In 2009, George Archibald, co-founder of The International Crane Foundation, approached Michael Mace, Wild Animal Park curator of birds, about assisting Bhutan’s Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN) to work on the avian conservation recovery program for the critically endangered white-bellied heron. In the spring of 2011, Safari Park keepers Don Sterner and Debbie Marlow traveled to Bhutan to provide technical assistance and set up incubation, brooder, and flight pen facilities. Two of four eggs were pulled from a nest in the hills across the river from the field station, a difficult, dangerous procedure requiring the skills of a professional tree climber. After two hours, the group had the eggs in hand and headed back to camp. Candling the eggs revealed that one was not viable, and the other was about a week from hatching. Then on May 7, Don, Debbie, and the team witnessed the hatching of the very first white-bellied heron in captivity. The chick thrived, though there were challenges. The power was not reliable, and the keepers had to have around-the-clock shifts to monitor outages and switch to generator power when needed. Getting fresh fish for the chick was also a challenge. RSPN staff had to go out day and night to catch enough fish to provide for the rapidly growing chick. Don and Debbie transferred care of the heron to the Bhutanese on June 15, when the chick was 40 days old. Once it had fledged, the bird was fitted with a leg band and satellite transmitter. On September 17, the heron was released, and subsequent reports showed that it continued to do well.

A little over a week old, critically endangered Grand Cayman blue iguanas No. 7 and No. 9 check each other out at the Anne and Kenneth Griffin Reptile Conservation Center, operated by the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research. The number of iguana hatchlings this year – nine - more than doubles any previous year’s breeding.
In past years, the researchers have seen only three or four hatchlings in a season. This is the fourth and fifth successful clutch of the Grand Cayman blue iguana at the San Diego Zoo since 2007 – 17 blue iguana hatchlings in all.
The San Diego Zoo is one of 13 conservation organizations outside of Grand Cayman with blue iguanas, one of the most endangered of all lizards. There are now 17 iguanas at the Reptile Conservation Center, which is not open to the public. The Zoo’s blue iguana breeding program is done in conjunction with the Blue Iguana Recovery Program and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Big Successes with Rare Species

From nene goslings (left), to Grand Cayman blue iguana hatchlings (near left), to going a long way for the white-bellied heron of Bhutan (above), San Diego Zoo Global researchers and staff continued to make a tremendous difference for some of the planet’s most endangered animals.

2011

End Extinction 2007 - 2016

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