to address global conservation
issues. AZE’s 7 Wonders (www.AZE7Wonders.org)
campaign asks voters to help select seven sites from
around the globe to highlight the plight of species on
the brink of extinction. The winning sites will be featured
in a campaign to help conserve endangered species.
AZE has posted a list of 20 candidate sites from
which voters can select their choice of seven. The 20
shortlisted sites were chosen from among 587 sites
around the world identified by scientists working with
AZE; sites that are the last refuges for one or more
endangered species. The 20 sites represent a variety
of taxonomic groups, including birds, mammals,
amphibians, and reptiles.
The Loro Parque Fundación for years has been a
member of the AZE and IUCN and, in cooperation with
its partners in several countries, it uses the AZE list of
threatened sites and species to help prioritize its work.
One of the proposed seven wonders is the site in northeast Brazil where the threatened Lear’s Macaw exists,
the conservation of this species being a project that
the LPF has supported for seven years. As a result of
Lear’s Macaws in Licuri palm
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LP/SP NEWS
Sites that also benefit people
In addition, a new study conducted by Conservation
International and NatureServe, and published in the
journal PLoS ONE assessed, for the first time, more
than 500 AZE sites around the world to review the
potential and realized benefits which conserving these
places would provide not just for species, but also for
human well-being. The researchers determined that
protecting habitats in these priority areas to halt the loss
of biodiversity will yield multiple benefits to people in
terms of ecosystem services such as climate change
mitigation through reduced deforestation, supply of
freshwater and the future “option value” of biodiversity
and cultural services. The benefits found in the global
network of AZE sites significantly exceeded those from
randomly selected networks of sites within the same
countries and regions used for comparison. The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Natural Park
and its surrounding areas in Colombia is an example of
an AZE site that is very important for both species and
people. The Loro Parque Fundación works here with
its Colombian Partner, Fundación ProAves to conserve
the Santa Marta Parakeet, one of 13 highly threatened
species for which the site is the last refuge, but which also
provides many benefits to people. The river basins are
an important source of clean freshwater to downstream
human populations and the tropical rainforest stores
a significant amount of carbon important for climate
change mitigation. The site also has considerable
cultural value as about 30,000 indigenous people of
four ethnic groups are living in the area and consider it
sacred. Further research will improve the understanding
of the importance of the AZEs for additional ecosystem
services, and enable scientists to understand how vital
areas for biodiversity also deliver a variety of benefits to
people on a local, regional and global scale.
Yellow-eared Parrot
A second killer whale born in Loro Parque
conservation actions, the species has been down-listed
in the IUCN Red List from ‘Critically Endangered’ to
‘Endangered’, and the project continues to reduce the
threats from illegal trafficking and hábitat destruction.
Other proposed sites and species include Poyang Hu,
China for the Siberian Crane, Manas National Park,
India for the Pygmy Hog, and Baly Bay National Park,
Madagascar for the Angonoka Tortoise
On the 10th of August 2012, Loro Parque announced a
unique event with the birth of the second orca, Victoria,
in its OrcaOcean facility. This is a major milestone
for the breeding programme, of which Loro Parque is
extremely proud because reproduction is the most
important factor confirming the well-being of the animals
at the site, which was specially created for these marine
mammals.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species was used by
AZE to help identify the 920 Endangered and Critically
Endangered species restricted to 587 single sites
worldwide.
Kohana, the new mother, is 10 years old and was born
in San Antonio in Sea World in the USA. She gave birth
the previous night to her second calf, weighing in at 152
kilos, and after 2 hours of labour. She was attended and
assisted constantly by a team of veterinarians, biologists
and her trainers. Just moments after the birth, the baby,
which measured 2.40 metres, instinctively swam to the
surface to take his first breath. ‘It is a very important day
for all of us at Loro Parque as this birth is clear evidence
of the well-being that all our animals enjoy’ said Miguel
Díaz, Orca trainer Chief. “The little calf is strong, swims
with energy and we are very happy to have the privilege
to see how it grows up” remarked Diaz.
The campaign is sponsored by AZE member, American
Bird Conservancy. AZE (www.zeroextinction.org) is a
joint initiative that aims to prevent species extinctions
by identifying and safeguarding key sites, each of which
is the last remaining refuge for one or more Endangered
or Critically Endangered species.
“The experience with assisted-rearing of this species at
Loro Parque is very important, proven by the appropriate
growth and development of Adan, the first calf born in
the park, which is now almost 2 years old” explained
Dr. Javier Almunia, Deputy Director of the Loro Parque
Foundation. However, the veterinarians and trainers
Launching the inititiative, Mike Parr, AZE Chairman and
Vice President of American Bird Conservancy (campaign
sponsor) pointed out that the world rallies to preserve
the heritage of priceless historical places like the Great
Pyramid of Giza or the Colosseum, and that we should
also protect the places on Earth that harbour the most
endangered species.
prudently await the progress of the calf, as the first
few weeks are crucial for the development of the baby,
which begins life with its basic immune system only, and
it therefore takes time to strengthen it.
This is the second birth of a killer whale in the OrcaOcean
facility which was inaugurated in 2006 and where there
are 7 orcas living together including Adan (born at Loro
Parque), the female Morgan coming from Holland and
four others born in 2nd and 3rd generation in captivity
at Sea World in the United States, where already a total
of 30 orcas have been born in the breeding programme
(including this birth) which is the most successful in
the world with more than 40 years of experience. This
exceptional case will provide scientific information and
knowledge about breeding and the care of the baby,
which will benefit future offspring of this and other
cetacean species.
5
LP/SP NEWS
The life explosion in Loro Parque continues with 5 new Southern stingrays
Loro Parque celebrates the birth of
five Southern stingrays (Dasyatis
awwmericana), in the aquarium
facilities of the park. This is a
major milestone for the breeding
programme of this species, as a
breeding success indicates the
good welfare of these animals,
which belong to the shark family.
They live in the aquarium facilities
with more than 1,200,000 litres of
seawater coming directly from the
Atlantic Ocean.
dart in the tip of the tail to ward
of predators. However, “they are
docile if treated well and are fed
by humans, something they like
especially at Loro Parque, because
this creates a very good feeling with
the keepers”, explains the Curator,
Xoán Domínguez. Among the
favourite foods of the stingrays are
molluscs in big quantities, mussels,
clams, razor clams, squid, prawns
and blue fish, “a rich and varied
menu that ensures healthy and
making it possible to get near
and observe at close quarters
these fascinating animals, thus
discovering them in a completely
different way. A fully open facility,
which
has
been
specifically
designed to guarantee their wellbeing, includes heating systems
hidden under the rocks which
recreate the extreme conditions
of the steppes and deserts from
which they come. These echos of
the dinosaurs will definitely delight
all visitors with their changing
colours and their prehistoric-like
appearance.
In Europe there are about 60
stingrays in zoos, of which only
three of them have managed to
reproduce his species in captivity
and it is estimated that around
70 million sharks are killed each
year in the wild, due to human
activities such as overfishing and
contamination.
Loro Parque, one of the most beautiful
zoological and environmental parks
in the world, celebrates its 40 years
of existence and kicked off the
summer season giving homage to
nature with amazing news for its
visitors. In addition to the recently
unveiled Loro Show, which is all
the rage among the youngest of the
family, the most amazing highlights
Stingrays have a flat, diamond
shaped body and usually stay
several hours buried in sandy
bottoms. Their gestation period
reaches five months and they
also stand out for having a poison
are a brand new terrarium full of
impressive reptiles and a big aviary
housing exotic parrots from South
America, which will surprise visitors
of all ages with their vivid colours
and their refreshing dips into the
built-in waterfalls.
The reptile exhibit offers a unique
experience among European zoos
Almost 40 years after it opened its
doors for the first time, Loro Parque
has also returned to its origins, the
parrots, and bets more strongly
than ever on showing their beauty.
Hence, it has set up a giant glasswalled aviary where bright parakeets
and Golden conures fly free and
reveal their beauty while sharing
their new home with Red-Footed
tortoises and Rhinoceros iguanas.
10 years + 1 for Versele-Laga, Loro Parque and Loro Parque Fundación
The birth of the African spurred tortoises in Loro Parque
birth of the tortoises is a result of the
well-being of the 10 adult tortoises
which came to Loro Parque one
year ago. The little tortoises, which
hatched in stages during recent
weeks, now live in a terrarium
especially made for babies. Loro
Parque expects more births of this
kind in the coming period.
The African spurred tortoises
stand out for the grooves that
appear between their scales and
characterize them. Only a few years
ago they lived in large areas of the
territory of Africa along the southern
border of the Sahara desert, but due
to the urbanization of the territory and
especially the desertification, their
existence today is very vulnerable
and they only survive within national
parks and reserves. In the exhibition
that Loro Parque designed for them,
these little chelonians enjoy the sun
and the excellent temperature in
Tenerife during their long naps on
the white sand.
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Loro Parque unveils a fabulous reptile exhibit
gradual growth of these young”,
says Xoán Domínguez.
With these five young, Loro Parque
has now a group of 16 stingrays,
seven males and nine females,
living in the exhibition dedicated to
the Caribbean ecosystem, the place
that these tropical and subtropical
animals inhabit, together with
Lookdowns
(Selene
vomer),
Porkfishes (Anisotremus virginicus),
Spanish hogfishes (Bodianus rufus)
and Sergeant majors (Abudefduf
saxatilis).
Loro
Parque
celebrated
the
beginning of term with an explosion
of life and new African spurred
tortoises (Geochelone sulcata). The
LP/SP NEWS
Versele-Laga, with its headquarters
in Belgium, is an innovative,
internationally operating company
which produces and markets quality
pet-food, snacks and animal care
products, respecting nature and
the specific needs of each animal.
It has been active in the pet-food
market for more than 40 years and
conducts continuous research in
its own Pet Research Centre with
specialized vets and nutritionists.
To extend its product offer it also
conducts research in collaboration
with universities and leading
national and international breeders,
and especially with Loro Parque and
the Loro Parque Fundación. In fact,
Versele-Laga is also a major sponsor
of the Loro Parque Fundación, the
main part of its support being to
provide various of its foods free of
charge for the feeding of the parrot
collection of the LPF. Loro Parque
matches the contribution to the
LPF, and also provides important
promotional opportunities. In return,
the LPF makes available its parrot
collection for research on parrot
diets and nutrition in which VerseleLaga is involved.
The research collaboration has
covered several fundamental areas
of parrot nutrition, but perhaps the
most obvious manifestation of the
research for parrot keepers are
Versele-Laga’s Prestige Premium
Loro
Parque
seed
mixtures,
designed for Australian parrots and
parakeets, African parrots, Amazon
parrots and Macaws.
Versele-Laga group with Curator Simon Bruslund in the LPF breeding centre
7
LP/SP NEWS
mountain to arrive for a delicious
lunch in Siam Park, with the chance
to see the different attractions
offered to visitors.
Versele-Laga group in Siam Park
Last year Versele-Laga, Loro Parque
and Loro Parque Fundación were
due to celebrate their ten years of
cooperation, but given that Loro
Parque marks its 40th Anniversary
in 2012 it was decided celebrate
everything this year, and thus
make the event 10 years +1. And
so, between the 20th and 23rd of
September, Versele-Laga and Loro
Parque jointly supported the visit
to Tenerife of a group of journalists
and photographers specialised in
birds and aviculture. Included in
the group were Frans Coppieters,
Phillippe Rocher, Danny Roels,
Dietmar Schmidt, Klaas Snijder,
Henk van Hout and René Wüst,
originating from Belgium, France,
Germany and The Netherlands.
They are closely associated with
avicultural
organisations,
and
between them are involved with
at least 15 different specialist bird
magazines.
Accompanied by Dr. Patrick Ghysels
and Caroline Swen of Versele-Laga,
the group stayed in the luxury
surroundings of the Hotel Botanico,
and arrived on the first day to the
Thai Village of Loro Parque to
receive presentations about the
activities of the LPF from its director
Dr. David Waugh and a short history
of the Versele-Laga collaboration
from Dr. Ghysels. The day continued
with a visit to Katandra Treetops,
the free-flight aviary and the macaw
8
jungle, arriving at the ‘Baby Station’
where
Wageningen
University
nutrition student, Anouk Fens,
explained about her research to
test the effects of new Versele-Laga
hand-rearing diets for Amazons and
Macaws. The group then joined the
‘Discovery Tour’ to see most of the
rest of the park, and completed the
morning with a visit to the veterinary
clinic, guided by Dr. David
Perpiñan, Director of the Veterinary
Department. The afternoon was left
free for the group members to visit
any part of Loro Parque at their own
pace, the day culminating in a fine
dinner at the Hotel Botanico.
