One of the most endangered bird species in the world was just born in H-Town. The Houston Zoo announced Thursday that it recently welcomed a Malagasy sacred ibis chick, marking the first time the rare species has been successfully hatched in a North American zoo. Born on Sept. 3, the female chick was named Vorotsara by the zoo's conservation partner from Madagascar, Dr. Jonah Ratsimbazafy. Her name, which is pronounced VURU-CHARA, translates to "beautiful bird" in Malagasy.
Vorotsara was born on Sept. 3 following a unique set of challenges. After the Houston Zoo's animal care team noticed the eggs were not being properly incubated during the breeding season, they pulled the egg and artificially incubated it with plans to return it to its parents. However, the parents abandoned the nest, leaving the team to step in and hand-rear it. When Vorotsara finally hatched, the team implemented a quiet zone to disassociate her from human voices. They also used face coverings when interacting with her and gifted her a crocheted stuffed ibis to keep her company—all to help her eventually safely integrate with her flock.
Named for its association with Thoth, the ancient Egyptian god of wisdom and truth, Malagasy sacred ibis are large white birds with fluffy black feathers across the rump, a black head and blue eyes. They stand two to three feet tall and have a wingspan of three to four feet wide. Found only in Madagascar and a few islands in the Seychelles, it is estimated that there are only 2,300 to 3,000 Malagasy sacred ibis birds left in the world. Due to their very limited range, their numbers have been decimated due to habitat loss and ease of poaching.
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November 10, 2023 at 06:05PM
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Houston Zoo successfully hatches one of the rarest birds in the world - Chron
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