There’s a new addition to Vienna’s Schönbrunn Zoo: 32 Waldrapp chicks moved to the zoo in April and are lovingly cared for by their two human foster mothers. It is also important for them to regain their strength quickly. Because flight training will start soon…
The chicks come from the Rosegg animal park in Carinthia. After moving to Vienna, Helena Wehner and Lisa Kern hand-raised their protégés, including Peppino, Pinella, and Werner. Visitors to the zoo can also observe this.
“Guided rearing requires a lot of effort, because the chicks have to… daily between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. being fed regularly at night We also spend as much time as possible with the young birds between feedings. This is how we build a close relationship down to the chicks and they are imprinted on us as caretakers. This is crucial for them to follow us laterexplains Helena Wehner, who is a Waldrapp foster mother for the third time.
Travel to winter quarters
Where to follow? When the oldest fledgling is about 35 days old, it enters flight training at Lake Constance, which will later also be the breeding ground for the northern bald ibis. However, their winter home is in Tuscany and the birds must first learn how to get there.
Once again they get help from their foster mothers, who show them the way in ultralight aircraft. In two to three years, the northern bald ibis will finally find their way back to their breeding grounds on Lake Constance.
Highly endangered bird species
The northern bald ibis went extinct in Europe about 400 years ago. “Its reintroduction is one of the most exciting species conservation projects. Schönbrunn Zoo has been involved in the rescue of this critically endangered bird species for 20 years and took over management of an EU-funded LIFE project in early 2022,” said project manager Bernhard Gönner.
There are now about 200 northern bald ibises in Central Europe. The aim is to increase the population so that this species can survive independently again in the future.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