Most of the morning of the following
day was occupied with a visit to
the breeding station of the LPF
in La Vera Breeding, with Simon
Bruslund, Curator, guiding the
group through the installations.
This was a visit where the fine
detail of keeping and breeding of
many different species could be
discussed, and the group also had
the opportunity to see at first-hand
the diets of the parrots, including
the Versele-Laga components, and
also how these foods are stored
prior to use. Leaving the breeding
station, the group embarked on a
tour of the Teide National Park and
World Heritage site, taking time to
stop and photograph endemic Teide
finches (Fringilla teydea), and then
descending the south side of the
The final stop of the day was at an
abandoned dog refuge in Fasnia
on the Tenerife south coast. The
abandonment of dogs is a problem
in Tenerife, and Loro Parque and
the Loro Parque Fundación are
helping in the strengthening of a
humane response to the problem
by supporting the creation of
suitable
accommodation
in
buildings on land donated by the
island government, the Cabildo of
Tenerife. For some years, VerseleLaga has also been helping the
situation of abandoned dogs in
Tenerife by supplying quantities
of dog food, and it was important
to visit the refuge to see this side
of its corporate responsibility. The
importance of the dog refuge project
was highlighted by the delegation
which met the group at the refuge,
this being led by the President of
the Cabildo, Ricardo Melchior, and
attended also by José Bethencourt,
Island Councillor for Agriculture,
Livestock and Fisheries, Barbara
Bamberger, Assistant to Director
of Travel Industry & Promotion and
others.
The final day for the group involved
another morning visit to freely
wander around Loro Parque,
and then a free afternoon before
catching the flight back home,
and then to share with others in
magazine articles the magic of Loro
Parque, the serious conservation
work of the LPF, and their synergy
with Versele-Laga.
Visit to the Fasnia dog refuge. Left to right: Patrick
Ghysels, Versele-Laga, Ricardo Melchior, Cabildo
President, Barbara Bamberger, Tenerife Tourism,
José Bethencourt, Cabildo Councillor for Agriculture.
LP/SP NEWS
The white tigers in Loro Parque received a special surprise at Easter
The white Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris
tigris) which came from Safari Park in
China received a special Easter surprise.
They were not only fed with their favorite
food, but they received it under special
circumstances. Yangiu and Linmao
found their own Easter eggs adjusted to
their eating necessities and appropriate
for their feline habits. In this sense,
whoever visited the park at this time
could enjoy this activity of enrichment
and watch these majestic white tigers
fully in action of search and cunning. In
addition, children were able to participate
for free in the workshop of decorative
painting of eggs, and win a prize or gift
of creative makeup with original designs
that the elves had created especially in
honour of the tigers.
to Tenerife, where they stimulate an
authentic explosion of joy.
The white Bengal tiger was during 100
years an animal unknown to humans. It
is a natural gene mutation very difficult
to find and Loro Parque wanted to bring
them for the interest of the visitors. With
their hypnotizing look and the strength
they transmit, Yangyu and Linmao
came more than 10,900 kilometers
Social behaviour of male gorillas
Great apes and many other animal
species are kept in captivity
for breeding purposes and for
behavioural research. However, the
success of such socially-housed
groups in terms of the individuals’
welfare and breeding performance
is variable and often influenced by
demographic factors.
Group of Madrid’s Complutense
University, and also the Higher Institute
of Social and Political Scieneces
of Lisbon’s Technical University.
Following her observations in Loro
Parque, Nerea made observations
of the social behaviour of gorillas in
a multi-male/multi-female group at
Vallée des Singes, a zoo in France.
Thus, in 2009 and 2010, Nerea
Amezcua-Valmala,
a
Spanish
researcher specialising in great apes,
studied the social behaviour of the
bachelor group of gorillas in Loro
Parque. Nerea is affiliated to the UCM
Animal and Human Behaviour Study
Together with Fernando Colmenares
of Lisbon and Catarina Casanova of
Madrid, Nerea compared the structure
of social behaviour of the gorilla males
living in these two demographically
different social groups. Reporting
the results this year, they found that
clusters of behaviours used by males
during aggressive encounters varied
between the groups. Compared to
the multi-male/multi-female group,
males from Loro Parque’s allmale group appeared to manage
more successfully their agonistic
confrontations by using a welldeveloped
aggressive/submissive
behavioural system.
Studies like these which assess
the effects of group composition
on behaviour can help design
management protocols that maximize
the individuals’ welfare and breeding
success.
Schorsch, the oldest gorilla in Loro Parque, turns 40
Loro Parque has celebrated a very special
event: the 40th birthday of Schorsch, the
oldest male gorilla of the group of western
lowland gorilla bachelors living in Loro
Parque. This is an important achievement
from an animal welfare point of view, as
well as the fact that gorillas belong to the list
of critically endangered species. The age
reached by Schorsch at Loro Parque is
rare in individuals of this species, since only
2% of captive males turn 40. The lowland
gorilla populations are in decline in the wild
due to poaching and diseases such as
Ebola virus, which has killed up to 90% of
the gorillas in some areas.
In order to celebrate this day, Loro Parque
keepers and veterinarians prepared a
special activity of sensory enrichment
consisting of a cake made with his favourite
fruits and a special basket of delicious
vegetables presented in an original way
with the aim to stimulate his curiosity.
Schorsch is a gorilla whose patient,
deliberate and noble behaviour always
surprises his keepers, who strive to take
care of him and give him constant attention.
Lowland gorillas live in tropical forests
where they group in families consisting of
a dominant male, and a group of several
females and their offspring. When the
young grow up, the males often leave
family groups and temporarily form
bachelor groups, until they form a new
family or take over an existing one. Loro
Parque was a pioneer among zoos around
the world and managed to recreate this
social structure in the park with a group of
bachelors, thus solving the major problem
faced by zoos in the mid-nineties due to the
surplus of males in their family groups.
The worsening in the state of
conservation of this species has made
captive breeding efforts become much
more important now. Fortunately, the
population managed in a coordinated
manner by European zoos (EEP) has
a good number of individuals (over
450 in 2012), of which three quarters
were born in captivity. The bachelor
group of Loro Parque is a key player
in this captive breeding programme
in Europe, as it allows greater genetic
exchange and helps to better manage
family groups in other zoos.
9
LP/SP NEWS
Loro Parque receives the gold medal of the Centre for Tourism Initiatives
of Puerto de la Cruz.
Loro Parque has been distinguished with the gold medal
2012 of the Centre for Tourism Initiatives (CIT) of Puerto
de la Cruz for its 40 years of existence and for deserved
recognition of its input to the tourism of the city. The
event took place in the Gran Teide great hall of the Hotel
Botanico, where CIT director Hortensia Hernández gave
the official dinner speech and acclaimed the valuable
input and the exemplary career of the world-famous
Loro Parque in Puerto de la Cruz.
guide of the tour operator TUI in Puerto de la Cruz,
Pedro Juan Perez Hernandez, director of the hotels
and restaurants „Maga“, for his work in the domain of
gastronomy and the touristic city, and Cesar Borges,
owner of „Blanco Bar“ for his determined commitment
to a high quality offer in the entertainment sector.
The silver medal was awarded to Francisco Javier
Gonzalez Edodey, former general director of the Bahia
Principe San Felipe Hotel for his 50-year-old career and
altruistic collaboration in the development of tourism
in Puerto de la Cruz. Moreover, Mickel Alfredo Antonio
Mederos also received the CIT silver medal, as the
person in charge of the business Columbus-Cafe de
Paris, Rancho Grande, for his commitment overall and
as professional caterer of the city.
Afterwards, thanks were given to Rita Schuldt, in
recognition of her work for about 30 years as a tourist
To attend inauguration ceremony were the President of
the Island Council, Ricardo Melchior, president of Loro
Park, Wolfgang Kiessling, and the director of Siam Park
Christoph Kiessling, who were accompanied by several
members of the authorities of Adeje and Arona. In
addition, other local celebrities were among the guests
and more than 150 people attended the event.
After cutting the ribbons by those conducting the inauguration,
the speeches by local authorities were made and the priest
José Domingo has blessed the new project. Following the
inauguration, a cocktail was celebrated with all the guests
of honour, who also used the opportunity to try out the new
attractions and dared to jump into the water. In consideration
of the unique and novel offer without repetition in relation to
other theme parks, the Water Kingdom is consolidated as
the unprecedented reference in the field of new generation
amusement parks featuring aquatic rides.
Kinnaree, finished at the beginning of July 2012, is a mega
slide with a 200 metres long winding circuit to guarantee you
triple enjoyment, intensity and fun. The adrenaline produced
from speed after being launched from over 25 meters high is
10
The other addition, Sawasdee, which
means ‘Welcome’ in Thai, is a brand new
children’s zone offering inexhaustible
fun, with an authentic water jungle that
incorporates four different slides, two
of which are specifically designed for
racing and putting the children’s skills
and abilities to the test. A miniature
version of The Dragon, Siam Park’s
most popular slide, has also been
built for the children to enjoy, too. This
totally new children’s area is in addition
to the existing “The Lost City” making
the Siam Park’s family fun offer second
to none.
Moscow zoo welcomes the Expo Orca of the Loro Parque Fundacion in the
summer months
Christoph Kiessling receives the award from Hortensia Hernández of CIT
Siam Park has opened two brand new areas, Kinnaree and Sawasdee:
aquatic experiences unique in the world
Faithful to its promise of continued innovation, Siam Park
has presented in July two new attractions for the whole
family: Kinnaree and Sawasdee, for a total of 2.5 million
Euros invested. With these unique new attractions, Siam Park
confirms its position as a technology and quality standard for
water parks.
LPF NEWS
only the beginning, and will prepare the visitor to experience
the first of the many surprises being an exciting funnel with
a 45° tilt which will evoke the first gasps of emotion. Then
the journey continues through lush vegetation to plunge
rapidly into a huge tornado wave. Other surprises will add
to these experiences to complete the sensation of total
enjoyment.
The Moscow zoo, arranged through
its director Dr. Vladimir Spitsin, during
the summer months an exhibition of
the orca sculptures known as Expo
Orca which, supported through
the Loro Parque Fundacion, is the
combination of art, nature and
tourism together embodying symbolic
expression, stimulating awareness
and accentuating the importance of
protecting and caring for the oceans.
This exposition, which has the support
of the Promotur, contributes to the
promotion of tourism at the Canary
Islands in this emerging market,
bringing the best of the islands to more
than 5 million people who visit the zoo in
the summer months. In this sense, the
sculpture collection is accompanied by
promotional material of the individual
islands and a special booth where the
zoo visitors can discover and get to
know more about the destination.
versatile and abstract artists who took
part in this project, in company with
Pepe Dámaso, Carmen Cólogan, Iker
Muro, Pedro González, Anibal del
Rosario and Gonzalo González also
paying homage to nature, producing
modern pieces with dedicated content.
Moreover they guided and sponsored
the five social groups which also took
part in this project with colourful designs
and aesthetically pleasing materials
and techniques.
This Expo Orca exposition has the aim
to stimulate awareness within Canarian
society towards the protection of
whales, linking environmental and
sustainable tourism with culture and
public participation. Thus, these
famous artists have regarded each
sculpture as their own, to finish them
artistically and to leave their own mark
and inspiration which characterizes
them, resulting in a unique collection
with a highly symbolic content. Having
said this, the Loro Parque Fundación
benefits from these sculptures in that
the total proceeds from merchandising
and catalogue sales of the exposition
are donated 100% to help the projects
of whales and dolphins within the
Macaronesia initiative.
The 12 large artworks were created and
produced by 11 of the most famous
Canarian contemporary artists who,
committed to the work of the Fundacion,
express their support, creativity and
artistic talent as applied to the sculptures.
In this framework, the Loro Parque
Fundacion and Moscow Zoo signed
an agreement of collaboration with the
objective to promote the marvels of the
Canary Islands, bringing a message of
conservation and the protection of the
waters of the Archipelago.
