With the aim of contributing to the recovery of the northern bald ibis, the Valencian park has received a group of these birds as part of the European program that regulates their controlled breeding according to scientific criteria. Furthermore, the BIOPARC Foundation is participating in the complex project of reintroducing these chicks, born in the parks, to Europe by restoring migratory routes with guided flights in ultralight aircraft. BIOPARC Valencia reaffirms its commitment to threatened biodiversity, which has achieved recent successes such as the breeding of rhinoceros, elephant, and chimpanzee offspring.
There are actions that conservation organizations are particularly proud of. Fighting against the adversity of environmental degradation and the constant loss of biodiversity is very difficult and frustrating. But scientific knowledge, perseverance, and, most importantly, to join forces towards a common goalSometimes they achieve promising results and are the greatest source of joy for moving forward. Among these cases, the complicated International operation to reverse the critical situation of the northern bald ibis (Geronticus the hermit), species declared extinct in Europe by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and of which BIOPARC Valencia has received a group.
New species at BIOPARC Valencia: the northern bald ibis
People visiting the Valencian park can now admire this truly rare bird It will likely be the first time they've ever seen a northern bald ibis, with its black plumage shimmering with metallic reflections, bare head, and the characteristic long, curved beak of its species. And what's more, they'll be able to see it up close in the spectacular Kopje, which recreates African granite formations, while simultaneously observing, without any visual barriers, the pride of lions.
The new specimens live together in the aviary with more than a dozen winged animals such as Abdim's stork (Ciconia abdimi), the hammerhead bird (Scopus umbretta), the superb starling (Lamprotornis superbus), the vulture guinea fowl (Acryllium vulturinum) and the family of the little-known mammal rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) with their young.
Conservation project for the reintroduction of the northern bald ibis
This migratory bird disappeared from our continent in the 17th century and Its recovery is part of an ambitious project promoted by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) BIOPARC Valencia has joined this effort with the recent arrival of four pairs of northern bald ibises from the zoos of Vienna (Austria) and Zurich (Switzerland). The collective goal is to achieve under scientific criteria of controlled breeding, stable population that not only guarantees their survival, but that allows its reintroduction.
On this last point of in situ conservation There are two major programs underway, one in Central Europe coordinated by the Austrian organization Waldrappteam and another in southern Spain, in the province of Cádiz, led by the Jerez Zoo and Botanical Gardenwho work together to connect the reintroduced populations. The BIOPARC Foundation participates in this global network, which is managed at the European level by the Innsbruck Zoo (Austria).
In this innovative and complex plan, the chicks born In zoos, they are hand-raised by professionals.The close bond they establish with their caretakers is fundamental, as the birds must subsequently follow in flight to small ultralight aircraft where they are mounted the “adoptive mothers”Alongside professional pilots, they constantly call to and encourage the young birds. restoration of these migratory routes of thousands of kilometers It allows the recovery of behaviors lost for centuries and makes their gradual return to the wild possible. In this context, these ibis pairs at BIOPARC Valencia will allow, in the future, the breeding of new individuals that could be integrated into controlled releases within the reintroduction program.
Awareness and outreach platform
BIOPARC Valencia also houses the sacred ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) which can be seen living alongside giraffes, antelopes, zebras, or rhinoceroses. Regarding the latter, it's particularly interesting to watch little Kairu's reaction upon discovering these peculiar birds.
The park reinforces its role as A platform for dissemination, bringing the knowledge and beauty of wild nature closer.At a very special time, there was an opportunity to appreciate the endearing side of other young animals, such as the elephants Makena and Malik, three and two years old respectively, the chimpanzees Cala and Ekon, two and one year old respectively, or even the very rare aardvark "baby." All these young animals are the result of BIOPARC's commitment to protecting the rich biodiversity of our planet and are the best ambassadors for giving hope to their threatened species.
