BANGKOK April 26 (UNA): Four times a day, Thai conservationist Watchiradol Phangpanya dons a black long-sleeved shirt, red gloves and a red mask, hoping to mimic an endangered red-headed vulture feeding its baby.
Covered in white down that will change to black plumage as it grows, the pink chick is the first red-headed Asian king eagle to be bred in Asia and only the second in the world.
Reuters reports that Wachiradul and his colleagues at the Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo in northeastern Thailand want to ensure that any hatchlings raised in captivity will not affect humans so that they are better prepared for their eventual release into the wild.
“It is necessary … that we disguise ourselves as a bird, which leads them to see us as the closest their parents will be,” Wachiradol said, adding that it is the best opportunity to develop the natural instincts of a bird.
He feeds her rabbit, deer, chicken, and rat meat to simulate her diet in the wild. After feeding, Watchradol said, the chick warms up in the sun to get the vitamin D it needs for its physical and behavioral development.
“Is there enough nutrition in her food? Or is she receiving too much? At every moment, the worries will continue,” he said.
Being a scavenger, the red-headed vulture used to play a crucial role in the ecosystem by consuming animal carcasses. However, hunting and changes in its habitat meant that the species became extinct in the wild in Thailand and greatly diminished globally.
After nearly two decades of trying to increase the population of red-headed eagles, the zoo is starting to see results, as another egg is incubated by its parents in conservation. The preservation team hopes it can build up a large enough number for eventual release.
“The most important aspect of our success is the enhancement of the ecosystem of the UNESCO heritage site, Huai Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary,” said zoo director Tanchun Kinsaeng, adding that the park in western Thailand was once home to the world’s largest community of wildlife. Asian king vultures.
“We would like to see the King of Asia vulture again in the skies of Thailand,” he said.
WWA