Karlsruhe Zoo: Zoo Director absorbs helpless Hyazinth Ara chicks!

Karlsruhe Zoo: Zoo Director absorbs helpless Hyazinth Ara chicks!

Karlsruhe, Deutschland - In the Karlsruhe Zoo, a hand-drawn hyacinth Ara chicks ensure excitement. Zoo Director Matthias Reinschmidt takes care of the little bird in a remarkable commitment, which was hatched out of a third egg on May 11th in the Nuremberg zoo. The chick is now 13 days old and weighs 125 grams after it only weighed 26 grams at the birth, such as

Usually hyacinth aras only lay two eggs. The appearance of a third egg is problematic, since this means that the chick is often not supplied by the parents when all eggs are fertilized. So Reinschmidt took the chick to Karlsruhe to put it on by hand. The gender of the chick has not yet been determined.

The hand rigs of the Hyazinth Ara is a 24-hour job because the chick has to be fed every two hours. Reinschmidt feeds it with a syringe at night and ensures that the chick is accommodated in a heat cabinet at 36 degrees during the day, since it cannot yet regulate the temperature itself. At night, Reinschmidt accompanies it to work in a special heat box. In about 100 days, the chick is expected to reach a maximum weight of 1.5 to 1.8 kilograms and needs hand rack for at least a year, so zoo-karlsruhe.de .

Reinschmidt is a renowned parrot expert who has already provided hundreds of birds. In the past, he has also raised two other Hyazinth Aras, Henry and Indigo, from the same couple from Nuremberg. After the necessary handbasting, he plans to introduce the young animal to his two conspecifics in the zoo.

Hyazinth Aras and their threat

The Hyazinth Aras are not only the largest flight-capable parrot species, but also endangered. According to the World Conservation IUCN, there are only about 5,000 copies left in nature. The main reasons for the decline in stocks include habitat loss, poaching and illegal catch. These dangers mean that over half of the 19 known ARA species are currently at risk or already eradicated, as zooDresden.de

In 2023, the ARA is recognized as the "Zooier of the Year". This campaign is committed to protecting the endangered species and is supported by several organizations, including the Zoological Society for Species and Population Protection (ZGAP). The funds of the campaign flow into protective measures and environmental education projects in countries such as Bolivia and Ecuador to ensure the survival of the ARAS.

In the European Zooverband EAZA there is also a conservation breeding program (EEP) for Hyazinth Aras, which supports breeding and stabilizing stocks in zoological facilities.