Facundo Fierro, Ildefonso Aguilar,
Elena Lecuona, Luis Kerch y José
Antonio Zárate are just a few of the
11
LPF NEWS
40 parrot breeders from Switzerland participate in the 15th Workshop
organized by Loro Parque Fundación
The Loro Parque Fundación brought
together 40 parrot breeders from
Switzerland to participate in the 15th
practical workshop on parrots that
took place in Puerto de la Cruz from
5th to 12th May. At this encounter,
which coincided with World Migratory
Bird Day, curators, veterinarians,
biologists and keepers participated in
various sessions of advanced parrot
management, proper and balanced
feeding practices, health and medical
aspects, as well as new hand-rearing
techniques for various species, many
of them endangered.
The sessions took place in the
breeding centre that Loro Parque
Fundación has created especially
for the tasks, and had the leading
specialists in this field. The next
week a second session took place,
also at the Loro Parque Fundación,
with more than 50 breeders coming
from Germany and Austria. The
conferences are, depending on the
demand, held in English, Italian and
Spanish.
and they just started breeding for
the first time in December. Currently,
the two now are tending youngsters
and have reared them so far easily,
an important step to preserve this
species of Lorikeet, which is kept in
very few places and for which Loro
Parque coordinates the European
Breeding Programme (EEP) among
zoos.
January:
February:
Since late summer, four pairs of
Yellow-cheeked Amazons (Amazona
a. autumnalis) have been housed
together as a flock in a large group
aviary which is 20 m long, 3.5 m
high and 12 m wide. Now, they have
been put back as pairs into their
breeding aviaries. We hope from
now on to have better breeding
success after previous group
stimulation, since all four pairs had
been previously unsuccessful.
The Lorikeets always belong
to the first species starting the
reproduction phase, right at the
beginning of the year. Hence, the
following Lorikeet species have
already had descendents in midFebruary and can be listed as follows:
Rainbow Lorikeets (Trichoglossus
haematodus moluccanus), Paleheaded Lorikeet (Trichoglossus
h. caeruleiceps), Scarlet-breasted
Lorikeet
(Trichoglossus
h.
forsteni), Scaly-breasted Lorikeet
(Trichoglossus
chlorolepidotus),
Goldie’s
Lorikeet
(Psitteuteles
goldiei),
Yellow-streaked
Lory
(Chalcopsitta sintillata), Black Lory
(Chalcopsitta atra) and Purplebellied Lory (Lorius hypoinochrous
devittatus).
This has been just the opposite
to the reproduction stimulation
for our Red-crowned Amazons
(Amazona
rhodocorytha).
For
this parrot species, the pairs are
separated after one breeding
season and then brought back
into the group for the new season.
Through this stimulation, the Redcrowned Amazons always move to
the reproduction stage quickly. At
our facilities, no pair of this parrot
species has yet started breeding
while only in pairing behaviour;
both group stimulation and pairing
behaviour have always been
necessary for females to start laying
eggs. It can be seen with these two
examples that the needs within a
12
Young Amazona rhodocorytha
species and closely related species
may be very different.
This accounts though for the appeal
of parrot keeping, since there is no
valid breeding method that suits all
types and many years are needed
before finding the appropriate way
for one’s birds.
The progeny of a pair of Mindanao
Lorikeets
(Trichoglossus
johnstoniae)
has
particularly
pleased us. Currently, we have five
pairs of this species which are all
closely related to each other. This is
the reason why it was all the more
gratifying that we could acquire a
new and absolutely unrelated male
last year into our collection. It was
paired with a female of our progeny
leading quickly and unpredictably
to an early death. Therefore, the
temperature must be reduced
much faster in the brooder, as is
not the case of chicks from some
Neotropical species. While the
young Kea hatchlings in good
condition are kept at only 28°C
on the 15th day of life, macaws,
cockatoos and Amazons can be
kept at 34°C, for example.
Also the first Galah offspring
(Eolophus roseicapillus) from the
first eggs laid by our pairs are
growing well under the care of
our hand-rearing team in the Baby
Station. This year, we have tried
colony breeding in a large aviary
with four pairs of Galahs, and it has
worked out easily so far. All four
pairs have laid eggs.
Trichoglossus johnstoniae - chicks 20 days old
March:
News from the parrot collection of Loro Parque Fundación
LPF NEWS
In the Baby Station, four beautiful
young Keas (Nestor notabilis),
which were previously artificially
incubated in the incubator, are
growing well. Hand-reared Keas
thrive and grow very quickly, as they
always properly digest the feeding
formula. This fast grow should be
monitored though, since their small
legs often cannot withstand a rapid
growth and this can easily lead to
deformations.
April:
Overall, we have six pairs of Bluecrowned Lories (Vini australis).
For over ten years, we have been
regularly breeding this species and
have built from the original three
pairs a beautiful breeding group.
However, there have also repeatedly
been unfertilized eggs, especially
where the pairs have seen each
other in the opposite aviaries, but
we have now prevented this with
screens and the eggs of two pairs
were promptly fertilised, and each
pair is now raising a young chick of
its own.
From our Poicephalus parrots,
young birds of three species have
already been ringed: Senegal
Parrot (Poicephalus senegalus),
Brown-necked Parrot (P. robustus
fuscicollis)
and
the
Brownheaded Parrot (P. cryptoxyanthus).
The first two species have been
regularly bred for many years, and
therefore the offspring of the third
species have been particularly
gratifying for us, as we have only
two pairs of Brown-headed parrots,
and after many years of no breeding
they have once again had chicks.
Isa and juvenile Galahs
Another challenge to hand-rearing
the Keas is their vulnerability to
overheating and thus collapse
May:
The breeding activities are now in
full swing, with the first pair of Ganggang cockatoos (Callocephallon
fimbriatum)
already
incubating
two eggs. Also, the first pair of
Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus
hyacinthinus) has laid the first clutch
of two eggs and is incubating them.
The Emma White-eared Parakeet
(Pyrrhura leucotis emma) is among
the species in the collection of the
Loro Parque Foundation which in
the past were been increasingly
successful, but then were left behind
since raising the last in 2002. With
the objective to help them breed
again, the three remaining animals
were placed together in a new
aviary. The sex ratio, two males and
one female, but also the change
of location had such a motivating
and stimulating effect on this small
group that these mature birds have
already started breeding again. A
clutch with five fertile eggs was the
result, which has been incubated
very well. Currently, the five young
are being fed by all three parents,
although as yet it is not clear if both
males can be called fathers.
June:
Three young Purple-bellied Parrots
(Triclaria malchitacea) are currently
growing up in the exhibition aviary
in Loro Parque after we had to
intervene repeatedly in recent years
to help raise the chicks, because
the parents were not attentive
enough at an early stage. Now it
seems that this year, for first time,
this pair in the park will not require
human assistance. Sometimes an
abrupt improvement can happen for
no obvious reason, but successful
breeding regularly takes place
among the other four pairs located
in the breeding station of the LPF.
The pairs are well bonded and the
diet is right, being slightly altered
to offering an annual variation with
more protein just before breeding.
This is achieved with Nutribird
pellets from Versele Laga by
changing from P15 to P19, the latter
having a higher protein content but
otherwise being identical in form
and taste. This species has always
been rare in aviculture and the LPF
aims to continue to build a strong
breeding stock of this species
which includes setting up a number
13
LPF NEWS
Brood of Pyrrhura leucotis emma chicks
of new young pairs to rejuvenate the
stock from one breeding season to
the next.
July:
A very special breeding success this
year for the Red-vented Cockatoos
(Cacatua haematuropygia) is now is
growing. A newly formed pair for the
first time laid three eggs that were
of about 1.000 wild animals.
Although there are now very hopeful
approaches in the conservation
efforts that, for example supported
by the LPF, has enlarged the number
from about 20 birds on Rasa Island
to over 280 cockatoos, the habitat
destruction still proceeds rapidly
for this parrot species and, outside
the sanctuaries, these birds are
still hounded. This is the reason
why it is so important to build up a
safe genetic reserve under human
care. Breeding successes such as
described above give us hope for
future breeding.
August:
Once again there are some very
interesting and rare offspring to
announce,
including
Hyacinth
Macaws
(Anodorhynchus
hyacinthinus) reared in the Baby
Station of Loro Parque,. Several
The Red-Vented Cockatoo, once
spread across Philippines, has now
dwindled to a remnant population
After we raised a Blue-checked
Amazon (Amazona dufresniana) last
year for the first time in the history
of Loro Parque, the pair is breeding
again this year. It seems that the
spell is broken and breeding is
not longer a single event, because
this year two young hatched, and
are currently growing in the Baby
Station. This is a very important
achievement for this Amazon
species rarely kept in captivity.
14
September:
Breeding pair of Philippine cockatoos by their nestbox
other has moved to the nesting cliff,
but as yet has no eggs. Two young
hatched from the new eggs of the
first pair, and they are being raised
by their parents.
pairs have laid new eggs, which are
still being incubated by the parents.
The hand-rearing of macaws has for
many years belonged to the daily
routine of the hand rearing station.
At the beginning, the Hyacinth
Macaws were always a little more
difficult in their breeding than other
macaw species, but now we have
found a food recipe that makes the
young grow easily.
Triclaria malachitacea pair
all fertile and the three eggs were
incubated by the parents. Now, all
three chicks have hatched and are
well supported, cared-for and raised
by their parents. In past years the
chicks in LPF were always reared
under human care, but now we can
observe for the first time a natural
rearing. In the interest of conserving
the species, this is a very important
step in the European Breeding
Programme (EEP).
projects up-date
The breeding period of our Lear
Macaws (Anodorhynchus leari)
started very late this year. Our two
breeding pairs each reared two
young during the last year. After
fledging of the young we left them
with the parents in order to socialize
them for as long as possible, and
thus they were only separated
from their parents in spring. This is
probably the reason why the pairs
have started breeding with some
delay this year. Until now, only one
pair has begun to breed, while the
This year we tested for the first time
a new maintenance system with
our Finsch´s parakeets (Aratinga
finschi). In all previous years, this
South American parakeet has
always been housed for breeding in
pairs. This year, four pairs were put
together in a group, to have a mutual
stimulation between the pairs.
Eventually, one of the pairs which
previously was unsuccessful started
breeding and two young hatched,
and were successfully raised.
Amazona defresniana chick
Rio+20: the Loro Parque Fundación conservation projects for parrots in 2012
Twenty years after world leaders first
met in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to make
their pledges to protect the planet,
the United Nations Conference
on
Sustainable
Development
convened once again. Participants
from governments, the private
sector, NGOs and other groups,
came together to try to ensure
environmental protection, reduction
of poverty, and advancement of
social equity on an ever more
crowded planet.
This year also, the Loro Parque
Fundación (LPF) is continuing its
commitment to protect some of the
world’s most threatened species of
parrots and their habitats, to help
conserve biological diversity in
general, and to promote sustainable
use of natural resources. The
annual direct financial commitment
of the LPF to the projects has again
attained a record level, now with
US$1,266,014 committed for 2012.
Of this total, 87.2% is for projects to
benefit parrots, and the remainder
is to help whales, dolphins and
the marine environment. Specific
research
on
captive
parrots
accounts for 6.1% of the budget,
with the major portion being used
to support projects for parrots in the
wild.
In 2012 the LPF has a total of
36 active projects, of which 27
are to help parrots. There are 40
psittacine species which are priority
for the projects to help, although
other species of parrots and other
animals and plants benefit from
the project activities. Of the target
parrot species, 70% are listed in
the IUCN (International Union for
the Conservation of Nature) Red
List as species threatened with
extinction, and another 12.5% are
close to being listed. Unfortunately
some of the projects might reveal
situations where species will be
added to the list. However, on the
positive side the LPF projects are
helping to make threatened parrot
species safer, the down-listing
from ‘Critically Endangered’ to
‘Endangered’ of the Yellow-eared
Parrot Ognorhynchus icterotis and
the Lear’s Macaw Anodorhynchus
leari being two excellent examples.
Table 1 provides a list of the active
parrot projects in 2012, including (in
parentheses) the principal partners
in each case. The LPF will continue
to work hard to uphold for parrots
the spirit of Rio+20.
Taking measurements of Amazona brasiliensis
15
projects up-date
Table 1. LPF parrot conservation projects active in 2012
projects up-date
Conservation support for Colombia’s threatened parrots:
the good results continue
Spix’s Macaw Cyanopsitta spixii Recovery Programme, Brazil (Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation,
Government of Brazil).
of the dwindling Andean forests. It
includes searches for where they
occur, the localities of roosting,
foraging, and nesting sites, and
the estimation of population sizes.
