Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire, England has recently welcomed a hatching from an endangered Socorro dove, marking a hopeful milestone in the conservation efforts for this species. The chick, hatched in late August, is the first offspring of the species to be bred at the zoo.
The parents of the chick, who arrived at Whipsnade Zoo from London Zoo in June, are part of a global conservation breeding program aimed at increasing the numbers of this rare bird. The ultimate goal of the program is to reintroduce the species to its native habitat on Socorro Island, located off the coast of Mexico.
With only 209 Socorro doves remaining in the world and less than 50 conservation institutions caring for them, the arrival of this chick is a significant boost. In fact, along with nine other chicks hatched at Whipsnade Zoo’s sister-site London Zoo, the Socorro chicks in the care of the two ZSL zoos account for almost 5% of the entire species population.
Gary Ward, ZSL’s curator of birds, expressed his excitement for the arrival of the first Socorro dove chick at Whipsnade Zoo, stating that it is not only a momentous occasion for the zoo, but also a step forward in ensuring the survival of a species that was once on the brink of extinction. He also emphasized the important role that zoos play in protecting and reintroducing endangered species like the Socorro dove.
The Socorro dove, which once thrived in the dense woodlands of Socorro Island, was declared Extinct-in-the-Wild in 1972 due to severe habitat loss and the introduction of non-native predators. The tiny chick at Whipsnade Zoo represents an important milestone for the Socorro Dove Project, an international initiative working to reintroduce this Extinct-in-the-Wild species to Mexico’s Socorro Island. The project is a collaboration between ZSL, key partners in Mexico, Frankfurt Zoo, African Safari, and other zoos within the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA) and Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) networks.
Tim Savage, manager of the bird team at Whipsnade Zoo, shared that the Socorro dove chick is thriving and growing quickly. The chick has already taken its first steps towards independence by leaving the nest, but will still rely on its parents for food. The father has been taking on the majority of parenting duties, including feeding and encouraging the chick to forage for its own food.
ZSL, the conservation charity behind Whipsnade Zoo, is a world leader in caring for and reintroducing Extinct-in-the-Wild species. The organization is also a driving force in the IUCN SSC Extinct-in-the-Wild Action Partnership, dedicated to the recovery of the world’s most threatened species. ZSL has previously helped to recover an Extinct-in-the-Wild bird species, the Sihek, by hand-rearing hatchlings and releasing them into the wild after 40 years.
Visitors to Whipsnade Zoo not only have the opportunity to see the precious Socorro dove chick, but also support ZSL’s vital work in protecting species and restoring habitats around the world. To learn more about Whipsnade Zoo and its conservation efforts, visit their website at https://www.zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo.