A collaboration between the Vienna Zoo and the species protection organization „Waldrappteam.at“ will take place in Vienna beginning in May 2008.
The Northern Bald Ibis (NBI) or Waldrapp Ibis (Geronticus eremita) is one of the most endangered bird species worldwide. The only occurrence of NBI in the wild today is one colony of about 300 specimens in Morocco and a small group of birds in Syria.
The historical distribution of this species once reached from the Mediterannean northwards as far as northern Italy, Switzerland, Austria and southern Germany. The NBI has been totally extinct now in Europe for more than 350 years.
One of the aims of the project “Waldrappteam.at” is the reintroduction of Zoo offspring in parts of their historical distribution by leading hand-raised birds to a hibernation area with the help of microlights (paraplanes).
Like in the years before a group of young Northern Bald Ibis will be hand-raised to later follow their human foster parents into the south (Tuscany, Italy). In nature they have to be shown a migration route by their parents in late summer of the first year in order to learn and memorize the way to their hibernation area. The Vienna Zoo of Schönbrunn, in which NBI are kept and bred, has been supporting international projects concerning this species for years.
Our WMBD project deals with public relations and education concerning the Bald Ibis project located in the zoo area of the Vienna Zoo. It will start on May 10 with the opening of a big info tent. Here thousands of zoo visitors can gain information about the project and the connection between species conservation and environmental protection in general. Of course they can give donations to the project as well. A little later they will also have the opportunity to watch “live” the hand-raising of about eight young Bald Ibises.
This collaboration is a very important contribution to improve conservation attempts via an example of a highly endangered bird species by the means of public relations and education for people of all ages and parts of society.