It also involves awareness and
education and working with key
stakeholders and governmental
bodies locally and nationally.
Blue-throated Macaw Ara glaucogularis Conservation Programme, Bolivia (Asociación Armonía).
Protection of Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand (Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation,
Government of Thailand)
Conservation of the Yellow-eared Parrot Ognorhynchus icterotis in Colombia (Proyecto Ognorhynchus, Fundación
ProAves).
Philippine Cockatoo Cacatua haematuropygia Conservation Programme, Palawan, Philippines (Katala Fundación).
Conservation of the El Oro Parakeet Pyrrhura orcesi in western Ecuador (University of Freiburg and Ecuatorian
Museum of Natural Sciences).
Project Hapalopsittaca: Threatened Parrots of the Cordillera Central, Colombia: (Hapalopsittaca fuertesi, H.
amazonina, Leptosittaca branickii, Bolborhynchus ferrugineifrons) (Fundación ProAves).
Threatened Psittacids of Margarita Island: Symbols for Conservation Education about Venezuela’s Insular
Biodiversity (Amazona barbadensis, Aratinga acuticaudata neoxena) (Provita).
The conservation of endemic parakeets (Eunymphicus cornuta and Cyanoramphus saisetti) in New Caledonia
(Conservation Research New Caledonia).
Ecology and conservation of endemic psittacids (Amazona leucocephala and Aratinga euops) in central Cuba
(Institute of Ecology and Systematics).
Project Pyrrhura: status and conservation of P. calliptera, P. viridicata, P. caeruleiceps and P. melanura pacifica in
Colombia (Fundación ProAves).
Monitoring and conservation of the Red-tailed Amazon in Paraná, Brazil (Sociedade de Pesquisa em Vida Selvagem
e Educação Ambiental)
Conservation program for the Lear’s Macaws Anodorhynchus leari, Brazil (Arara Azul Institute, Chico Mendes
Institute for Biodiversity Conservation).
Conservation of the Grey-breasted Parakeet Pyrrhura griseipectus, Brazil (AQUASIS)
Protection of Aketajawe-Lolobata National Park, Halmahera, Indonesia (Cacatua alba, Lorius garrulus) (BirdLife
Indonesia).
Conservation status of the Grey-cheeked Parakeet (Brotogeris pyrrhopterus) in Peru and Ecuador, and the Blueheaded Macaw Propyrrhura couloni in Peru. - (National Service of State Protected Natural Areas – SERNANP,
Government of Peru).
Research and Conservation of the Great Green Macaw (Ara ambiguus) in Southeast Nicaragua and Northern
Costa Rica. (Tropical Science Center, Costa Rica)
Ecology and conservation of the endemic parrots of Luzon, Philippines. (University of the Philippines Diliman,
Philippines, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK)
Bird-watching often leads to greater interest in nature and conservation
Since 1999 the Loro Parque
Fundación has been supporting
projects conducted by its Colombian
partner, Fundación ProAves, for
the conservation of the threatened
parrots in Colombia, most notably
to recover the Yellow-eared Parrot
(Ognorhynchus icterotis). During
the past ten years this support has
included a project in the higher
zone of the Central Andes of
Colombia especially for Fuertes’s
Parrot (Hapalopsittaca fuertesi),
listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ by
Artificial insemination in psittacine species: collection, evaluation and transfer of semen, Tenerife and Germany
(University of Giessen).
The pair of Rusty-faced Parrots laid
a single egg on 11th April, and then
raised the single chick until 13th July
when the chick successfully fledged
from the nest. Lina Daza, Executive
Director of ProAves, remarked that
this first record of the use of nestboxes by the Rusty-faced Parrot is of
great importance and provides hope
for the conservation of this species.
Many individuals of the Rusty-faced
Parrot made explorations of the 41
nest boxes provided, so perhaps
more pairs of the species could
occupy nests in the next breeding
season.
Scarlet Macaw Nest-site selection, nest survival and protection in Northern Mesoamerica, Belize and Guatemala
(New Mexico State University, USA)
Breeding biology and migratory behaviour of endangered swift parrots: key knowledge for effective conservation,
Australia (Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University).
Assessing distribution, abundance and impacts of trade and habitat change in western populations of African
Grey Parrot. (Manchester Metropolitan University and BirdLife International, UK).
Development of novel genetic techniques for conservation studies of large macaws (Fenner School of Environment
and Society, Australian National University).
A travelling photographic exhibit documenting the extent and inhumane treatment of Peruvian wildlife in the illegal
pet trade (Asociación Armonía, Bolivia).
Feeding, nursing and fostering Scarlet Macaw chicks for improved recruitment (WCS Guatemala Program)
Conservation incentives for protecting Nicaragua’s Yellow-naped Amazon Parrot (Paso Pacífico).
Resource requirements of the Military Macaw (Ara militaris), and the potential for ecotourism on the coast of
Jalisco, Mexico (National Autonomous University of Mexico).
Yellow-eared Parrots in the Colombia project
16
the IUCN, having last been seen
in 1911 until in 2002 Fundación
ProAves re-discovered it. The other
globally threatened parrot species
in this project are the Rufousfronted Parakeet (Bolborhynchus
ferrugineifrons),
Golden-plumed
Parakeet (Leptosittaca branickii),
and
the
Rusty-faced
Parrot
(Hapalopsittaca amazonina), the
latter being listed as ‘Endangered’.
The project is conserving these
parrots especially by using them
as ambassadors for conservation
Fragmentation of the forests
through continuous tree-cutting for
timber and firewood has created
a scarcity of mature trees with
suitable natural nest cavities for
the parrots. The project responded
with a conservation initiative to
increase potential nesting sites for
endangered parrots, the Artificial
Nest box Program, which has
installed over 200 nest-boxes. In
addition to increasing recruitment
of new individuals to the parrot
popualtions, with the occupation
of the nest boxes the reproductive
behaviour of each species can
be studied. Although eight parrot
species including Fuertes’s Parrots
have been recorded using the
boxes, it is sometimes difficult to
entice certain species to nest in
them. In this context, ProAves has
sent the good news that thanks to
the installation of nest-boxes in the
Colibrí del Sol Reserve in Antioquia,
a pair of the Rusty-faced Parrots
have for the first time successfully
nested and raised one young.
Fundación
ProAves
performs
monthly activities of conservation,
17
projects up-date
projects up-date
research
and
environmental
education in the Colibrí del Sol Bird
Reserve to raise awareness in the
community regarding the protection
and conservation of Hapalopsittaca
amazonina. The Colibrí del Sol
Nature Reserve was created in 2005
with the support of American Bird
Conservancy and is located in the
municipality of Urrao, Antioquia, with
an area of over 730 hectares of high
Andean forest and paramo habitat
which also protects the Dusky
starfrontlet hummingbird (Coligena
orina) and Fenwick’s Antpitta
(Grallaria fenwickorum) which are
both ‘Critically Endangered’.
Rusty-faced Parrot in the nest
Fuertes’s Parrot
18
Earlier in the year, Fuertes’s
Parrot and eleven other globally
threatened
species
of
birds,
mammals, and amphibians started
to receive greater protections
thanks to the doubling of the size of
the Giles-Fuertesi Nature Reserve,
a private protected area managed
by ProAves. An additional 145
hectares of land were acquired with
the help of the World Land Trust-US,
Robert Giles and the American Bird
Conservancy, helping expansion
of the conservation activities
supported by the Loro Parque
Fundación.
With less than 250 individuals
thought to exist, the sole habitat
of the Fuertes’s Parrot remains
in an area of only 50 square
kilometers. Within this area it exists
only at two sites where it depends
on epiphytic mistletoe fruits for
food. One of the world’s largest
discoveries of gold was recently
made by AngloGold Ashanti only
a few kilometers distance from this
key population of the Fuertes’s
Parrot, and therefore with the risk
of deforestation sharply rising,
the conservation organisations
were quickly able to purchase and
permanently protecting the critical
site. The Giles-Fuertesi Reserve
was originally established in 2009,
and now protects roughly one
fifth of the global population of
the Fuertes’s Parrot. The nest-box
programme taking place within this
habitat 23 pairs of Fuertes’s Parrots
nesting in the boxes by 2005, all
successfully raising broods, and
this vital work continues.
ProAves and other conservation
groups have established a series of
reserves known collectively as the
Threatened Parrot Corridor, which
includes one municipal and three
private reserves, all managed by
ProAves. With the new additions,
these reserves conserve over 7,285
hectares of key habitat, and protect
approximately 70% of the Fuertes’s
Parrot population, as well as
populations of the other threatened
species of parrots, including the
Yellow-eared Parrot.
However, ProAves has recently
gone one step further by formulating
an agreement for the creation
of the protection of watersheds
and
endangered
species,
in
collaboration with the Municipal
government
of
Roncesvalles,
and the public utility services of
Roncesvalles, again supported
by Loro Parque Fundacion and
the organisation RARE. This is
the first municipal agreement in
Roncesvalles, a place especially
important for the Yellow-eared
Parrot, that has been created for
the conservation of watersheds
and micro-watersheds that supply
the town and several villages. This
agreement not only benefits the
community of Roncesvalles, but
also other towns and cities lower
down the Cucuana river watershed,
such as El Espinal, and the rice,
cotton and sorghum farmers which
are the economic base of the region.
With the creation of this agreement,
the municipality now has a Water
Fund with a committee that will
support the establishment of
“Reciprocal Water Agreements”
(ARAs), or any other agreements to
ensure the maintenance of forests
and paramo in the municipality. A
voluntary fee will be charged on
the water bill so consumers can
contribution to the protection of
these areas. These funds, overseen
and administered by a committee
including the main stakeholders
with ProAves, will allocate funds
to ensure long-term incentives
for landowners to preserve the
forests and endangered species
found in the area, especially the
Yellow-eared Parrot. The next step
will be the second environmental
service agreement by the Municipal
government of El Espinal to provide
additional resources to protect
their water supplies coming from
Roncesvalles municipality.
These new agreements are an
exciting
complement
to
the
other activities of the projects, in
particular those which involve the
local communities and encourage a
strong sense of pride in their unique
natural heritage.
19
projects up-date
The native parrots of Luzon in the Philippines: risky search, crisis situation
projects up-date
The Lear’s Macaw project: Licuri palms for macaws and people
of life and at the same time protecting
the habitat necessary to safe-guard the
Lear’s Macaw. To help develop these
sustainable activities, the Brazilian
Service to Support Small Businesses
(SEBRAE) is affiliated to the project
to provide training, especially in the
production and marketing of Licuri
braided straw crafts. In this way,
the project has encouraged various
local weaving associations to create
a special collection of crafts using
Lear’s Macaws as the main theme.
Early successes in the project have
persuaded the Euclides da Cunha
and and Jeremoabo Municipal
Governments to give their support.
viper (Trimeresurus flavomaculatus).
Carmela can back away from a pit
viper, but physical hazards can be
even more challenging, especially
the need to cross rivers and keep all
the supplies dry!
Carmela (green shirt) with her team and guards
Searching for native parrots in Luzon,
the main northern island of the
Philippines, is definitely no picnic. The
person who can most attest to this is
Carmela Española, a feisty Philippine
field researcher from the University
of the Philippines who has been
leading a project over the last three
years to accumulate information vital
for the conservation of these parrots.
This project, in partnership with
Manchester Metropolitan University,
UK, has been funded by the Loro
Parque Fundación and includes other
forest birds important for the dispersal
of fruit, notably pigeons and hornbills.
Field researchers can always expect
some discomforts and difficulties, but
Carmela’s case shows some of the
Still common: Bolbopsittacus lunulatus
20
risks attending her dedicated search
of the Luzon forests. For a start, she is
responsable for eight undergraduate
and five postgraduate students from
three Philippine universities who
have joined her searches and gained
valuable experience in exchange.
