20 Years Lost In The Wild And Endangered, Spix's Macaw Will Be Returned To Its Habitat

Illustration of Spix's Macaw. (Wikimedia Commons/Daderot)

JAKARTA - It's been 20 years since the Spix's Macaw was last seen in the wild, but this endangered species is likely to make a comeback.

Within days, the bird will be returned to the reserve, located in Caatinga in northeastern Brazil, thanks to a conservation and rehabilitation program.

The Spix's Macaw, one of the rarest birds in the world, is a small parrot with blue feathers. Illegal trade, hunting, and destruction of their natural habitat by agriculture and other animals have left their mark and led to the loss of species in the wild.

However, this could change thanks to ACTP, an NGO in Germany dedicated to the protection and conservation of endangered parrots and their habitat, which has teamed up with the Pairi Daiza Foundation and the Government of Brazil, for the reintroduction program for the Spix's Macaw.

Over the years, ACTP and the Pairi Daiza Foundation have worked relentlessly to breed new populations of Spix's Macaws so that their number reaches 180 healthy birds.

At the Pairi Daiza Zoo in Belgium, eight Spix's Macaws are kept in an aviary that is not accessible to the public.

"Within two weeks, typically, we will release the first eight Spixes in the wild after 22 years, not in their habitat," said Tim Bouts, director of zoology and veterinary care at Pairi Daiza Zoo.

If the experiment is successful, then the Spix's Macaw will be the first bird species to be reintegrated into the wild by humans.