One of the world’s rarest birds – hatched from an egg and hand-reared in captivity – is wowing visitors at a British zoo.
There were only nine pink pigeons in the wild during the 1990s.
But zoo keeper Tom Tooley is helping the bird fight back by pioneering a gentle hand-rearing technique, as reported by What’s The Jam.
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Now the chick he nurtured from the minute it hatched has grown into a beautiful adult.
And it is drawing crowds to its home at Paignton Zoo, Devon.
“Our pink pigeon represents one of conservation’s most remarkable success stories,” Tom said.
“It’s amazing to think these birds were almost gone forever.
“This isn’t just about seeing a rare bird – it’s about witnessing a miracle that almost didn’t happen.”
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Tom shares his innovative hand-rearing techniques with Mauritian conservationists, dramatically improving survival rates for the endangered species.
His pioneering method ditches traditional crop tubing in favour of a gentler approach.
Tom uses a specially sized catheter attached to a syringe that is placed on the baby bird’s tongue.
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This allows the chicks to feed naturally.
Tom said: “What makes our work particularly effective is how we combine individual expertise with collective knowledge.
“Each keeper brings unique insights, allowing us to achieve remarkable results with endangered birds like the pink pigeon.”
Pink pigeons are part of a European Endangered Species Programme, a breeding plan established to maintain healthy captive populations and safeguard genetic diversity.
The goal is to ensure the long-term survival of threatened species through collaboration among zoos and organisations, such as the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation.
Stephen Kings, chief executive officer for Wild Planet Trust, which run Paignton Zoo, paid tribute to Tom’s skills.
Stephen said: “Tom’s skilled approach to hand-rearing this squab, along with the collaborative efforts of our dedicated bird team, is yet another testament to our zoo-based expertise in wildlife conservation.”
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