Before even thinking about which
natural risks exist, Carmela and
her team know that humans make
some areas unsafe, and so to do
what they have to do, they have
entered those areas under armed
guard. It’s not everybody’s idea of
tranquil fieldwork, but it has enabled
Carmela to obtain data vital to the
project. Then there are the natural
risks, such a venomous animals in
the forests, a beautiful but mortal
example being the Philippine pit
However, Carmela and her team
completed the task, walking almost
500 kilometers of line transects
over a period of ten months in 14
sites across Luzon. The results will
contribute a doctorate for Carmela,
and also send out an alert to the world
about the plight of the parrots and the
other fruit-dispersers. Effectively what
Carmela and her team have found
is a crisis situation for these groups
of birds. They are threatened by
massive loss of habitat, with only 7%
of Philippine forests remaining, as well
as direct exploitation through hunting
and the pet trade. Even though the
fieldwork has increased the known
geographical distribution of some
species, there is an alarming absence
of large parrots in the majority of
sites. For example, the Green
Racquet-tail (Prioniturus luconensis)
has been recorded from only seven
confirmed sites in the last ten years.
Ten of 18 species (four parrots, five
pigeons and one hornbill) have
densities less than five individuals
per square km at any site, and four
parrot species have densities less
than one individual per square km
at any site [House Sparrows (Passer
domesticus) average 165 per square
km]. Population sizes were estimated
for species in reserves representing
the current protected area network.
Four of six parrot species (and eight
from twenty fruit-dispersing species)
had likely populations of less than
1,000 individuals in any reserve, and
more than one third of populations in
reserves were under 100.
Most species were rare in most
regions, and fruit-eating bird
communities in all but 2–3 of the
largest reserves are predicted
to lose high proportions of their
frugivore species. Carmela has
taken the risks, and her results
predict a long-term collapse of fruiteating bird communities across
Luzon if appropriate safe-guards
are not put in place.
Lear’s macaw eating Licuri palm fruits
The Lear’s Macaw (Anodorhynchus
leari) is found only in a small arid
region of Bahia, northeastern Brazil.
It has a close relationship with the
Licuri palm, because most of its diet
consists of hard fruits of the palm. It
is associated especially with a few
spectacular sandstone cliffs, used
as shelter by night, and for breeding
of the colonies, which are located at
two sites, Serra Branca near to the
town of Jeremoabo, and Toca Velha
at Canudos. The Lear’s Macaw is
threatened due to the capture of
chicks for illegal trade, persecution
by farmers when the adults eat
maize crops, and the degradation of
the habitat mainly by over-grazing
of livestock. Local people also use
the fruits and leaves of the Licuri
palm, which means less resource
for the birds.
To help recover the species, the Loro
Parque Fundación conducts a project
in partnership with the Brazilian
Instituto Ara Azul (Blue Macaw
Institute), and the Government of
Brazil (ICMBIO - Chico Mendes
Institute
for
Biodiversity
and
Conservation, and CEMAVE - National
Centre for Wild Bird Conservation).
This project focuses on awareness
and environmental education of local
people about the Lear’s Macaw and
the sustainable use of resources. The
project aims to protect the Licuri palm
and the Lear’s Macaw long term, by
improving craft-making based on
the responsible use of Licuri and
other native plants in the region, and
thus strengthen the local economy.
In 2001 there were 246 specimens
in the wild population of the Lear’s
macaw. With the effect of the project,
this population has increased to over
1,100 in 2012, and the degree of threat
has been reduced from “Critically
Endangered” to “Endangered” in the
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
The project contributes to fulfillment
of the National Action Plan for the
conservation of Lear’s Macaw,
overseen by ICMBio, and which in the
past year has undergone a revision
and the project director, Simone
Tenorio, participated in this process.
The project focuses especially on
the area of Euclides da Cunha, an
area of almost 2,385 km², with its
highest point being 472m above sea
level and harbouring about 56,625
inhabitants. The main economic
activities in the region are mixed
agriculture, cattle and other livestock
ranching, and mining. The area of
Euclides da Cunha covers 51% of the
known area of feeding of the species,
and thus is of prime importance for
the implementation of alternatives to
promote income generation for local
communities, improving their quality
Following the Management Plan, the
harvesting of raw materials continues
with methods that do not affect the
survival of the plants, and this is
especially important for the Licuri
palms. After the early success of the
sales of craft products there was also
a higher demand for purchase, and
the need to create a local regulatory
framework to meet market demand
without causing damage to the
palms. Thus, from any single palm of
sufficient maturity fronds can be cut to
provide the dried straw for weaving,
but a minimum number must be left
for the palm to remain healthy and
produce fruits. A similar regulation
exists for the harvesting of leaves
from a kind of bromeliad called the
Caroá, from which strong fibres
can be extracted for the weaving of
items such as mats and hammocks.
The craft associations also have
artesans specialized in carving the
wood of a local tree, the Umburana,
and this is also done on a sustainable
basis by only using wood that has
died naturally.
Cattle also eat Licuri palm fruits
21
projects up-date
Making baskets with dried Licuri palm leaves
In recent months two new associations
have been formed, with another in
training but already producing its
crafts. In Brazil, initiatives involving
rural communities and environmental
conservation programs are well
regarded because their results are
so visible. For example, for the
most recent cultural fair at Euclides
da Cunha, the project and craft
associations had a display about the
conservation of the Lear’s Macaw,
with models and information about
the macaws, and also licuri palm
fruits and leaves and a selection of
handicrafts. Project work was shown
by students of the Serra Branca area,
and some craftsmen demonstrated
how the handicrafts are made. These
presentations were repeated not
just in the local agricultural fairs, but
also in the entrepreneur fair in the
city of Salvador where many more
people were exposed to the project,
and the head of SEBRAE of Bahia
State praised the work done and the
product quality.
The national programme of Brazilian
Handicraft visited Serra Branca to
familiarize itself with recent production
of local craft and made a large
purchase of items from the project.
This is also a very important way to
disseminate of the project, as the sale
of these products takes on national
and international dimensions, and all
products come with labels in the form
of a Lear`s Macaw bookmark with
22
information on the species, the project
and its partners. The annual sales
forecast of the associations related
to the project was 10,000 Brazilian
reais (US$4,965), but the actual sales
amount to 15,000 Brazilian reais
(US$7,445) which represents a real
gain for these communities where
unemployment is very high. This
strongly improves awareness about
conserving the local vegetation, and
that it is not necessary to remove it
for money, but on the contrary it is
the maintenance and expansion of
these natural areas that will provide
prosperity for these poor families and
a future for the Lear’s Macaw.
In relation to the public events,
the project also achieved a broad
dissemination at national level on
TV and radio, in magazines and
the internet, gaining the confidence
of important partners such as the
Brazilian airline TAM.
Regular
interviews by project staff on local
radio stations, reaching an audience
of 200,000 people in urban and rural
areas between Euclides da Cunha
and Canudos has also been part of
the awareness strategy. Listeners
participate by calling the radio station
to ask questions and even give
information, and in this way the project
has the opportunity to evaluate that
even in the urban areas the people
are becoming well informed about
the species and project work. Again,
the craft work is a strong point,
because after each radio programme,
more hotels, shops and restaurants
decide to sell the handicraft items.
Furthermore, this year the Euclides
da Cunha Municipality produced
and distributed 5,000 calendars with
a photo and information about the
Lear’s Macaw and the project.
In addition to the schools and
teachers training activities, the project
continues to develop additional ways
for local people to protect their own
macaw. An eco-tourism proposal
prepared by Simone Tenorio called
“The Blue Wilderness Trail” has been
accepted for support by TAM airlines,
and this will be developed over the
coming months.
Carvings of Lear’s Macaws from wood of the Umburana tree
projects up-date
Research on parrot sperm evaluation to improve assisted reproduction
A research collaboration between the
Loro Parque Fundación of Tenerife,
Spain and the Clinic for Birds, Reptiles,
Amphibians and Fish of the University
of Giessen in Germany is using a
new technique to help the recovery
of threatened species of parrots by
improving
assisted
reproduction.
The main objective of the project is to
increase the number of young birds
being recruited to captive and wild
populations, by the use of sperm
collection and artificial insemination
(AI). Although successful in humans,
many other mammals, and some
other types of birds, sperm collection
and AI in parrots have had very limited
success. However, the use of this
new technique shows very promising
results, and hopefully will lead to an
improved breeding success in many
species of parrots.
The initial phase of the project started in
2009/2010, during which time the new
technique was successful, with semen
collection and AI performed in over 100
species of large species in the collection
of parrots of the Loro Parque Fundación,
the world’s largest and most diverse.
For the first time sperm was collected
from the Spix’s Macaw (Cyanopsitta
spixii), a species that is almost certainly
extinct in the wild since the year 2000,
in the Spix’s Macaw Breeding Centre of
the Loro Parque Fundación in Tenerife.
There are seven macaws on loan from
the Brazilian Government, which gave
its permission for this technique to be
tested.
This pioneering first phase of the
research made a significant advance
in conservation efforts for species
of parrots, and the results acts as
an excellent foundation for further
work in the evaluation of sperm,
and in establishing a method for
cryopreservation
(frozen
storage)
so as to establish a parrot sperm
bank. Given that nearly one third of
living parrot species are listed by the
International Union for Conservation of
Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)
as threatened species, the possibility
to have viable sperm available over
the long-term (cryopreserved) could
make a significant contribution to
parrot conservation. A pilot project is
now underway to establish an effective
procedure for the cryopreservation of
psittacine sperm. The first part of the
project is to evaluate an appropriate
solution in which to dilute the parrot (the
diluent), then the matching solution to
protect the viability of the sperm against
freezing (the cryoprotectant) must be
found, and finally the optimal cooling
rate of the sperm must be established
so that the greatest proportion are
healthy when after the thawing process.
periods after egg-laying and incubation.
Additional to parrots, the PVMA was
tested for applicability in different
avian species (Galliformes: chicken,
quail, pheasant; Anseriformes: goose,
duck; Falconiformes: falcon), and was
successful in every tested species
except geese.
Parrot semen samples are investigated
by several in-vitro quality checks
including sperm motility, sperm viability,
pathomorphology
(deformities),
membrane integrity as seen by electron
microscopy, and the possibility to
undergo the acrosomal reaction. The
acrosome is a cap-like structure over the
anterior half of the head of the sperm.
As the sperm approaches the egg, the
membrane surrounding the acrosome
fuses with the plasma membrane of
the oocyte, exposing the contents of
the acrosome which are responsible
for breaking through the egg’s tough
coating and allowing fertilization to
occur. The project will go on to make
quality checks which compare sperm
function in native samples and after the
addition of diluent and cryoprotectant in
different concentrations.
Furthermore semen samples have
been analyzed with the help of a
computerized analysis method named
CASA (Computer Assisted Semen
Analysis). This programme is able to
measure motility and velocity of sperm,
and is equipped with a fluorescence
microscope. Using special fluorescence
stains like SYBR® Green and propidium
iodide, a quick differentiation in live
and dead spermatozoa is possible.
As SYBR® Green penetrates the
spermatozoal membrane of intact cells,
fluorescing bright green, propidium
iodide only penetrates the perforated
cell membrane of dead spermatozoa,
fluorescing red. For verification the live/
dead ratio is additionally determined
by manual evaluation using an Eosin
B-stain.
Additionally, an entirely novel quality
test called the perivitelline membrane
penetration assay (PVMA) has been
developed in cooperation with the
Clinic for Gynaecology, Obstetrics and
Andrology of small and large animals
at the University of Giessen. In birds,
the perivitelline membrane surrounds
the egg and plays an important role in
fertilization. The aim of this part of the
project was to investigate if the PVMA,
which is based on counting holes left
by sperm when they penetrate the
perivitelline membrane of avian eggs,
is suitable to distinguish fertilized and
unfertilized eggs during different time
Important preliminary research has
been conducted on the physiology
of Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus)
semen, and a successful protocol
for electron microscopy of avian
spermatozoa has been assessed for the
evaluation of spermatozoal membrane
integrity. Following cryopreservation
further samples will be scanned by
electron microscopy in order to be able
to address membrane defects resulting
from the freezing process.
Concluding a fertility trial, where female
parrots are inseminated with both fresh
and previously cryopreserved semen,
will indicate whether formerly frozen
spermatozoa are effectively capable
of fertilizing an egg cell. The project
continues towards this trial.
