The Loro Parque Fundación has managed to save two new species of parrot from the danger of extinction: the Fuertes parrot from Colombia, and the Marguerite parrot from Venezuela. These join a list that now means that they have prevented twelve species from disappearing.
The Fuertes Parrot, native to the Colombian Andes, and the Marguerite Parrot, from the Venezuelan coasts, were in critical danger of extinction due to poaching and the destruction of their natural habitats.
The Loro Parque Fundación, together with the Provita organization and the Fundación Vida Silvestre, have managed to change their category on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species.
They have technically and financially supported the conservation of the two species with more than 950,000 euros. Thanks to the work in Colombia with conservation organizations and the alliance with Fundación Vida Silvestre, it has been possible to improve the habitat conditions of this parrot, better understand its biology, and raise awareness among local populations about the protection of its natural heritage.
In Venezuela, the investigations carried out with Provita, as well as the presence in the field of eco-guardians, have made it possible to monitor the nests of the Marguerite Parrot and put a stop to the action of poachers. The installation of artificial nests has been essential to give more opportunities for reproduction to this species in deforested areas and increase their populations exponentially.
For more than two decades, the Loro Parque Fundación has successfully reproduced this species, acting as a safety net for the species in the wild and providing specimens born under human care that allow its demand to be eradicated from the wild.
“Farming under human care, protecting the environment, and raising awareness among local populations is the only way to protect these species”, claims Rafael Zamora, scientific director of the Loro Parque Fundación.
By rescuing these two specimens, the Loro Parque Fundación has managed to add a total of twelve species of parrots to its list of species saved from extinction, including the Grey-breasted Parakeet and Lear's Macaw.
