Rare parrots introduced to Perth Zoo

Melissa Leo

With hopes of including them in a trial captive breeding program, two rare Western Ground Parrots received a thorough health check at Perth Zoo this morning.

A male and juvenile female were placed under anaesthetic before being weighed, X-rayed, micro-chipped and having DNA samples taken.

Matt Ricci, a Senior Australian Fauna Keeper from the zoo, teamed up with Parks and Wildlife scientists to transfer the two birds from Cape Arid National Park last month. They were captured just before fire devastated the area.

“We actually had fire the day after we were able to capture the male, they had to evacuate the park the same day the male arrived,” Mr Ricci said.

“The female had been caught about two days earlier.”

Bush fires during October and November destroyed 90 per cent of the critically endangered birds’ habitat.

Before the recent fires there were less than 140 Western Ground Parrots estimated in the wild.

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