Largest Macaws in the World Brought to Camperdown Wildlife Centre
Two of the world’s largest macaws have been brought to Camperdown Wildlife Centre by Leisure & Culture Dundee with support from the Friends of Camperdown Wildlife Centre.
The 8 year old Hyacinth Macaws, named Ben and Minnie have arrived at the centre and are now settling into their new surroundings . The Friends group were involved in efforts to bring the birds to the centre and have provided some funding towards the construction of the enclosure.
Bradly Yule, network manager at the Centre said:
“The enclosure includes 1,200 cubic metres of flying space (or 43,470 cubic feet) and will be furnished with branches, logs and contains a 5 metre mature cherry tree for perching. The ground inside the enclosure is still drying out from our wet Scottish winter and will be developed throughout the coming season as the weather changes.”
“Hyacinth macaws are the largest member of the parrot family and are very social birds, generally living in pairs or small groups. Sadly, they have suffered from decades of poaching for the illegal pet trade and for their beautiful blue feathers. The rate of population decline has been rapid over the past three generations and at least 10,000 birds were taken from the wild in the 1980s.”
“They are classed as a vulnerable species and we are honoured to have these birds on display at Camperdown Wildlife Centre. We hope to breed these macaws and link into other monitored populations held in zoos across the UK and Europe. We will also be linking the macaws’ arrival with our learning programme so that we can help visitors to the centre find out more about them.”
Alan Rae, trustee with Leisure & Culture Dundee said:
"The arrival of these two magnificent Hyacinth Macaws, to be housed in a newly built enclosure, confirms Leisure and Culture Dundee's commitment to working with professional zoos across Europe to care and manage many populations of threatened animals. I really hope that the public takes the opportunity to witness these birds up close, as they really are quite special. We also have a fantastic chance here to build on the excellent learning experiences that the centre currently offers to thousands of school pupils and visitors each year."
