Vantara Partners With ACTP To Reintroduce 41 Spix’s Macaws In Brazil
The 41 Macaws chosen for transfer to Brazil were identified based on their pedigree and health. The batch consisted of 23 females, 15 males, and three unsexed juveniles.
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Vantara, a conservation-and-rehabilitation centre established by Reliance, has partnered with the Association for the Conservation of Threatened Parrots (ACTP) to reintroduce Spix's macaws, which were declared extinct in 2000, to Brazil. Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (GZRRC), an affiliate of Vantara, and ACTP are leading the effort to transfer 41 Spix's macaws from ACTP’s breeding centre in Berlin, Germany, to a release centre in Bahia, Brazil.
As part of the global Reintroduction Programme, Vantara is providing expert guidance and critical resources to ACTP to restore this extinct-in-the-wild species to Brazil's Caatinga biome. Vantara is a 3,000-acre wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre in Gujarat's Jamnagar.
The transfer of these birds follows the programme’s earlier successes, when 20 Spix’s macaws were released into the wild in 2022, which resulted in the first wild-born chicks in over 20 years.
The 41 macaws chosen for transfer to Brazil were identified based on their pedigree and health. The batch consisted of 23 females, 15 males, and three unsexed juveniles. Some of them became a part of the group being prepared for release this year, while others were incorporated into the breeding programme in order to support the conservation efforts in the long run.
The birds, prior to their transfer, underwent strict health screenings including a quarantine of more than 28 days at a breeding facility in Berlin, Germany. Besides this, comprehensive testing was done to ensure they were not infected with any diseases that could impact Brazil’s wild environment.
On January 28, the birds departed for Petrolina Airport, Brazil on a chartered flight from Berlin. They arrived on the same day, following which they were transported directly to a quarantine facility. A team of two veterinarians, one keeper from ACTP, and an expert team from Vantara’s GZRRC oversaw the transfer closely. A temporary office of the border police and federal customs had also been set up at the airport to facilitate swift clearance of the birds.
Martin Guth, the founder of ACTP, said: "On behalf of ACTP, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Anant Ambani and Vantara for their remarkable contribution to the Spix’s macaws Reintroduction Project. In addition to their generous financial support, the expertise that Vantara shared with us has been invaluable in successfully breeding this extinct-in-the-wild species. Vantara’s unwavering dedication to biodiversity restoration and endangered species protection, coupled with their passion, resources, and collaborative approach, has been pivotal to the success of this initiative. This partnership exemplifies the power of a shared vision and commitment, and we hope it will inspire conservation efforts worldwide. We look forward to continuing our work together to save as many endangered species as possible in partnership with Vantara."
The Spix’s Macaw has famously featured in the Hollywood movie Rio, and has been at the heart of a global conservation efforts across the globe, involving those working together to rebuild the species' population in captivity.
Some of the previous initiatives includes establishment of a dedicated Release Centre in Brazil in 2019, followed by the transport of 52 birds from Germany and Belgium in 2020. This was followed by the release of 20 Spix’s macaws into their natural habitat in 2022, which was a major milestone that resulted in the birth of seven wild chicks.
It is essential to make annual releases to ensure the establishment of a thriving wild population, making it critical for the Release Centre to continue to receive new birds to support the programme.
Besides this, Vantara is also making efforts to restore India’s diverse wildlife heritage with the help of focused conservation programmes. These initiatives include strengthening Asiatic lion populations through breeding and habitat restoration, reintroducing captive-bred rhinos into secure habitats, and advancing the return of cheetahs to Indian forests after a successful breeding programme.
The reintroduction of the Spix’s macaws demonstrates Vantara’s unwavering commitment to ecosystem restoration and species recovery, marking a major achievement in global wildlife conservation.
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