Corncrake breeding tops century!
Tuesday 4 September 2007
Celebrations are taking place at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo this week with news that more than 100 rare corncrakes have been bred this year for reintroduction into the wild.
© ZSL
In fact, a staggering 126 chicks have been successfully hatched and raised to chicks by keepers at the zoo, far more than was hoped and giving a massive boost to the re-introduction project at the Nene Washes near Peterborough.
The project is managed jointly by Whipsnade and the RSPB who run the reserve at the Nene Washes, Natural England who work with farmers and landowners in the area to allow these beautiful and rare birds to remain in the area and Pensthorpe Conservation Trust.
At the Nene Washes each batch of chicks is first given a health check by ZSL vets and then released to the wild. The project began with 6 birds released in 200, this increased to about 55 in 2003, 75 in 2004, 78 in 2005 and 8 in 2006. This year’s number has exceeded all expectations.
ZSL Whipsnade Zoo senior bird keeper Jamie Graham, who has been in charge of rearing the chicks said: “It’s just great to have surpassed 100. When we set up the project seven years ago, 100 birds was the target we’d set ourselves and this is just fantastic.
“Obviously, the more birds we can release the better the chance that they will come back and a sustainable population can be created in the Nene Washes and in England.”
