Ostrava Zoo Helps Restore Northern Bald Ibis Population in Spain

Ostrava Zoo has once again joined an international project to save the northern bald ibis — this time in a new region of Spain, where two chicks hatched at the Czech zoo last year have already been relocated.

The zoo previously took part in a similar project in southern Spain, in Andalusia, where the joint efforts of specialists helped establish a stable population of around 270 birds, with more than 50 pairs now breeding successfully. According to a zoo representative, releases in that region have been paused for now, as ornithologists shift their focus to another part of Spain.

The fate of the first pair of ibises sent from Ostrava was not entirely happy: one of the two birds released into the wild died after being hit by a car. “Unfortunately, this is not uncommon — collisions with vehicles are among the leading causes of death for birds, as well as many other animals, worldwide,” the zoo representative explained. The second ibis is alive and well, and thanks to a GPS transmitter attached to it, Spanish conservationists can track its movements in real time.

Ostrava Zoo has kept northern bald ibises since 2008. During the warmer months, visitors can see the birds in the aviary next to the Indian predators pavilion. The zoo currently has three breeding pairs of ibises, two of which successfully raised chicks this year.

The northern bald ibis once inhabited Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, but habitat loss, illegal hunting and poisoned bait have wiped out the species across many regions, leaving it critically endangered today.

Around Prague, based on reporting by ekolist.cz