Prague zoo breeds near-extinct Brazilian mergansers

Five chicks of the critically endangered Brazilian merganser have been born at the Prague Zoo, fuelling hopes for a reintroduction of the duck in the wild, a breeder said Wednesday.

The two males and three females born on January 29 are the first Brazilian mergansers ever born outside South America, Prague zoo birds curator Antonin Vaidl told AFP.

"The Brazilian merganser is the only merganser living in the southern hemisphere and one of the most endangered anseriformes, or perhaps the most endangered anseriform of all," Vaidl said, referring to an order of waterfowl.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature put the duck's population at 249 animals in 2019, citing the construction of dams and water pollution as the main reasons behind the decline.

The IUCN has listed the Brazilian merganser, a fish-eating duck with prominent head feathers, as critically endangered since 1994.

Vaidl said the bird was already believed to be extinct in the 1950s before a new population was discovered.

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The Brazilian merganser needs clear, fast-flowing water, which made it a daunting task for Prague Zoo to accept five couples from Brazil in October 2023 as the first and only zoo so far.

"It was a tough decision to accommodate five couples, because they cannot be together, each couple needs its own aviary, which must moreover have flowing water," Vaidl said.

He added that if the proliferation continues, Prague Zoo will address other European zoos in a bid to expand the breeding programme.

"We have succeeded with the first couple this year, and we hope that other couples will follow suit, because we can see the activity there," Vaidl said.

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