Microscopic evidence of sperm penetration of the
perivitelline membrane
23
projects up-date
A novel genetic tool to help conserve large macaws
Genetic studies can be important
for
understanding
conservation
issues such as the impact on
fauna of habitat fragmentation,
degradation and loss. Loro Parque
Fundación is supporting a four-year
project, the first of its kind, to test
a novel genetic technique to help
the conservation of large macaws,
as well as to be used with other
wild parrots, including endangered
species. The project is conducted
by George Olah, postgraduate
researcher of the Fenner School of
Environment and Society, Australian
National University. The field work
for this project is taking place in the
Tambopata National Reserve and
Bahuaja-Sonene National Park of the
Madre de Dios Region of Peru.
and collected samples from places
where no scientific field research
was conducted before, including
previously un-described clay-licks.
The study area extends to both sides
of the Inter-oceanic Highway, and
comparing the samples from both
sides will enable the researchers
to draw conclusions about the
effect of the highway, especially
habitat fragmentation and human
disturbance near this road.
With their newly developed trapping
system, the researchers trapped
eight adult macaws at artificial
The project analyses DNA extracted
from feathers dropped by wild
Scarlet
Macaws
(Ara
macao)
and Red-and-green Macaws (Ara
chloropterus) at clay licks, as well
as collecting and analysing samples
from nest-sites. Analysis allows the
identification of individual macaws,
and the possibility to study individual
movements and to estimate home
range size. It should also provide
information on the demographic and
genetic characteristics of the macaw
populations. This information can be
used to assess the impact of human
disturbances to the environment,
including the new Inter-oceanic
Highway through south-eastern
Peru and expanded oil exploration
in wilderness areas such as the
Candamo Valley.
There have been two field seasons
between 2009 and 2011, and in the
second one between November 2010
and April 2011 in Madre de Dios, high
rainfall and higher river levels enabled
the researchers to gain access to the
Candamo Basin, an isolated valley in
the foothills of the Andes, without any
human inhabitants. This is the first
time any researcher has managed to
obtain genetic samples from Scarlet
Macaws from this region, and they will
have great importance for the genetic
analyses of this and other macaw
species across the study region. The
field team monitored 1061 km of river
system in the SE Peruvian Amazon
24
nests placed in the vicinity of the
Tambopata Research Center. For the
success of this research project it is
important not to only sample chicks,
but also their parents as this gives
the chance to find their feathers in the
landscape and estimate their home
ranges, as well as the population
size. The researchers collected 623
feathers and 53 blood samples of
Scarlet Macaw and 428 feathers and
17 blood samples of Red-and-green
Macaw.
George spent two months at the
Schubot Exotic Bird Health Center of
Texas A&M University, USA, another
institution fundamentally involved in
the project, where kits for extracting
DNA from macaw feathers were
successfully
tested.
Laboratory
analysis of collected samples has
continued September 2011 in
Lima, Peru in collaboration with
the Universidad Peruana Cayetano
Hereida. The project extracts the
DNA from the feathers using one
protocol, and with another it extracts
DNA from blood samples stored on
so-called FTA cards. Only feathers
that are preserved with a good quality
are used, and the project plans to
extract around 800 samples. Texas
A&M University hosts the Scarlet
Macaw Genome Project, and as such
has well equipped laboratories for
genotyping the extracted DNA.
projects up-date
The Loro Parque dolphin group participates in a pioneering project for the
conservation of the species
Through the Loro Parque Fundación,
Loro Parque is collaborating with
a team of researchers from the
National Research Council (CSIC),
CIRCE (Conservation Information
and Research of Cetaceans) and
CEBC-CNRS (Biological Studies
Centre of Chizé, National Centre for
Scientific Research), in a scientific
study of the diet of dolphins in the
Gulf of Cadiz, data that will help
regulate the use and management
of fisheries resources. The main
objective of this research is to
define the key factors that permit
accurately to determine the diet of
wild dolphin populations, thereby
promoting the conservation of these
marine mammals worldwide. This
research, based on stable isotopes,
is pioneering in the world, and has
the support of the National Plan
R+D+i of the Ministry of Economy
and Competitiveness, Government
of Spain.
keys for interpreting the feeding
ecology of dolphins is to conduct
an experiment under controlled
conditions, where the diet of the
dolphins can be determined and
analyzed very precisely. This is
the experiment started in October
in Loro Parque, and will consist of
feeding the dolphins on a diet of
90% sprats and 10% herring over
a period of approximately three
months. After this first phase there
will be a change of diet to feeding
10% sprats and 90% capelin for
another three months. The ratio
of stable isotopes of carbon (13C)
and nitrogen (15N) in both diets is
known, which permits the calculation
of enrichment in the isotope ratio
in the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops
truncatus), simply by measuring
isotope ratios in samples of skin
and blood of the dolphins in the
experimental group. The change of
diet will also set the time it takes the
isotopic signal of what the dolphins
have been feeding on to be reflected
in the skin and blood of the animals.
Every two weeks, small samples
of skin and blood of the dolphins
in the experimental group will be
taken and sent to the laboratory of
the CSIC in the Doñana Biological
Station to determine its isotopic
content.
Although this kind of experiment
has been done before, never before
Checking the diet of the Loro Parque dolphins
Until now all isotopic studies on
the diet of dolphins were based on
references obtained in experiments
with terrestrial mammals and seals,
which questioned the reliability
in determination of the prey of
wild cetaceans. In this sense, the
experimental work that has just been
set up with the group of dolphins at
Loro Parque offers more accurate
indices when calculating the diets
in populations of this particular
species. Such precise information
is the key to establishing plans and
management of fishery resources
properly, and contributing to the
sustainable use of the oceans and
biodiversity conservation.
George Olah with young Scarlet Macaw
The only way to obtain these
Miniscule biopsy of the skin
25
projects up-date
has the isotopic concentration in
the skin of dolphins been studied,
only in the blood. Therefore until
now it has not been possible to
use the results directly with wild
populations of dolphins, because
samples obtained in field projects
are usually skin biopsies. Thus, the
results of the experiment begun
in Loro Parque will be able to be
used directly by field researchers
to accurately determine the diet
of wild dolphins. The diet of these
cetaceans is essential information
when establishing programmes for
the use and management of fishery
resources, to prevent overfishing
which could affect the conservation
of small cetaceans.
The experiment to determine the diet
of bottlenose dolphins in the Gulf
of Cadiz is integrated into a much
larger project, which will culminate
with the proposed plans for the use
and management of the maritime
area of the Gulf of Cadiz and the
Strait of Gibraltar. This is an area
with a huge diversity of cetaceans
and it is necessary to ensure that the
exploitation of fisheries resources
is conducted in sustainable and
responsible
manner,
without
affecting the viability of populations
of small cetaceans.
Loro
Parque
has
already
participated in a project of this
type carrying out an experiment of
isotopic fractionation in 2007 with
its group of orcas. In this case the
results were used to determine the
huge dependence on bluefin tuna of
several family groups of orcas that
live in the Strait of Gibraltar. This
dependence has been most evident
in recent years, during which none
of the pod of orcas in the Strait of
Gibraltar reproduced, probably
because of the huge reduction in the
stock of bluefin tuna and banning
some of the fisheries on which the
orcas regularly preyed (stealing fish
caught by fishermen). Fortunately,
this year the Commission for the
Conservation of the Bluefin Tuna in
the Mediterranean has witnessed
a significant and hopeful recovery
of stocks of bluefin tuna spawning.
In parallel, CIRCE researchers who
are conducting a project tagging
and satellite-tracking orcas, funded
by Loro Parque Fundación, this
year have been able to confirm the
presence of baby orcas for the first
time in several seasons.
breeding
The Keeping and Breeding of the Greater Vasa Parrot
breeding period, huge flocks can
be seen, that cause great damage
to grain fields. The parrots are most
active in the early morning and in
the late afternoon. They fly around
in search of food screaming loudly
and they sometimes join other bird
species like the Madagascar Starling
(Hartlaubius auratus) and the Bulbul
(Pycnonotidae). These are loud birds,
and even on clear moonlight nights
their loud voices can be heard.
Housing
The first natural sea-grass already can be seen in the Loro Parque aquarium
development.
Sea-grass and sea-horse
The first plants of Cymodoceanodosa
(sea-grass) germinated within the
project of the Faculty of Marine
Sciences at the University of Las
Palmas de Gran Canaria can be
seen in the aquarium of the seahorses at Loro Parque. This group
of marine seed-producing plants
(Phanerogams) were germinated
from seed in the laboratories of the
Faculty of Marine Sciences and were
developed over several weeks in the
quarantine of the aquarium. In early
September were transplanted to the
exhibition area, planting them in the
sand of the sea-horse aquarium. The
ultimate goal of this project, funded
by the Loro Parque Fundación, is
26
to produce seeds independently
in a controlled environment, so
that plants can be generated for
restocking of sea-grass prairies.
The submerged grasslands of
Phanerogams are of key importance
in coastal marine ecosystems,
and are often compared with
tropical forests, since they serve
as shelter for a variety of fish fry
and harbor enormous biodiversity.
Unfortunately, in recent decades
many sea-grass meadows have
been reducing their extension by a
kind of “underwater deforestation”
due to pollution, trawling gear, and
generally by increased coastal
The activities of “reforestation” or
regeneration of sea-grass meadows
are extremely complex, as they must
be under water, and require the
availability of germinated plants. Until
now, researchers at the University of
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria have
achieved the germination of seagrass seeds to produce plants with
which to undertake the regeneration.
However, these seeds have to be
collected from mature sea-grass
meadows, and continuous extraction
can affect the development and
future conservation of the grassland
itself. Thus, the aim of this project is
to get Cymodoceanodosa to flower
and produce seeds under controlled
conditions, closing its cycle in
cultivation, and producing seeds for
replanting that do not depend on
natural prairies.
The project also permits the use
of live plants for the environmental
enrichment of the aquarium, an
element that certainly improves
the welfare of animals, besides
the educational potential of the
exhibition. The development of
these seedlings will also be very
useful in breeding of species like the
sea-horse.
Greater Vasa Parrot
Looking at the numerous species
within parrot families, it is obvious
that most of them have varied
plumage colourations. One of the
species inconspicuously coloured is
the Greater Vasa Parrot (Coracopsis
vasa). Over the last few decades, only
a few people have been interested in
this species and its breeding, due to
its dull colouration. However, behind
simply its plumage colouration, the
Greater Vasa Parrot conceals a lot of
incentives for breeding that nobody
would suspect at first glance. Until
now, no other parrot species has
been found to have such an unusual
breeding behaviour as the Greater
Vasa Parrot.
The Greater Vasa Parrot’s body size
is 50cm and its weight is about 480
g. The plumage colouration is blackbrown whereas the wings have a
grey shade. The eye rings and ceres
are naked and coloured grey to dark
grey. The enormous beak is grey-
blackish and much bigger than the
Lesser Vasa Parrot’s (Coracopsis
nigra) beak. A distinction is made
between three different subspecies:
others than the nominate form are
the Western Greater Vasa Parrot
(Coracopsis vasa drouhardi) and
the Greater Vasa Parrot from the
Comoro Islands (Coracopsis vasa
comorensis). They resemble the
nominate Vasa but the plumage
colouration is paler and the birds are
a bit smaller. The Western Greater
Vasa Parrot can be recognized easily
because of the whitish undertail,
while the Comoro Greater Vasa Parrot
has a light brown touch. The Vasa’s
nominate form lives in the eastern
part of Madagascar, the subspecies
drouhardi in the western part of the
island.
In Loro Parque Fundación’s breeding
station Greater Vasa Parrots have
been kept for years. They are housed
in hanging cages that are 5m long,
1,5m high and 1,2m wide. In the front
part of the cages, there is a feeding
station added, in which food and water
bowls are placed. The aviaries are
equipped with two perches, a swing
and pine branches for gnawing which
are replaced every 14 days. During
breeding period, a vertical nest-box is
available for the birds, being attached
to the aviary’s exterior so that it can
be checked from outside. The basal
area is 30 x 30 cm and the height is
80cm. Although Vasa Parrots are wellbuilt birds, they prefer a nesting hole
that appears considerably smaller
than their own body size, and through
which they have to squeeze.
The Greater Vasa Parrot can be found
in all types of forests, but it also is not
afraid of urban areas and sometimes
can be found in parks. Outside the
27
breeding
breeding
nest and they only need a few days
until they can eat independently. A
short time after hatching, the male’s
beak turns dark again, in contrast to
the young female’s beak that turns
black-greyish only at the end of the
breeding in September or October.
head feathers, and the extent of the
loss may vary. Some of them have a
bald head and others only have some
gaps in their plumage. The visible and
bald scalp, as well as the feet, turn a
bright orange-yellow.
