20
November 2018 — 12:01am
Australia's
"most important bird" – and one whose conservation some scientists
consider the most urgent of any bird in the world – has just taken a
significant step back from the brink of extinction.
The
critically endangered plains-wanderer once roamed the grasslands surrounding
Melbourne.
So it is
fitting that on these volcanic plains, for the first time in
Victoria, the bird has been bred in captivity.
It can be
revealed that on November 4 four healthy plains-wanderer chicks hatched at the
Werribee Open Range Zoo. Their names: Quagmire, Jane, Ramble and Clinton.
The
plains-wanderer is found only in south-eastern Australia and is ranked No. 1 in
the world on the Zoological Society of London's Evolutionarily
Distinct and Globally Endangered bird list.
With
fewer than 1000 mature plains-wanderers left in the wild and a population in
decline, these four fluffy little bundles represent a milestone in the
fight to stop the species dying out.
No comments:
Post a Comment