RapportFondation_2026_V03 Pages LIGHT EN - Flipbook - Page 34
Protect & restore
2025 REPORT
BRAZIL
Reintroducing the Spix’s macaw
A bird species extinct in the wild
AMOUNT COMMITED TO DATE: € 288.191
WE CONTRIBUTE THROUGH THE TIME AND COMMITMENT OF OUR TEAMS.
2018 > PRESENT
Popularised by the animated film “Rio”, the Spix’s macaw is one of the rarest birds in the world, native to the
Brazilian Caatinga. Driven by poaching and habitat degradation caused by the expansion of agricultural activities,
populations of Spix’s macaws gradually declined and eventually became extinct in the wild in 2000. Fortunately,
the last remaining captive birds (which had been held illegally) were rescued. A breeding programme was then
launched to help preserve the species. Today, three centres around the world are involved in the breeding of Spix’s
macaws: in Berlin (Association for the Conservation of Threatened Parrots – ACTP), in Brazil and at Pairi Daiza.
The ultimate goal is to release Spix’s macaws bred ex situ back into the wild in Brazil. To ensure the success of this
reintroduction, gradual re-adaptation to their natural environment is essential. In Brazil, a rehabilitation centre helps
the birds develop the behaviours necessary for survival in the wild. In 2022, one of the Pairi Daiza Foundation’s
dreams came true with the reintroduction of 20 Spix’s macaws into their natural habitat in Brazil. This world first
was achieved with the support of the Foundation and the Park’s zoological team, in collaboration with the ACTP
and the Brazilian government.
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