Breeding female with typical yellow head without feathers. Povl Jorgensen
Food
The Loro Parque Fundación Vasa
Parrots are fed twice a day. The first
feeding takes place at 8 o’clock in
the morning, where all year round
they receive the feed mixture “Parrot
Dinner” from Versele Laga, that has
been macerated in water for 24
hours, and then cooked so that also
the legumes are still firm to the bite.
This mixture is offered with different
fruits and vegetables of various
types, depending on the time of the
year. Every day the food is mixed
with Korvimin (a calcium and vitamin
preparation). During breeding periods
an egg food will also be mixed in. The
Vasa Parrots receive their second
feeding at 2 p.m. which, outside
of the breeding period consists of
pellets type P15 from Versele Laga,
and during the breeding period
type P19 pellets, in addition to the
“African” seed mixture from the same
manufacturer. The mixture’s ratio is
70% pellets and 30% seeds.
Breeding behaviour
The Greater Vasa Parrot’s breeding
behaviour is unique within the
parrot family and still not explored
completely. The parrot’s black-grey
beak changes colour to horn –whitish
normally in March, weeks before
the breeding period begins. We
recognized that this phenomenon
took place in all three breeding pairs
at the same time. During this time, the
28
Vasa Parrots start to use their voices
and their somewhat melodic calls can
be heard all the time.
Now, the females often stay in
the nest-box, which otherwise is
disregarded outside the breeding
period. However, the males stay out
of the nest-boxes, although they
linger right next to them. It is common
that the females chase their partners
and request them to feed. If the
female finally remains still, it huddles
its head against the male’s chest and
rubs the head up and down. Shortly
afterwards, the male begins to feed
its female.
Another indication for the upcoming
breeding is the swelling of the Vasa
Parrot’s cloaca. Daily copulations can
be seen during the morning hours.
The male puts its cloaca over the
females, both partners being able
to evert the cloaca to about 10cm.
During the copulation itself, both birds
sit closely side by side and persevere
like this from several minutes up to
an hour. From time to time they make
some quiet sounds. If the birds get
frightened for some reason, they are
not able to disengage and get tangledup. This type of copulation is unique
and differs from the copulations of
other parrots. The egg-laying of Vasa
Parrots at the LPF normally takes
place in April. Only the females stay
in the nest-boxes and lay three or four
eggs at two-day intervals. During this
time the female gradually loses the
The incubation period is very short
for such a big bird. It only lasts 1517 days until the chicks hatch out,
these being thinly covered with fluffy
feathers that they lose after only a
few days and then are completely
naked. Young Vasa Parrots differ
considerably from other parrot
chicks. On the top of the upper beak
they have tiny “tactile buttons”, that
are reminiscent of pearls. They
disappear or grow together while the
bird is getting older. It is still unclear
what is the function of the “buttons”,
but it is suspected that they help as
a stimulus to feeding by the female.
On the one hand it is possible that
they cause the chick’s begging, and
on the other hand they may be an
orientation for the female to find the
right beak position during feeding
in the tight and dark nesting holes.
Twenty-five days after hatching, the
chick’s “tactile buttons” are barely
noticeable, until they completely
disappear few days later. Males
play a passive role in rearing. As
mentioned before, they are seen
only outside the nest-box and they
continue with this behaviour during
the chick’s rearing, which is unusual
for other parrots. Fortunately the
female cares for the chicks and is
very busy with feeding them. This
happens with all of our breeding
pairs, and checking the nestlings
shows their crops to be filled up
completely. Another characteristic
of the Vasa Parrot is the female’s
throat sac that emerges during the
breeding. This stretching of the area
is probably is traced to the feed, as
the crop is constantly is exposed to
extreme loads because of enormous
amounts of food carried during the
rearing.
In relation to the development of
other parrots, Vasa Parrots do not
differ except for its rapidity. After
seven to nine days, the chick’s eyes
are wide open and the fledglings are
completely naked except from some
few fluffy feathers. Eleven days after
hatching, the contour feathers break
Chick 10 days old
through the chick’s skin and they
already have a length of 2 to 3cm
with 14 to 15 days. After 24 days, the
fledglings look like little hedgehogs
because on the entire body there
are quills where the tops are broken.
This is called the “porcupine” stage, a
description that fits the Vasa Parrot’s
appearance. At the age of 30 days,
they have nearly all their feathers. The
Chick 24 days old
chick’s scalp after 15 days can also be
lightly coloured orange-yellow like the
female’s, and is probably an indication
of the fledgling’s sex. In past years,
there were no records about this in the
breeding station, but within the recent
broods the female’s scalp colour has
been orange-yellow and the male’s
scalp colour has been pink. At the age
of 35 days, the fledglings leave the
The Greater Vasa Parrot’s breeding
behaviour still raises many issues
that can only be answered in the
natural habitat, although keeping
and breeding in captivity can help
to find more information about this
phenomenon, when the holders
record and publish their observations
and experiences. For example,
there is no explanation why the
females lose their head feathers but
possibly it has to do with the rearing
of nestlings. The fast development
of the nestlings is only possible
because of the enormous amount
of work the female does without its
partner. It is always busy with food
intake and the care of its chicks. If
the food consists of soft fruits the
head plumage permanently sticks
together so a bird without head
plumage has many advantages. A
similar connection is suspected for
the Pesquet’s Parrot (Psittrichas
fulgidus) and the Vulturine Parrot
(Pyrilia vulturina), but that is just a
wild guess because little is known
about the Greater Vasa Parrot’s
habits of consumption. Forshaw
(1989) even says that the specie’s
nutrition is less focussed on fruits
than that of the Lesser Vasa Parrot
whose females do not lose their
head plumage during the breeding
period. Besides, the females do not
have to search for food themselves
in their natural habitats, as Ekstrom
et al. (2007) explains in detail (see
below).
Another
question
would
be:
What tasks does the male have
in breeding and why doesn’t it
participate in rearing in captivity?
Studies by Ekstrom et al. (2007) in
natural habitats show that females
are copulated by five different males
and they also are provided with food
during the breeding period. With
loud calls the females attract males
with which they have not previously
copulated. Females that call louder
are more successful than those that
are less attractive. In captivity, there
29
breeding
breeding
in northern Ecuador are less than
breeding station, get fresh food
twice a day. The first meal is
delivered between 8am and 9am.
At such time the P. seniloides
outside the breeding season get
the following food: different types of
fruits and vegetables depending on
the season of the year, presented
in small pieces. To these fruits
are aded a cooked food mixture
for parrots from the Versele-Laga
company in a ratio of 2 to 1. This
mixture is enriched with vitamins
and a calcium preparation. The
food consists of seeds and boiled
vegetables: yellow and green peas,
maple peas, chickpeas, white
beans, red and mung beans, quail
and pigeon beans, corn, peas,
lentils, cadi, buckwheat, millet
grain, Dari, paddy rice, oats and
wheat. We let the mixture soak in
water for 24 hours to soften and for
the different pulses to swell well in
the water. Then the food is cooked
until it is soft but also “al dente”.
Adult Pionus seniloides
is enough food nearby so that the
female does not have to “request”
the male’s help, thus explaining the
male’s passivity.
It also would be very interesting to
know why the Vasa Parrot’s beak
changes colour in both sexes during
the breeding period. The colouration
of the female’s beak makes sense
because in the dark nesting hole the
dark beak cannot be seen, but for
the passive male it does not make
any sense. An explanation could
be hormonally caused colouration
that signals the beginning of
breeding but in contradiction are
the observations of birds that do
not breed but also have a change in
their beak colouration.
Conclusion
Overall, the Greater Vasa Parrot is a
very interesting bird that has its own
secure place in the Loro Parque
Fundatión’s breeding station. I only
can commend to all parrot lovers
the keeping and breeding of this
bird. It would be a pity if one day the
species would disappear from our
aviaries because of lack of interest.
References
Ekstrom, J. M. M., T. Burke, L. Randrianaina &
T. R. Birkhead (2007): Unusual sex roles in a
highly promiscuous parrot: the Greater Vasa
Parrot Coracopsis vasa. Ibis 149: 313–320
Forshaw, J. M. (1989): Parrots of the World.
Willoughby
The Keeping and Breeding of the White-headed Parrot
The genus Pionus consists of eight
species which are divided into 19
subspecies. They range over much
of Central and South America. Long
ago some pioneers of this species
reached Europe and are set up
today in aviculture. They feature
as very nice parrots in human care
and breeding and since this time
have been very popular with fans
of parrots, and many species of this
30
genus are kept. One of the most
popular among them is the Blueheaded Parrot (Pionus menstruus)
followed by Scaly-headed Parrot
(Pionus maximiliani). But also in the
genus there are species that breed
in captivity such as the Plum-headed
Parrot (Pionus tumultuosus) and
even more, the White-headed Parrot
(Pionus seniloides). The range of P.
seniliodes extends from western
Venezuela to the south and west
towards the Andes in Colombia,
and western Ecuador to northwestern Peru. Outside the breeding
season, P. seniloides gathers in
flocks of 10-20 individuals. They
make seasonal trips which have to
do with the existence of food plants.
These excursions can be more than
100km because humid cloud forests
with fruiting trees in the mountains
Pionus tumultuosus: a close relative
those of the not-so-humid forests in
the highlands of Peru and Bolivia.
Occasionally the P. seniloides
also eat farmers’ crops, such as
corn. But in general they are very
reserved and afraid of people in the
highlands of the Andes. In the Loro
Parque Fundación we keep and
raise this nice parrot to the second
generation, and this article gives
more detail.
Both sexes of P. seniloides have
the same color, with green to
olive plumage. The forehead and
the front area of the head have
white feathers bordered pale pink.
These pink-bordered feathers in
some specimens may exist on the
cheeks, although some individuals
have no pink edging. The rest of
the head and neck and nape are
brownish-gray with white spots. Our
specimens show clear differences
in the plumage of the head. Some
specimens have an almost entirely
white edge in the plumage of the
nape. The back and wings are dark
green, the chest and belly have
burgundy color, the underside of
the tail is red, the tail feathers are
green and beak is horn-coloured.
Young birds have a duller plumage
and the white head rarely exists.
The belly and chest are still green.
After 6 months the colour intensity
increases, and at the end of one
year they assume adult colour.
Feeding
Our Pionus species, like all parrots
in the Loro Parque Fundación
Breeding pair of White-headed Parrots
Between 14 and 15 hours the
P. seniloides receive NutriBird
P15 (of Versele-Laga) consisting
of
the
following
ingredients:
cereals, seeds (at least 10% of
shelled peanuts), fruit (at least
5% of fruit), an extract of albumin,
vegetable protein extracts, whole
herbs, sugar, minerals, L-Lysine,
methonine, yucca extract, fructose
oligosaccharides, vitamins and
trace elements. During the breeding
season we changed the food to
stimulate reproductive activity of P.
seniloides for better success. To the
boiled food is added Orlux Gold (of
Versele-Laga), a meal of egg (with
17% crude protein). Also we add a
paté of insects to increase protein,
and hemp for stimulation. In the
31
breeding
Pionus seniloides chick at 21 days
afternoon we serve NutriBird P19
(from Versele-Laga) consisting of
19% crude protein. Additionally we
provide about a tablespoon of seeds
so that parrots have a remarkable
change of forage. During the
breeding season at noon we offer a
,ot of fruit and half-ripe corn to pairs.
Keeping and breeding
As mentioned earlier, in the breeding
station in La Vera have several pairs
of P. seniloides. In breeding centre
facilities the parrots are separated
into different areas. On the one hand
we have an area that is covered with
a blue net which is very transparent.
Here we take care of the species
living in open landscapes that
receive more sunlight. The other
area is covered by a black net that
give a lot of shade. Here are the
species that live in the rain forest
or forests with high density of trees.
Some species of Pionus, such as P.
seniloides, living in the cloud forests
have found their place here. Parrots
live in pairs in suspended aviaries
1m high, 1m wide and 5m long. The
aviary contains two natural perches,
a swing and a small branch below
the roof. Each pair ready to breed
has two vertical nest-boxes each
with a base of 25cm x 25cm and a
height of 40cm. One of these nests
32
is located in the roof area and the
other in the open area. Pairs prefer
the nests in the open area. As
substrate we use wood chips that
parrots gnaw into tiny pieces inside
the nest. Such activity stimulates
reproduction next well.
Like all the parrots, P. seniloides is
given every 14 days pine branches
to chew, and this seems a favorite
activity. P. seniloides is a relatively
quiet species and can stay hours
sitting on a perch or at the entrance
of the nest without moving much,
and does not use its voice much.
These behaviours make them very
pleasant. Because it is quiet and
shy, until now there has been no
observation of copulation. The oncoming breeding is announced
when the female and the male spend
much time in the nest. Many times we
have also observed (in all our pairs)
that one of them is at the entrance of
the nest. This behaviour can also be
observed with the male throughout
the breeding. Before laying the first
egg the substrate has to be nibbled
very fine. This behaviour is certainly
very stimulating for the pair and
promotes successful breeding.
After laying the first egg the female
rarely leaves the nest. The clutch of
P. seniloides consists of 3-4 eggs,
which are laid between two and
two and a half days. The female
incubates the eggs alone. Another
peculiarity is that the pair buries its
eggs in the substrate. In this regard
it is interesting that this has also
been experienced elsewhere. After
an incubation period of about 26 to
27 days the chicks hatch out. It is
striking that they have a very thick
down. This phenomenon can be
observed with parrot species that
breed in cold to very cold regions.
At the age of 12 to 14 days they
open their eyes. At this stage of its
development, each chick receives
a ring of 8.5 mm on the right leg.
After eight days the feathers start
to emerge on the wings and tail. P.
seniloides chicks already 16 days
have a very thick down and do not
have to be brooded by the parents.
If hand-rearing P. seniloides one
has to be careful at this stage to
ensure a lower temperature in the
breeding box. In case of not taking
this measure, there is a risk that the
chicks are too hot and can die.
After the feathers have emerged on
the wings and tail, they start to come
out on the head, chest, stomach
and back. At the age of 50 days the
P. seniloides chicks almost have
their full plumage. After another six
to eight days they begin to leave the
nest. At first they fly really awkwardly
from perch to parch in the aviary,
but this changes after a few days
of practice and intensive trial and
error. A few days after leaving the
nest they begin to feed themselves,
but also continue to receive food
from their parents when they beg.
We leave together P. seniloides
fledglings with parents about eight
weeks to receive full and adequate
food and also that in the family they
achieve good socialization.
Young P. seniloides seem very
reserved and shy. Also, handreared specimens quickly lose their
confidence and maintain a safe
distance from their caregivers.
P. seniloides is a species of Pionus
rarely kept in captivity. Through
our successful breeding pairs in
the Loro Parque Fundación we are
helping to create a viable population
in captivity.
The rate of avian extinctions is accelerating
the rate of extinction was slowing.
Amazona brasiliensis
In each edition of its magazine
Cyanopsitta, the Loro Parque
Fundación reports on the problems
facing parrots in today’s world, but
also the successes of its projects
in being able to move some of the
most threatened species away from
extinction towards a safer existence.
As measured by the category of
threat in the IUCN (International
Union for the Conservation of
Nature) Red List some notable
examples of these successes are the
Yellow-eared Parrot (Ognorhynchus
icterotis) in Colombia, moved from
‘Critically Endangered - CR’ to
‘Endangered - EN’, and in Brazil
the Lear’s Macaw (Anodorhynchus
leari), from CR to EN and Red-tailed
Amazon (Amazona brasiliensis)
from EN to ‘Vulnerable – VU’.
Other examples, such as the Bluethroated Macaw (Ara glaucogularis)
and Philippine Cockatoo (Cacatua
haematuropygia) have their wild
populations increasing, such that
they should become candidates for
moving to a safer category in the
Red List.
However, much still needs to be
done, and this situation has been
reinforced by a recent study showing
that the rate of bird extinctions
is accelerating at an alarming
rate. Researchers from BirdLife
International and Charles Darwin
University, Australia have published
a new paper* which reveals 279
bird species and subspecies from
across the globe have become
extinct in the last 500 years. The
study shows that species extinctions
peaked in the early 20th century,
then fell until the mid-20th century,
and have subsequently accelerated.
Historically most extinctions have
occurred on islands, particularly
those in the Pacific, but most of
the really susceptible species went
extinct long ago, and therefore until
this recent study it had been hoped
Threatened subspecies mitchelli of Trichoglossus
haematodus
Interestingly,
until
this
study
information
on
subspecies
extinctions had never previously
been analyzed comprehensively.
The researchers found that in
general, the distribution and
drivers of sub-specific extinctions
are similar to those for species
extinctions. However, their alarming
finding is that, when subspecies
are considered, the extinction rate
has accelerated in recent decades.
Many sub-species are very distinct
and, especially on islands, can be
described as incipient species.
Furthermore,
new
information
becoming available about them,
especially from molecular genetic
analysis, shows that they can be
sufficiently distinct to merit separate
species status. This can be well
seen with parrots, an example being
the Rainbow Lory (Trichoglossus
haematodus) which overall is
common as a species, but some
of its small island subspecies are
threatened with extinction.
The study shows that humans are
directly or indirectly responsible for
these extinctions. Unsustainable
hunting and the introduction of
alien species, such as cats and
rats, have been the main causes
of extinctions in the past, but the
destruction of native habitat for
agriculture is currently the main
cause. Biodiversity is the word
describing the richness of life on
Earth, and the world’s nations had
agreed through the Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD) to slow
the loss of biodiversity by 2010,
and having failed to reach this goal,
the target has now been adjusted
to 2020. Therefore, on a positive
note, the recent Conference of the
Parties of the CBD in Hyderabad,
India agreed to double the support
to biodiversity conservation from
developed to developing countries
to US$10 billion by 2015.
*Szabo JK, Khwaja N, Garnett ST, Butchart SHM
(2012) Global Patterns and Drivers of Avian
Extinctions at the Species and Subspecies
Level. PLoS ONE 7 (10): e47080. doi:10.1371/
journal.pone.0047080
33
Thank you for your commitment to Nature
While it is true that the economic
situation has been uncertain in
recent times, there is no doubt, and
the previous article is evidence of
the fact, that we face an ecological
crisis which, if we don’t try to resolve
it, will produce far greater economic
harm. Therefore, we ask you please
to keep supporting us, or to even
start supporting us as a new member
or sponsor. All donations, whatever
their value, will be used wisely in
our conservation projects. There are
different ways that you can support
our work, even to considering leaving
a legacy to the LPF after you have
provided for your loved ones.
Donation from the company Activa
Many persons reading this edition
of Cyanopsitta have over the years
supported the conservation work of
the Loro Parque Fundación, and have
even been supporting friends of Loro
Parque well before the LPF came into
existence in 1994. Your commitment
to our work has been your
commitment to Nature, to protect the
parrots, whales and dolphins, and all
other species and the natural places
where they live. Our commitment to
you is constantly do our best to make
this protection happen effectively and
to have a long-lasting effect.
The same can be said of our loyal
sponsors, many of them featured
on the opposite page, who also
contribute year after year to the LPF,
and in doing so can reinforce their
social responsibility for protection of
the environment.
So, we thank you from the heart for
how you have supported us until now,
and we would like to thank you for
making a commitment to support the
activities of the LPF into the future.
For its part, the LPF is determined
to stay an efficient organisation that
continues to build on its existing
achievements and provide the best
possible value to all its supporters.
In this context, the 40th Anniversary
of Loro Parque is a very appropriate
milestone at which to remark on
its great generosity to cover all
operational costs of the LPF, thus
giving you the peace of mind that
100% of your donations goes directly
to the conservation projects.
The LPF is very fortunate to have
“Ambassadors”, persons with a high
public profile such as Brian May (lead
guitarist of rock band Queen), Frank
Elstner (TV presenter) and Boris
Izaguirre (author and TV presenter),
who are willing endorse the work that
we do. At another level we feel that
there are supporters among you who
would be willing to help the LPF in a
more formal capacity by becoming
its voluntary representatives to help
spread the word about our work
and achievements, and to help us
increase our activities and positive
impact in as many places as possible.
Sponsors and donors of Loro Parque Fundación
Loro Parque is the Foundation’s principal sponsor. Therefore, the financial
support provided by our sponsors, members and donors can be dedicated
100% to the wide range of parrot and biodiversity conservation activities of
Loro Parque Fundación.
España
For all these possibilities, please
do not hesitate to contact us in the
following ways:
Telephone: +34 922 374081 E x t . 3 7 2 Email: [email protected]
For a direct donation,
the bank accounts of the LPF:
Banca March, Puerto de la Cruz
Account: 0061 0168 81 005034011-8
IBAN: ES40 0061 0168 8100 5034 0118
BIC: BMARES2M
Banco Santander, Puerto de la Cruz
Account: 0049 0290 37 2113529526
IBAN: ES46 0049 0290 3721 1352 9526
BIC: BSCHESMM
BBVA , Puerto de la Cruz
Account: 0182 5310 61 001635615-8
IBAN: ES85 0182 5310 61 0016356158
BIC: BBVAESMM
Thank you again for all your help.
Chester Zoo, ZGAP, CEPA, Zoo-Verein Wuppertal e.V., Dispayta Canarias S.L., Netzing Solutions AG, Cerza Lisieux Zoo,
Pencovi S.L., D.H.E., Clax Italia S.R.L., Association Beauval, Vereinung F.R. Zucht und ERH, Ute Goerth, Sergio Pérez Máquinas
Expendedoras, Dialte S.A., University of Giessen (students), Emerencio e hijos S.L., Global Sistemas Integrales S.L., Zoo
Stella Canarias, Frutas Cruz Santa, Rohersa S.L., Juan Luis Garcia Rodulfo, Melinda Pennoy Chouinard, Klaus Murmann,
Vogelfreunde Höchstadt, Vogelfreunde Achern, Vogelfreunde Kevelaer, Vogelverein Dingolfing, HSH Henri D’arenberg, Banif,
Club Leones de Puerto de la Cruz, Papageienfreunde Nord e. V., Westerwälder Vogelfreunde e.V., Lemmikkilinnut Kaijuli Ry.
Our thanks to all our sponsors, donors and other supporters.
Students from the University of Giessen make a donation to Mr. Kiessling
34
35
Hospitality is our tradition
SPECIAL 7 NIGHTs PACKAGE FOR FRIENDS OF LORO PARQUE
{
We have created a special package, “Friends of Loro Parque”, so that you can benefit from the services and facilities offered to you by
Hotel Botánico & The Oriental Spa Garden. In order for you to enjoy your stay in Puerto de La Cruz, the package includes an entrance ticket
to Loro Parque and its magnificent facilities, as well as an entrance to “The Oriental Spa Garden” Thermal Circuit, with its own gardens,
themed saunas, experience showers and jacuzzis. We recommend you visit the Thermal Circuit when you are back at the hotel.
The Hotel Botánico, member of one of the Leading Hotels of the World, offers you unbeatable facilities and a friendly, professional team. In our three “à la carte” themed restaurants you can enjoy the finest cuisine: “The Oriental”, offering Oriental and Thai cuisine; the
Mediterranean-inspired “Il Pappagallo” and “La Parrilla”, with European and regional specialties.
This package includes accommodation for 7 nights in a luxurious bedroom overlooking the garden, the sea or Mount Teide. For families
with children, we can offer you connecting double rooms, a sheer luxury for your complete relaxation.
Prices per room for seven days, including buffet breakfast (5% tax not included)
08 April-31 Oct 2012
01 Nov-11 Dec 2012
08 Jan-28 April 2013
12 Dec-24 Dec 2012
Loro Parque´s 40th anniversary
25 Dec 2012-07 Jan 2013
Single room
938 €
1175 €
936 €
1563 €
Double room
1250 €
1725 €
1228 €
2501 €
Optional services:
Limousine service from Reina Sofía Airport (South) to the Hotel Botánico (one way) 120 €
Limousine service from Los Rodeos Airport (North) to the Hotel Botánico (one way) 70 €
We also offer a great promotion for stays from 14 days: free private limousine transfer from both airports to the Hotel Botánico.
Tenerife, Spain
Puerto de la Cruz | Tel: +34 922 381 400 | Fax: +34 922 381 504 | e-mail: [email protected]
www.hotelbotanico.com

SECOND BIRTH PARROT SPERM BREEDING HAPPY 40TH

Transcription

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